Microsoft recently announced that it is discontinuing support for connecting 3rd Party PBX systems to Exchange Online Unified Messaging (UM) using session border controllers (SBCs). Organizations with existing deployments remain fully supported until December 1st, 2019; however, Microsoft is strongly advising all customers to begin their voicemail transition now. If your current UC solution includes a TDM or IP PBX connected to Office 365 via an SBC, this announcement impacts you.
If you aren’t ready to lose your unified messaging capabilities, you have three options; move your entire UC solution to Skype for Business under Microsoft’s calling plans, adopt an API-based integration solution, or implement a new voicemail system. If you aren’t ready to retire your current communications system and you don’t want to deal with maintaining an API-based integration, then Avaya IX Messaging may be the answer.
Avaya IX Messaging is a software application server that integrates into your existing unified communications deployment to provide UM. With IX Messaging you can unify your voicemail with your email solution, whether it is cloud-based or on premises. IX Messaging provides organizations that have Office 365 subscriptions with a secure and flexible enterprise-class UM solution that enables them to continue leveraging their existing PBX or Skype for Business Server investments.
The Avaya IX Messaging platform is easily integrated into virtually any existing UC environment. The messaging component of IX Messaging provides a UM solution that works equally well with an Avaya UC solution or integrated into your existing UC solution. It offers a range of telephone user Interfaces (TUIs), along with optional enhancements like fax support and automatic speech recognition and transcription services. IX Messaging integrates unified messaging inside of Office 365, so you can stay where you’re already working and communicate in real time.
If your organization subscribes to Office 365 for unified messaging and email directly through an SBC connection and you aren’t ready to make major changes to your communication environment, contact Cerium today. As a premier Avaya partner, we are happy to show you how IX Messaging can meet the UM challenges your organization is facing.
