CIO Solutions, Inc. Empowers Mobile Workforce with Shoreline4.3 IP PBX

CIO Solutions, an Information Technology integration company, together with Shoreline Communications is changing the face of communications on the Central Coast of California.

SANTA BARBARA , Calif. (PRWEB) November 27, 2003 -- CIO Solutions, Inc. and Shoreline Communications, the specialist in enterprise IP voice systems, today announced new software and hardware products that help mobilize businesses and keep human as well as information resources in play-any time and from anywhere. Shoreline4.3, the latest version of Shorelines award-winning multi-site IP PBX, integrates a new softphone and find-me features with Shorelines unique Personal Call Manager interface to deliver a complete mobility solution that is easy to deploy, manage and use. It is complemented by two new contact center products, new ShoreGear Voice Switch product configurations and enhanced administrative assistant solutions.

Shoreline has consistently impressed us since the first day I saw it," said CIO Solutions Vice President and CTO Andrew West. For the past few years, weve been carefully watching the market for a VoIP phone system that was designed to do what it does best, and Shoreline fit the bill perfectly. Shoreline has created a VoIP solution that is truly mature, reliable, and simple, and that we feel extremely comfortable providing to our clients."

Shoreline4.3 is a user-centric voice system that associates phone numbers with people, not offices. Your calls find you whether you are at your desk, working at a branch office, or using Shorelines new ShorePhone SP 100 softphone over a remote VPN connection. You give out a single contact number and have a single voicemail box, eliminating a lot of redundant calls and duplicate messages.

Immediacy is an imperative in todays business world, and people must be accessible and able to react on a moments notice, whenever and wherever opportunities arise," said Shoreline President and CEO Thomas van Overbeek. With Shoreline4.3, CIO Solutions clients can take their office telephone number and voice features on the road and dont have to sacrifice functionality for mobility."

When you arent present on the network, callers can ask Shoreline4.3 to track you down. You control how and when this option is offered, and Shoreline4.3 can even check your Outlook calendar to determine what to do with the call. Personal information is now being combined with presence and used to manage call flow.
The ShorePhone SP 100 raises the mobility bar by encapsulating a full-featured phone in your notebook computer that you connect over your broadband network. When you log into the enterprise VPN, your calls are automatically routed to you. Suddenly, a consistent voice environment customized by your personal telephony profile is available whenever you want to work.

From Call Center to Contact Center
CIO Solutions, Inc. and Shoreline are also introducing new contact center solutions aimed at larger, more formal call center operations. They operate across multiple locations as a virtual call center, enabling skills-based routing to match the best agent to a particular caller as well as the use of lower cost agents where appropriate. Further costs savings can result from reduced staff due to the virtual nature of the call center.

Shorelines contact center includes IVR scripting that prompts callers for information and can be integrated with a customer database so the system checks order status or other variables before routing the call. Contact center supervisor tools enable real-time monitoring of agents. The tools also offer extensive historical reporting of agent performance and provide real-time statistical views.

Multi-Site Solutions for the Administrative Assistant
Shoreline4.3 has new tools that allow administrative assistants to support people across physical boundaries:
•   Delegation of call control: Users can delegate control over call-handling options to assistants at their own discretion, without any help from the system administrator.
•   Multiple-line support: Administrative assistants can now monitor and manage up to four additional lines, and pick up important calls with a single touch. Monitored lines can be next door or across the country.
•   Cross-site intercom: An integrated intercom feature on the new ShorePhone SP 100 works across sites, enabling receptionists and assistants to buzz people across the continent, as if they were in the next office.

New Hardware Configurations
CIO Solutions, Inc. is also offering a new generation of ShoreGear hardware that Shoreline has developed. The switches have a smaller form factor that supports higher-density solutions, and feature dual-network uplinks that ensure business continuity when a switch blade or WAN link fails.

A new ShoreGear-8 switch provides an economical solution for smaller offices or high-end telecommuter environments. It supports up to four trunks, six analog phones and 40 IP phones.

Pricing and Availability
Shoreline4.3, the new Shore Phone SP 100 software telephone and the ShoreGear-8 switch are
available now from CIO Solutions, Inc. The contact center solutions will be available in January. System pricing depends on configuration and offers the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) in the industry. Approximate per user pricing is $800 for Shoreline4.3, $500 for the Shoreline Contact Center, and $1,500 for the fully featured Enterprise Contact Center.

About Shoreline Communications
Shoreline Communications, Inc., is the specialist in enterprise IP voice systems. Thousands of enthusiastic users are taking advantage of the companys award-winning distributed IP PBX technology, leveraging expertise and resources across multiple sites to improve customer service, increase employee productivity and lower operational costs. Shoreline has a select group of channel partners that provide top-notch service and support. For more information, visit http://www.shorelinecommunications.com or call 1-877-80SHORE.

About CIO Solutions
CIO Solutions is an information technology (IT) integration company that provides customized information technology solutions. Their experience spans all aspects of IT including short and long-term planning, infrastructure design, project implementation, critical support, and training. In addition to offering network enterprise consulting services, CIO offers network security, wireless connectivity, IP/computer telephony, enterprise storage, back-up and disaster recovery, managed services, and remote communications. By focusing on long-term relationships with their clients, understanding clients business needs, and providing best-of-breed technologies, CIO Solutions has consistently pioneered the standard for top-notch IT outsourcing.
CIOs clients include central California Coast based organizations such as Cottage Health System, Goleta Water District, Sansum-Santa Barbara Medical Foundation Clinic, City of San Luis Obispo and Palius & O'Kelley LLP Certified Public Accountants.
Founded in 1986 by CEO John Petote, CIO Solutions is located in Santa Barbara, California, and can be contacted at (805) 692-6700. You can also visit CIO Solutions on the Internet at www.ciosolutions.com.
###