There is nothing new about electronic mail, voice mail and instant messaging, but the ability to perform these tasks with a single piece of software has put RDC Technologies on the IT map.
The Amos, Que.-based company earlier this year released Com4IP, a unified communications solutions that offers automatic and transparent encryption and compression of documents, e-mail, voice mail and instant messages over Internet protocol (IP).
Using 448-bit encryption, more than three times the standard 128-bit encryption used by many businesses, Com4IP allows organizations with multiple branch and remote offices to reduce inter-branch communication costs with voice over IP (VoIP) as well as a fax LCR feature over a corporate LAN. All outgoing messages are encrypted and can be compressed as the user sends them throughout the corporate network.
The product uses a single server for all applications, optimizing the corporate network, and supports Microsoft Windows 2000, ME and 98SE, according to Guy Boisvert, business development director for RDC.
“Com4IP is more than unified communications, it is integration communication over IP,” Boisvert told Network World Canada. “Our mission is to provide cost-effective unified communication software that is all integrated into one interface that is simple and secure.”
Targeting the small- and medium-size business market, Com4IP integrates with office productivity tools including scan to e-mail, fax or printer, group e-calendars, photocopying and contact database management.
“It’s all about centralized communication within one interface,” Boisvert added. “It facilitates internal communications within a company and maximizes employee productivity.”
With the instant messaging capability, users automatically view the status of others within the corporation, and can engage in real-time chat sessions. Through the e-mail interface, users can receive fax messages as well as voice-mail, and can send and record outgoing messages.
Last month, RDC released its latest version, Com4IP v3.0, which includes support for Microsoft Windows XP, as well as enhancements to its agenda, calendar and scanning features. Version 3.0 now offers PDA synchronization with Com4IP’s calendar, contact and task lists.
The product is now available at prices ranging from $575 per user for up to 24 users to $300 per user for 500 users and more.
“You quickly cover your initial investment by minimal inter-branch communication expenses,” Boisvert said.
And one Com4IP customer agreed. CIA Group, in Amos, Que., has been using Com4IP since its initial release in March. According to Roch Bertrand, CEO of CIA, the company was faced with hefty communications costs between its four offices, each approximately 100 km away from another.
“It is a long-distance call from one location to another,” Bertrand said. “It was very expensive, not only for long distance, but the fixed telephony costs as well.”
Prior to Com4IP, Bertrand said that CIA depended on public instant messaging technology, ICQ, but found that it did not provide the degree of security the company needed.
“[The solution from Com4IP] was a great deal because it was secure first, and controlled by the network administrator on one server, and the return on investment was very fast for us,” Bertrand said. “It is easy to use and it is all integrated on software and one interface. We have already saved about $35,000 a year only on long-distance calling and on fixed costs for our phone lines.”
Com4IP v3.0 is available now. Visit the RDC online at http://www.rdc-tech.com for more information.
