IBM has launched the new Lotus Foundations Reach solution that combines all of the unified communications and collaboration  tools needed to run a business with the ability to connect to telephony. The new solution customizes and extends the IBM Sametime UC capabilities in a single appliance designed specifically for SMBs that have limited IT skills and smaller budgets.

The solution reduces complexity and enables employees to instantly access people and information, the company said. In about an hour, a business can install and configure its entire UC environment in a system small enough to fit under a desk. Unlike competitive offerings, Foundations Reach minimizes the need for human intervention with self-managing technology that automates IT tasks, the company claimed.
 
From one convenient platform, Lotus Foundations Reach combines key UC features such as instant messaging (IM), presence awareness to see who is online and available, email, calendars, contacts, office productivity tools, network security, remote access, file and print sharing, and backup and disaster recovery.

By communicating and collaborating virtually, SMBs can reduce costs by decreasing the need for travel, supporting remote workforces to cut down on office space, and decreasing long-distance telephone expenses with VoIP capabilities.

Many telephony partners are opting for IBM's open approach, which allows them to incorporate their products with IBM's to reduce the costs and complexity of IP telephony.

"Until now, the complexity and cost of creating an IT solution combined with UC and IP telephony capabilities have been a deterrent for small businesses. With Lotus Foundations Reach, IBM enables telephony partners to combine their technologies with IBM's UC solution to create a comprehensive offering that is affordable and simple enough for the smallest of businesses to use," said Caleb Barlow, Director (Lotus Foundations), IBM.

IBM Lotus Foundations Reach will be available for purchase next month.