Avaya Rolls Out Aura and Flare Solutions

Avaya announced rollouts to its Aura conferencing and unified communications platforms in addition to the more prevalent Flare Experience client for Apple and Microsoft Windows devices. The announcement comes as an effort to invigorate and integrate inconsistencies in collaboration commands.

These updates are both improving and promoting the already fixedly advancing capabilities for mobility at Avaya and their existing collaborations. For those reseller partners who are growing interested in delivering more affordable voice and web collaboration to a varied group of workforces, finding easier solutions and using an array of different devices is a message which continues to drive their work.

The Aura Conferencing 7.0 is a new tool for web collaboration, and improves on the Basking Ridge, N.J., vendor's mobile collaboration in Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) environments. Notably, the user interface has been worked on, there is tighter integration, the Flare Experience client on iPad tablets and Windows PCs and laptops for voice, document sharing, instant messaging and email on WiFi or 3G networks is much more durable, and is provided by new rev features.

Wainhouse Research analyst Andy Nilssen says, "Users are increasingly looking for solutions that blend telephony with audio and web conferencing into an easy-to-use experience available on their device of choice." He adds that the new Aura Conferencing 7.0 and Flare Experience products address that need.

In January (earlier this year), Avaya also discussed its mobile strategy and support around Flare Communicator and referred to these newer capabilities.

However, absent from Avaya's announcement is any mention of the more expensive Avaya Desktop Video Device, their Android-based tablet. It would appear that by focusing on broadly publicizing Avaya UC and the collaboration tools, the need for their own tablet is no longer necessary. Although Cisco conceded the end of their own Android collaborative tool (the Cius), the Avaya officials have stated that the ADVD is, and shall remain, available.

The cost of the Avaya Aura Conferencing 7.0 is $140 per user along with the Collaboration Agent browser interface which is $190 per user with the addition of Avaya Flare Experience for Windows operating systems and iPads. Avaya Aura 6.2 is required for this offer and can connect to either Avaya Aura Communication Manager or Avaya CS 1000 systems.

Users of Avaya CS 1000 can add the single-server package Avaya Aura-based Collaboration Pack, which includes Avaya Flare Communicator and Avaya one-X Mobile SIP for iOS. (CY) Link