Hello Cloud: Telstra Hook Up With Cisco 'Next Gen' Comms
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“Significant” shift: Telstra unveil next gen cloud service that lets you call, video conference via a desktop, tablet
Telstra hook up with Cisco for cloud solutions that integrates calls, video conferencing and mobility apps on workplace desktops, tabs and mobiles – meaning workers can collaborate with each other using Cisco comms tools anywhere on any device.

Developed in partnership with Cisco, the Telstra managed service, known as Cloud Collaboration means users no longer need on-premise systems, and will be delivered via Telstra’s cloud and IP networks.

The service is known as Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) for business, enterprise and government customers, is “a significant shift forward in communication capabilities,” Telstra said today.

The comms service may, in the future, allow users to run software found on a desktop,  like Microsoft Office, straight to a mobile or tablet device, Telstra’s Unified Communications director Boris Corluka told The Australian.

All of Cisco’s popular applications will be available within the Telstra cloud infrastructure including TelePresence and Jabber Plus, which allows mobile workers to log-in via a smartphone or tablet.

The cloud services will be hosted locally in Telstra’s local data centres and delivered over the NextG and Next IP networks,

Customers are demanding an integrated collaboration that gives them the freedom to choose the way they want to work, Richard Kitts, Vice President of Cisco ANZ, said.

“With today’s announcement, Telstra is offering one of the largest number of cloud-based services to be delivered on a Cisco Unified Computing platform in the world.”

And there’s more to come says Kitts, who says Cisco Unified Communications and TelePresence are “the first of many new services we expect to bring to market with Telstra in the future,” Mr Kitts said.

 

Telstra’s network has the ability to prioritise traffic, such as business critical voice data, is responsive to high bandwidth applications, and can extend Unified Communications to more places, particularly to regional or remote workers.

Telstra’s UCaaS service will be available to customers on a monthly, “per worker” basis.

Paul Geason, Group Managing Director, Telstra Enterprise & Government, said “by taking unified communications to the cloud, we are removing the burden of capital expenditure and complicated deployments from customers.”