Vertical Summit: New Communications Appliance for Small Business

By Sandra M. Gustavsen
Analyst, Business VoIP

Vertical Communications introduces Summit, a new communications appliance designed for smaller businesses looking for a cost effective phone system with embedded applications that will improve productivity and collaboration and help to streamline their operation. Summit has a hybrid IP/TDM architecture that supports analog, digital and IP connections, along with native smartphone integration and PC-based call management that meet the needs of today’s workers on-the-go. Optional unified communications (UC) capabilities for additional productivity gains are planned for later this year.

Vertical explains that Summit is a “step above” the company’s SBX IP, a key system that targets small businesses with very basic phone system requirements. With Summit, popular telephony functionality is built-in, including voicemail and auto attendant, e-mail notification, Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) and Web-based administration, but more advanced applications are also embedded and ready-to-use without the need for any add-on software. Mobility is a particular focus as businesses, including small and mid-size businesses (SMBs), are increasingly requiring more advanced cell phone integration that enables business call control features from one of today’s popular consumer mobile devices such as an Apple iOS-based or Google (News - Alert) Android-based device (the Bring Your Own Device or BYOD trend). In fact, a majority of workers are already using personal smartphones and tablets for business-related communications, and this trend continues to grow.

The new Summit platform is in line with Vertical’s “applications inside” philosophy: Get applications into the user’s hands and they will use them. Other vendors may offer applications ‘a la carte’ which are often too expensive for a customer to try without having prior knowledge about whether these will actually benefit their business or not. With Summit (and Vertical’s lead telephony and UC platform Wave IP), productivity applications are built-in and simply license-activated, making it easy for users to adopt capabilities that will ultimately improve their own productivity and that of the entire business operation.

Scale

• Summit is positioned as a medium IP key system suitable for businesses with 5-50 users (the “sweet spot” in terms of optimal cost-effectiveness), but can scale to 140 extensions using one of four basic system units and one expansion unit.
• Summit can be part of an IP network (up to 250 sites) with Vertical’s small SBX IP and larger MBX IP key systems; basic features and functions are transparent across the network (Summit does not integrate with the company’s Wave IP platform).

Built-in Productivity

• Communicator for Android (News - Alert) and iOS is a SIP client for smartphones that enables the mobile device to function as the user’s personal phone, but also as a business phone, displaying the user’s office extension in the Caller ID (single number reach) and providing access to corporate phone system features such as hold, pickup, call forwarding, transfer, 3-way conferencing, paging and SMS/Broadcasting. When the user is in the office, calls are handled over the corporate Wi-Fi network, reducing communications costs since minutes from the cellular calling plan are not being used. Two Communicator licenses are included with Summit at no extra cost; additional licenses can be purchased. Tablet support is planned.
• The Phontage IP Softphone for Windows PCs and laptops is suitable for remote workers or call center agents. Notable features include internal SMS, on demand call recording, incoming call pop-ups and the Schedule Dial feature that organizes and schedules phone calls and provides reminder alerts; a Deluxe version adds 4-party video among Phontage users. Two licenses are included with Summit at no extra cost; additional licenses can be purchased.
• An IP Attendant enables PC-based call handling and control (Windows-based) with a display layout designed for ease-of-use and flexibility. An IP Attendant for Hospitality, due out in Phase 2 by the end of 2014, will provide access to wake-up calls, check in/out, room status, group registration and billing information.

Optional UC

• Phase 2 due out by the end of 2014 will introduce the Unified Communications (News - Alert) Server, a new and separate client/server solution with additional productivity features over and above the built-in Communicator and Phontage clients. The UCS client will enable Instant Messaging, presence status information, 6-party video conferencing and desktop/application sharing among other more advanced functionality.
• Phase 2 will also embed license-activated contact center capabilities, including a dashboard for real-time monitoring, flexible management (based on skill sets, IVR, Web chat, call back services), call recording, staff reporting and social media integration.

Device Support

In addition to the Summit Communicator for Android or iOS smartphones (a tablet version is on the roadmap) or the Phontage softphone application for Windows PCs and laptops, customers can choose from a number of IP, analog and digital telephones and user endpoints. These include the 12- and 24-button Vertical Edge 8000 Series desk phones, several Vertical digital phone Series (Edge 9000, Edge 4000 and Edge 700) and wireless DECT and WiFi (News - Alert) solutions for in-building wireless needs. Summit also supports the analog Vodavi Starplus phones and legacy Vodavi phones (Vodavi is one of four telephone vendors - Artisoft, Vertical Networks, Comdial and Vodavi - that merged years ago to form the current company, Vertical Communications (News - Alert)).

Availability

Vertical Summit is generally available as of July 8, 2014 primarily from select reseller distributors that also offer Vertical’s SBX IP and MBX IP key systems. Recently, Vertical merged with Fulton Communications to form a larger direct sales force focused on selling Vertical’s Wave IP solution; Fulton may also offer the new Vertical Summit. 

Edited by Adam Brandt