Birch Communications, a provider of communications, network and cloud services, is catering to the mobile workforce trend with a new release of its Communicator app. The app, which extends functionality of the company’s TotalCloud PBX (News - Alert) solution to remote and mobile workers, is now enhanced with an updated user interface and several new features.

TotalCloud PBX is an enterprise-class hosted phone system that can support businesses’ entire workforce while maintaining flexibility to grow or shrink as necessary. The solution includes a long list of standard and premium features to provide comprehensive functionality that can easily compete with industry-leading alternatives, enabling effective and secure operations in Birch’s SSAE16/SOC3-certified Cloud.

With the Communicator app, remote and mobile employees can leverage all of these features straight from their cellphone or switch to an IP phone or Desktop Communicator softphone device while maintaining their business identity. This allows employees to keep their personal phone numbers private while significantly boosting productivity. As companies continue to loosen ties with physical locations and welcome the flexibility of mobile workforces, it is essential that companies provide a full range of features to users who now must rely on just a cellphone for the majority of their duties.

The latest release is overall more intuitive and aesthetically pleasing, thanks to updated icons and slider bars as well as an overhauled dial pad, and a notification pops up informing the user if an incoming call is business- or personal-related. Communicator now supports Bluetooth headsets and improved voice quality using 4G or Wi-Fi. Call park and retrieve, a vital conferencing feature for SIP phones, is now available through the app to complete the list of functionality. In the context of Birch’s recently-announced bring your own device (BYOD) option, the extensive range of features available through the app effectively ensures employees can optimally manage their communications regardless of the device they use.

“I'm especially pleased to announce the availability of this version of Communicator because it demonstrates a continued investment in our customers, products and services,” said David Gibson, Vice President of Business Development at Birch. “We have enhanced the mobile user experience significantly with this solution. The configuration is fully loaded with the latest technology and delivers the highest performance experience with a single mobile application to access all of the major features of TotalCloud PBX.”

The Communicator app is available for Android (News - Alert) phones running version 4.0 or higher as well as iPhones, iPads and iPod touches running iOS 4.3 or higher. Available as a free download, the app of course requires connection with a deployment of Birch TotalCloud PBX.