Cox Business has added a new mobile wrinkle to its hosted voice platform, IP Centrex, by enabling voice, instant messaging and other communications features on smartphones, tablets and desktop computers.
Cox Business introduced its hosted IP Centrex product in mid-2013, with an initial focus on IP phones tied to the individual business. This enhancement, enabled using the BroadSoft UC-One platform, factors in mobility, offering in-office connectivity while Cox's business customers are on the go.
The initial launch will feature several applications for smartphones, tablets and desktops – outbound calling, click-to-dial, instant messaging, and Outlook integration (Windows only). Two-way calling is initially available on the mobile smartphone app. Cox Business also has plans to tablet and desktop apps that provide outbound calling, and the addition of collaboration features for the initial batch of apps.
Cox Business started to introduce the new mobile features last December, and it’s now available in all of the MSO’s markets, according to Jeff Adelmann, vice president of product for Cox Business.
He noted that Cox Business sells IP Centrex to its full range of customers, which include small- and mid-sized businesses, as well as some small enterprise customers. The new mobile component is a premium addition to the existing “seat.”
Cox Business, Adelmann said, also plans to extend these capabilities to its line-based products for customers that don’t require an end-to-end hosted platform.
Cox Business is adding the new mobile elements as commercial services remain a key growth engine for the cable industry. Cox is tracking toward $2 billion in annual business services revenues.
“We expanded the IP Centrex solution to enable greater productivity for our customers through a new level of connectivity. Whether via Android or iOS device, our customers will remain connected regardless of location,” Steve Rowley, senior vice president of Cox Business, said in a statement. “In today’s competitive landscape, businesses must be equipped with advanced technology to capture new customers on demand and respond to their needs immediately - these enhancements to IP Centrex deliver on that need.”
