Siemens improves scalability as communication moves to the cloud

The straightway version of the OpenScape Unified Communications Suite can handle five times as many users, Siemens Enterprise Communications said Tuesday at the Cebit trade show.

So far, the suite has been able to handle up to 100,000 users, nevertheless with the release of version 7 that number has gone up to half a million users, according to Chris Hummel, chief marketing officer and president of North America at Siemens Enterprise Communications.

The scalability of the UC Suite

Besides improving the scalability of the UC Suite, Siemens previously this month as well launched its own public cloud service for unified communications.

"Small businesses can have the same advantages on cost, flexibility and as well functionality without making the up-front investments or having the technical expertise," said company CEO Hamid Akhavan.

Unified communication combines voice, instant messaging and video, along with the ability to see how colleagues want to communicate -- so-called presence.

Mixture of Internet Protocol

Other improvements in OpenScape UC Suite 7 include centralized management of environments that after all use a mixture of Internet Protocol and traditional telephony.

"We have always assumed that our clients have heterogeneous environments and are making the move to IP and unified communications in a phased approach, to put it more exactly than doing a full rip-and-replace," said Hummel.

The company has as well unified the user interface on its customers across desktops, smartphones and tablets, according Hummel.