Avaya is making it easier for its existing customers to initiate and control voice calls over Skype’s network. At the same time, the two companies have chartered a “strategic alliance” and are ironing out details of a technology roadmap that will bring video teleconferencing and “federated” instant messaging (in the U.S. only) into the service mix.

No financial (and precious few technical) details were provided today, but the result of the alliance is that Avaya can respond to a long-standing demand from existing customers to support low-cost long distance service over the Internet via Skype. The two companies have been working “in parallel” (to quote Avaya’s Alan Baratz) for some time now. Indeed, support of Avaya-branded PBXs were core to the launch of Skype Connect back in August. In addition, because both companies reside in the investment portfolio of Silverlake Partners, a tighter alliance has been long anticipated.

Now that the two companies are overtly working together, Avaya customers are being prepped to expect a package of solutions that will make it easier to use a broader array of Avaya-branded resources to control who, where and how their employees can have their voice calls carried over Skype. The roster of “session management” resources in play includes the Avaya Aura™ Session Manager or Avaya Aura SIP Enablement Server, as well as the CS1000, Avaya IP Office, or BCM (for those Nortel customers now supported by Avaya). Note that overall Quality of Service (QoS) for calls carried over the Internet cannot be guaranteed by any of the session initiation resources.

Avaya plays an important role in the process of “enterprise hardening” Skype. Avaya’s elements will handle important functions around security and regulatory compliance allowing Skype to fulfill its long-standing role as a network for cheap long-distance and international calls. As the technology roadmap takes shape, the two companies are talking about support of contact center functions, eventually including support of work-at-home agents.

According to Alan Baratz, who heads Avaya Global Communications Solutions, Avaya’s customers are just beginning to make their move to Aura and the Session Enablement Server, so this announcement may not have as wide-reaching impact as it suggests. In addition, the tactical decision to confine roll-out to North America will also put a lid on its global dimensions. The lack of mature standards for interoperable videoconferencing and federated IM will also serve as speedbumps when it comes time to deploy solutions in 2011.

Meanwhile, enterprise migration to IP-telephony is destined to accelerate organically. Competiting infrastructure providers Cisco and Alcatel-Lucent are articulating strategies to bear that seem more “open” and developer-friendly. But the power of the Skype brand and its popularity among a loyal following of 125 million “active” users serves as a ready-made base of users who are familiar (and in most cases quite pleased) with the service.

BTW: Elsewhere in the social and mobile realm, Skype is doing some “deep integration” with Facebook, as noted by Greg Sterling here.

Categories: Articles

Tags: Avaya, Skype, SIP, Recombinant Communications, IP Contact Centers