The recent release of the ShoreTel 13 operating software includes a number of enhancements that will make it easier for companies to communicate.
Here are the four best features improvements we’re seeing with the new software:
1. Usability Improvements with Communicator
One of the most significant improvements with the latest release is the upgrade to the ShoreTel Communicator software. ShoreTel is making some huge strides to make the software more user-friendly. The users will have the ability to make all the changes they have before, but this time, it’s is a much simpler process.
With ShoreTel, users have always had the ability to easily program their incoming calls. But now, version 13 gives users external routing features such as find me, a feature that finds you at other phones. It als gives you the ability to ring additional phones in one simple menu. This menu also lets users select which call handling modes these features should affect.
In addition, upgrades to the “find me” feature allows users the option to activate this feature without interaction from the caller. This is a great advancement to ensure callers get a seamless experience whether you are in or out of the office.
You can choose many more phone numbers for the system to reach you at too. This saves all the numbers you many use.
With previous releases, you had to pay extra for the Professional Communicator, an upgraded version of the software that comes with each extension programmed in the system. Now with the release of ShoreTel 13, all users will have access to the advanced features in their Communicator with no additional costs.
This includes the ability to use IM, if your company has that feature enabled. Users will have access to a screen in the program that will show you when your colleagues are on the phone or away from their desks. You’ll even be able to set your Communicator to let you know when people are available to take a call from you.
2. Outlook Compatibility Upgrades
With the spotty relationship between Microsoft Outlook 2010 and ShoreTel 12 releases, Outlook 2010 users will be happy to hear these issues have been fully resolved in ShoreTel 13.
In addition, when importing contacts from Outlook, it will be much quicker. Your system administrator adds many of the contacts that are public to the whole office right to the system itself. This means no more waiting for all those folders to import. You will only have access to your personal folders in the future and it will be up to your system administrator to add the public folders.
Additionally, both personal and public contacts will be uploaded to the ShoreTel system rather than housed on the local machine. This means an end user with 2,000+ contacts, won’t see any performance issues from a lack of space on their local machine. This does not mean that your personal contacts are available for the entire company to see. They will still be private to your Communicator.
Why was ShoreTel able to make such an amazing upgrade with Outlook 2010? Because the communicator client no longer needs the MAPI client that was causing all the incompatibility! With the removal of the MAPI client, the ShoreTel Communicator software is now a cinch to install. With no need to reboot the system after install and no double checking Outlook to ensure it registered the MAPI, software installation should take half the time.
Users still on Outlook 2003 will not have the interactions between Outlook and Communicator. This should not be too much of change for you as 2003 was officially an unsupported relationship as of release ShoreTel 12.
3. Simplified System Administration
System administrators will get a simplified management of the system with more control over the options of the server, without extra equipment. ShoreTel 13 will fully support SIP trunks, without an ancillary device, to support basic telephony functions. With more features at the end users fingertips, it means less specialized programming to make up for features the system does not have.
4. New Web Conferencing Features
If web conferencing is a feature used in your environment, ShoreTel has enabled web conferencing recordings to be used without the use of a service appliance. And with the direct integration with Lifesize video conferencing, it becomes a company resource, not just a conference room resource.
With all of the upgrades and improvements, it’s not hard to see why we at CRI are so excited. If you’d like more information about ShoreTel 13 or would like to schedule your upgrade, click here to contact us.
