Avaya to Accelerate Collaborative Cloud

Avaya, Inc. announced a new portfolio of cloud-ready solutions to help customers accelerate deployments of Avaya Collaborative Cloud solutions.

The portfolio, code-named Avaya Collaboration Pods, will leverage key components from Avaya, EMC Corp. and VMware, Inc. to simplify and streamline the installation and ongoing operations of real-time communications and collaboration environments.

The Collaborative Cloud is a framework that enables businesses, organizations and partners to use, build, deliver and enhance communication and collaboration solutions in the cloud.

Collaboration Pods will deliver virtualized storage, computing and networking that are finely tuned for the performance requirements of collaboration and other real-time applications such as VDI. The solutions will include storage arrays from EMC, VMware vCenter and VMware View from VMware, and networking, management, communications applications and integration from Avaya. They will also feature integrated management, orchestration and technical support, enabling enterprises to use a common interface to manage all of the pod components – from the application to the network devices.

Collaboration Pods will be available in several packaged configurations to support business needs. Each package will also include the Avaya Virtual Services Platform (VSP) 7000, an energy and space-efficient top-of-rack Ethernet switching platform built to support fabric-based virtualized services and lossless environments. A series of networking enhancements for the VSP 7000, announced separately today, will deliver performance for data center applications and reduce deployment time for new cloud-based applications.

Collaboration Pods will also enable faster time to revenue for smaller cloud providers that want to streamline delivery of high-value IaaS or Communications as a Service (CaaS).

"EMC develops industry-leading storage, data analytics, backup and security solutions that enable customers to build, maintain and manage virtual and cloud applications. By embedding EMC’s management and storage arrays in a tightly integrated portfolio of solutions, Avaya is providing enterprise customers with simple and easy-to-deploy business communications solutions no longer requiring separate set up and configuration of their SANs to store, manage, protect and analyze the valuable information found in communications, collaboration and VDI sessions," said Rick Froehlich, SVP, OEM, EMC.

"Organizations of all sizes are looking to reduce complexity in their IT environments and take advantage of advanced communications and collaboration technologies. Turnkey solutions such as Avaya Collaboration Pods and VMware cloud infrastructure and management solutions help address this market need. These solutions can help enterprises quickly and easily deploy virtualized application to reduce cost and complexity," said Parag Patel, VP, Global Strategic Alliances, VMware.

"The rise of BYOD makes it difficult for the College to provide students and faculty with a consistent experience across our network. By delivering everything we need in a pre-tested, pre-configured bundle, Avaya’s VDI Pod will help us accelerate the roll-out of virtual desktops to our users. It is a solution that will give end users the benefits of a consistent desktop experience, while allowing us to simplify desktop management, reduce our costs, and secure our infrastructure," said Bobby Lour, director of Information Technology, Dallas Christian College.