This marks the next step from its current focus on session initiation protocol (SIP) standards-based technology and computer telephony integration (CTI) orientation, according to Lawrence Byrd, Avaya"s director of communications applications.

"Ultimately, we see communications technology as being easily evoked from business applications," he said.

That already has happened in the contact center, with Avaya playing one of the lead roles in pushing such technology. Now, Byrd said, "we are seeing techniques familiar to the contact center become more generalized" for business communication use.

To be sure, previous product rollouts have demonstrated this theme of convergence and its extension to business communications.

But as Avaya introduces new products this week at the Networld+Interop trade show in Las Vegas, beginning this Monday, the company is reiterating the direction in which it sees the market evolving.

The market has been focused on Internet Protocol telephony, Byrd noted. "We want to pose the question: What is next? IP telephony has to be about changing business practices, becoming more agile -- not just saving money on the network."

New Products

On Monday, Avaya introduced the third iteration of its Communications Manager and Converge Communications Server, both part of its MultiVantage Enterprise suite.

These applications provide further support for open Web Services-based applications development, according to Avaya.

Also new is an SIP-compatible conferencing application that supports up to 300 attendees, and an SIP Softphone -- a virtual PC-based phone that merges voice with enterprise-wide presence and instant messaging .

The SIP Softphone introduces "drag-and-drop" conferencing to let users drag directory names into a conferencing window, as well as dialing via e-mail address, the company said.

Other new elements focus on what Avaya calls enterprise-wide survivability, allowing for the continuation of communication services in case of a headquarters failure. Network-optimization software improves communications over multivendor wide area networks.

New Partners

Avaya also announced that it has expanded its membership in OASIS -- an industry organization developing standards for Web Services -- by joining the Web Services Business Process Execution Language (WSBPEL) technical committee.

The company highlighted new R&D; initiatives under development, including a SIP-enabled virtual personal assistant that lets workers choose how they prefer to be reached -- that is, voice, instant messaging, e-mail -- along with who is allowed to reach them and when.

In addition, Avaya is working with the University of Maryland to build on previous collaborative research to extend communications in radio frequency identification (RFID) sensor networks into supply chain management and healthcare scenarios, as well as in event-triggered conferencing for crisis situations.