2/7/00 InformationWeek 137
2000 WL 8165581
InformationWeek
Copyright 2000 CMP Publications Inc.
Monday, February 7, 2000
Emerging Enterprise
One-Call Access To Voice, E-Mail, Fax
--
Flexion Telephony System Lets Users Retrieve Messages Using A Variety Of
Devices
Aisha M. Williams
Flexion Systems Inc. this week will make a telephony system available
for small businesses that lets users access voice messages, E-mail, and
faxes from a variety of devices. The vendor is also offering services
for remote administration of the system.
The BusinessGuardian X300 system manages telecommunications and can
integrate with communications data on Windows NT servers. It lets as
many as 100 users manage different types of communications from their
desktops; they can change voice-mail settings, schedule teleconferences,
and retrieve fax content online, for example. The system also lets users
check E-mail from cell phones and voice mail from PCs.
A particular strength of Flexion's offering is that it integrates
with standard telephones, says Eric Klein, a senior analyst at the
Yankee Group. Klein says that when businesses install integrated
telephony systems, they usually have to purchase proprietary phone sets
that work with those systems. "Replacing desktop phones with proprietary
sets can be expensive, especially for a small-business owner," Klein
says.
Korn, Waterman and Simon, a law firm in Tucson, Ariz., and an early
user, installed BusinessGuardian 300X about a month ago. "Installation
was a breeze," says partner Gary Korn. "We put in the box at about 5
p.m. one evening, and by 6 p.m. the entire system was up and running."
He adds that BusinessGuardian X300 was less expensive than some of the
standard PBX systems he considered.
Korn says he also likes the fact that the X300 can operate as a
standalone telecommunications system, so it's not affected by any
problems that occur with the linked NT server. "Availability is very
important to us, because it can make us more responsive than a very
large law firm," he says.
Small-business owners with limited IT resources can outsource
management of the system to resellers and integrators who partner with
Flexion. The vendor makes available to them a services technology
package called BusinessGuardian Insight, which gathers information about
the networked system and can be accessed remotely through a browser.
Flexion also will make the package available to IT departments within
businesses. BusinessGuardian Insight also produces a monthly report on
network performance.
Klein says outsourcing of the NT-integrated telecommunications
network should be a cost-effective option for interested businesses.
"Flexion's program will save companies money on IT consultation fees,"
he says.
Pricing for BusinessGuardian X300 starts at about $6,000.
BusinessGuardian Insight is sold to resellers and system integrators for
$30 a month per user license.
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At A Glance
BusinessGuardian X300
Flexion Systems
San Francisco
415-864-0847
www.flexion.com
PRICE: Starts at $6,000
STRENGTHS
- Integrates with Windows NT servers
- Doesn't require proprietary telephone systems
WEAKNESS
- Doesn't fit on a standard server rack
DATA: INFORMATIONWEEK
February 07, 2000
---- INDEX REFERENCES ----
COMPANY (TICKER): Yankee Group (X.YNK)
INDUSTRY: Consulting Services; General Industrial & Commercial Services; All Industrial & Commercial Services (CLT ICS SVC)
Word Count: 446
2/7/00 INFWK 137
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