FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Berbee
Ken Bywaters
Director of IP Telephony Application Development
608-298-1021
Berbee
Enhanced Solutions for Today’s Broadcasting Needs
Madison, WI – September 8, 2004 – Berbee Information Networks Corp., a leading Midwest provider of technology and data center solutions, recently released a new version of their already widely-used IP (Internet Protocol) broadcasting solution. Originally developed for a large U.S. Government agency, InformaCast utilizes IP networks and devices to make simultaneous announcements through phone and loudspeaker systems. It allows you to send text and audio to any combination of Cisco IP Phones, Berbee’s newly released IP-enabled speakers and PC’s.
“Berbee’s InformaCast v3.1 can be described as a full broadcasting solution for today’s marketplace,” says Lynn Osborne, Industry Marketing Manager, Enterprise Solutions Marketing, at Cisco. “Reliability and assurance are key factors when choosing a broadcasting solution. Additionally, InformaCast v3.1 has the ability to reach the most people in the least amount of time, which is essential in an emergency situation.
An appealing feature to school’s and retail organizations in version 3.1 is the InformaCast Bell Scheduler. This feature works through a calendar web interface to send prerecorded bell sounds to the phones and speakers. The Bell Scheduler allows organizations to easily create and maintain entire bell schedules for multiple locations on a single server.
Version 3.1 also introduces:
· Live Broadcasting – Send an audio broadcast in “real-time”
· Broadcast to Berbee IP Speakers – Automatically register, manage and control addressable network speakers, allowing coverage in locations where phones are impractical or insufficient
· Audio Preview – An added “Play” button allows preview of audio associated to a message without having to send it to a recipient group
· Message Recording from Remote Phones – The process of recording audio for a message may now be performed reliably to non-IP phones (such as home phones or cellular phones)
· Compatibility with CallManager 4.0 – Full functional operation with CallManager 4.0
· Push-to-Talk Messaging – A group of phones are activated to listen to a shared multicast stream and all included in that group can take turns speaking in “real time” by pressing a “Talk” soft key
· Text with Ad-Hoc Audio Messaging – A new message type has been added, combining predefined text with an ad-hoc audio recording
InformaCast v3.1 Helps Reduce Costs and Increase Productivity
Installation, equipment, and operational costs are significantly less than a traditional analog paging system simply because there are no dedicated wiring costs. Lynn Osborne states, “Implementation of a Cisco IP communications infrastructure integrated with Berbee’s broadcasting solutions can dramatically cut costs, sometimes up to 80 percent of the cost of a traditional analog paging system.” An organization can maintain their phones, Internet, broadcasting, bell system and clocks all on a single infrastructure. Productivity and reliability are dramatically increased with the assurance of reaching the largest number of people in the least amount of time. InformaCast allows flexibility in sending broadcasts through a web interface or through the phone’s “Services” button. Both options are secured through username and password login requirements.
Unlike your typical paging solution, InformaCast v3.1 is one that continues to grow with you by offering upgrades to fit your environment. It is truly an intelligent broadcasting solution, meeting today’s broadcasting needs.
