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Pictures - High Resolution images available on request from Contract Marketing SpliceCom's maximiser Delivers Converged IP Telephony to Apple Mac Business Users 15th February 2005 - Chorleywood, UK: SpliceCom, a company specialising in communication systems which combine voice, video and web enabled IT applications at the desktop, has announced the immediate availability of its Proactive Communication Station (PCS) 50 IP Softphone & Phone Partner application for the Apple Mac OS X operating system. PCS 50 for Mac OS X is a truly unique application, which enables the delivery of advanced business telephony to the Apple Mac community for the very first time. Identical in operation and functionality to SpliceCom's PCS 50 application for the Windows operating system, the Apple variant can be utilised on any iMac, PowerBook or iBook running OS X. PCS 50 for OS X delivers ALL of the features and functions associated with SpliceCom's top of the range PCS 400, colour, touch-screen phone and can be run in two different modes. As an IP Softphone, it makes use of the Mac's integrated support of Bluetooth headsets to make and receive phone calls, with the Apple computer handling all the call processing requirements. Alternatively, traditional IP Softphone devices like USB handsets or headsets can also be utilised. As a Phone Partner, PCS 50 can be used in conjunction with SpliceCom's PCS 100, PCS 10 or PCS 5 System Phones or even an existing analogue phone. In this role the telephone can be used to make and receive calls, totally independent of the Apple Mac, as normal. However, access to Caller Display with alpha tagging, System Directories (External Contacts, Users & Departments), Busy Lamp Field/Direct Station Select, Message Mailboxes, Call Conferencing, Call Recording and Key System Emulation features, etc. are all controlled via the PCS 50 for OS X application. Additionally, PCS 50 for OS X provides the ability to converge SpliceCom's maximiser business telephone system with the World Wide Web, Company Intranet or any web-enabled application. Any page in standard HTML/PHP format can be "pushed" to the Apple Mac screen based on a wide range of criteria - incoming CLI, Called Number, time of day/day of week, or an external trigger or event - to everyone, whole Departments or individual Users. This provides next-generation CTI across multiple applications simultaneously, totally independent of platform, operating system or location. PCS 50 is a key component of SpliceCom's Extension Anywhere solution for mobile, remote and home working - and PCS 50 for OS X is no exception. For IP Extension Anywhere it can be used as an IP Softphone across a VPN service with QoS, whilst Analogue Extension Anywhere allows it to be connected to maximiser across a VPN service (no QoS required) and used in conjunction with an existing analogue home phone. Finally Mobile/GSM Extension Anywhere makes use of the Apple Macs in-built wireless LAN which, when used with Wireless VPN services (no QoS required), such as BT's Openzone, allows a standard Mobile/GSM phone to be used as an integrated maximiser extension. maximiser has been developed to be the most "Open" business telephone system available today. It can be completely configured from any standard Web Browser - including Apple's Safari and Microsoft's Internet Explorer for Mac - whilst voicemail can be forwarded as an attachment to any SMTP compliant email system - including Apple Mail. PCS 50 for OS X extends this Open System support for the Apple Mac community and is directly in-line with SpliceCom' strategy of providing maximiser's advanced benefits to all users in a consistent and identical manner, totally independent of LAN infrastructure, telephone type, computer platform, service delivery, location or company size. Midlands based Gordon Harwood Computers is one of only 19 Apple Centres in the UK. MD Giles Harwood explains how SpliceCom have helped him to close a ten-year quest. "Many years ago we decided that our Alcatel T1600 digital telephone system, which we first installed in 1989, would only be replaced when we could install one that allowed integration with our Apple Mac network. After nearly ten years of searching we finally installed our new maximiser telephone system in the Autumn of last year! Each employee runs the PCS 50 on-screen softphone application on their desktop or laptop Mac, in conjunction with their partnered analogue phone. This allows them to see at a glance which group (or Department as SpliceCom call them) an incoming call is destined for and gives the ability to pick that call up. Once they're on a call they can also see who's on the phone, who's available should the call need to be transferred, and to be able to do so with a single action. In addition to providing us with facilities we've never had before like personal voicemail, auto attendant, unified messaging, conference calls and call recording, we've also been able to link our customer database to the phone system." The ability to integrate Windows PC applications with telephone systems using TAPI is probably the only area in which Apple users have been made to feel 2nd best to their Microsoft using brethren. Harwood explains further, "SpliceCom have not only provided parity in this area for the first time, they have comprehensively bettered it through their support of AppleScript. This provides far greater flexibility when linking with applications than TAPI, allowing bespoke tailoring for specific applications. Through maximiser's open architecture we've even be able to link our Sea Change database, which runs on a Sun UNIX server, to our phone system - even though it supports neither TAPI nor AppleScript. As a combined back office customer/supplier records and sales purchase/processing system, this database forms the very backbone of our operation." "As an Apple Centre serving the wider Midlands area, efficient customer service is a cornerstone of our business. We have over 250,000 customers; their retention is of crucial importance to us. There's no doubt that the introduction of the maximiser telephone system and its integration with our Mac network and Sea Change database have greatly enhanced our service offering. This is the business telephone system for which we, our customers and the Apple community as a whole, have been searching for a very long time," concludes Harwood. PCS 50 for Mac OS X is available immediately. The application is bundled Free of Charge with every maximiser system and is also available as a free upgrade for existing maximiser customers. Notes for Editors
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