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Arkadin unveils Cisco integrations for cloud telephony
In UC news, Arkadin announces integrations with Cisco Spark and WebEx that support cloud-based telephony, while Box unveils machine learning tools to digitize and automate workflows.
Cloud communications provider Arkadin, based in Paris, has introduced a series of Cisco integrations that support cloud-based telephony with Cisco Spark and WebEx.
The Cisco integrations will use Arkadin's PSTN service to support cloud-based calling. Arkadin will introduce Cisco Spark Calling for businesses deploying a cloud PBX or for businesses that want to use their existing on-premises telephony equipment.
Arkadin will also use Cisco's Cloud Connected Audio - Service Provider, a partner architecture in which Cisco and its partners team up to provide customers with telephony connectivity. Arkadin's service is branded Cloud Connected Audio - Arkadin and integrates with WebEx meetings. The service allows organizations to augment their audio conferencing cost structures with their existing networks. The service also offers global toll, toll-free and callback services.
The Cloud Connected Audio service offers an Opex model and enables organizations to integrate with on-premises telephony with WebEx capabilities. Audio bridging for the service is managed in the WebEx cloud.
Box debuts machine learning tools
Cloud content manager Box has revealed Box Skills, a framework for applying machine learning tools to content stored in Box. The service will allow organizations to digitize and automate business processes.
The machine learning tools are powered by IBM Watson, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. These tools include video indexing, computer vision and sentiment analysis.
Box, based in Redwood City, Calif., also announced a set of developer resources to allow organizations to build custom machine learning skills, such as using a third-party machine learning platform for specific workflows or linking multiple skills to enable intelligent business processes.
At its annual customer conference this week, Box showcased three Box Skills that are currently in development:
- Audio intelligence creates and indexes transcripts of audio files that can be searched.
- Video intelligence offers features such as transcription and topic detection to allow users to find the information they need in a video.
- Image intelligence detects individual objects and concepts in image files and automatically add keyword labels to images.
The Box Skills framework and developer kit are expected to enter beta early next year.
8x8 offers new UC product suites
Unified communications as a service provider 8x8 Inc. has launched a suite of UC products called Virtual Office Editions. The new product suite offers enterprise-grade communications and mix-and-match pricing.
X8 offers unlimited calling to 45 countries and includes the full suite of Virtual Office. The suite also includes integrations with Salesforce, Zendesk, NetSuite CRM and Salesforce analytics for call recording, call quality reporting and barge-monitor-whisper capabilities. The platform also integrates contact center capabilities from 8x8 ContactNow.
X5 offers unlimited calling to 32 countries, Virtual Office features such as meetings and HD voice and video, and integrations with Salesforce, Salesforce analytics, Zendesk and NetSuite CRM.
X2 offers unlimited calling to 14 countries, Virtual Office features such as HD voice and video, and integrations with Salesforce, Zendesk and NetSuite CRM.
The X8 version of Virtual Office is currently available in the U.S. and U.K., while the X5 and X2 versions are available in the U.S.
