Mitel announced several enhancements this week targeted to help SMBs increase customer satisfaction, grow revenues, and drive productivity. The upgrades and changes are largely built around further integration of the former Inter-Tel communications platforms with tailored solutions that are uniquely suited for micro, small and midsized businesses.

The new products include simple-to-deploy messaging, audio and Web conferencing, mobility solutions and IP desk phones. In an interview about the upgrades, Asif Rehman, Director for Solutions Marketing at Mitel said, “the solutions suite is designed from the ground up for the SMB market.”

The first announced enhancements come with the Mitel Applications Suite (MAS) release 1.1. The package brings together four (previously stand-alone) pre-integrated IP applications for SMB onto a single server with a simple administration interface that works with a built-in configuration wizard for the applications and the IP-PBX. It provides audio and Web conferencing, unified messaging, and single-identity mobile integration and secure teleworker support for road-warriors and remote workers. Remote workers can now use any Mitel IP phone or Mitel softphone plugged in to a broadband Internet connection to connect back to the home office IP-PBX. The Mitel Applications Suite is currently available for the Mitel 3300 ICP and will be available for the Mitel 5000 NCS by the end of 2008.

The second set of enhancements integrate the Mitel 5212, 5224, 5330, and 5340 IP phones with the Mitel 5000 Network Communications System (NCS). The phone features range from those found in a typical key-system to a more fully-featured executive model, providing flexibility for different job types and skill levels with large graphical displays, Wideband Audio support, and programmable self-labeling keys all available. In addition, two accessories are now available for the Mitel 5000 NCS including the Mitel Wireless LAN (WLAN) Stand and the Mitel Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) Stand. These accessories allow users to connect their Mitel IP phones to a GigE LAN or an 802.11 B or G WLAN.

The Mitel 5000 was formerly the Inter-Tel 5000 and it along with the Inter-Tel 3000 and 1000 have now been re-branded with the Mitel name. The Mitel 1000 is designed for two to five users, the Mitel 3000 for up to 50 users, and the Mitel 5000 NCS for less than 250 users. In a prepared statement, Doug Michaelides, vice president of global marketing at Mitel said “The combined portfolio that resulted from the Mitel acquisition of Inter-Tel further strengthened our extensive choice of feature-rich, cost effective solutions that help SMBs grow.”

Steve Taylor is president of Distributed Networking Associates and publisher/editor-in-chief of Webtorials. Larry Hettick is a principal analyst at Current Analysis.