Aiming to let enterprises do more with their IP (Internet Protocol) telephony systems and keep them available when a network goes down, Avaya Inc. introduced new software, phones and a gateway at this week's VoiceCon Spring conference.

On Tuesday, the company announced Avaya Communication Manager 4.0, the latest version of its software platform for enterprise VOIP (voice over IP). At the same time, it unveiled the G860 Media Gateway for large offices and call centers. Avaya also announced three fixed-line phones and said it will provide industry-standard SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) firmware for all its high-end phones.

Like other big voice vendors, Avaya is gearing up for increasing adoption of IP telephony, which is on its way to replacing traditional phone systems in enterprises. The Communication Manager 4.0 server software can support 12,000 standard T-1 phone trunks in a company's headquarters and other locations, said Steve Hardy, a director of product marketing at Avaya. That is 1.5 times the number that the previous version could handle. The software also has features to keep enterprise calling features working and maintain call detail records in case of a WAN (wide-area network) failure. It is set to ship this month.

The G860 Media Gateway lets enterprises consolidate multiple gateways at a large enterprise site, which are used for communication between the internal VOIP network and the public switched telephone network. It has a T-3 interface -- 45M bps (bits per second) -- versus the 1.5M bps links on Avaya's earlier gateways. The G860 also can use SIP, the emerging standard for linking IP telephony devices and integrating voice features with productivity applications. It is set to ship in the third quarter. Also Tuesday, Avaya said its IG550 Integrated Gateway for branch offices, announced last year, will be available this month. It is a module that fits in Juniper Networks Inc. J-series routers.

The company fleshed out its 9600 series of high-end IP desk phones, also introduced last year. It announced the 9640 IP Telephone, with a color display, for sales people and other employees who use the phone as a key work tool. The new 9650 is for receptionists and others who manage calls for themselves and other employees, and the 9610 is designed for common areas with simplicity in mind, according to Avaya. The new phones are already shipping and priced at US$679, $525 and $215, respectively. Avaya expects to have SIP firmware available as a free software download for all the 9600 series phones beginning in May.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.