Getting the Avaya video experience
I've been getting up close and personal with Avaya's new Android-based tablet, the Avaya Desktop Video Device. Not exactly a catchy name, but important because it's the first device to run the Avaya Flare Experience which, in case you haven't heard of it, is the company's next-generation user interface for its Aura unified communications (UC) solution.
I say the it's first, as Avaya is planning to make Flare available on other platforms such as the Apple iPad, for example. However, with its attention focused on the forthcoming IPO, no details have been released as to exactly which platforms will be supported or when. So, for now, it's the Avaya tablet or nothing.
A sleek and very tactile device, the Avaya tablet does a lot more than its name would suggest and just play video. Indeed it's best viewed as a more general integrated UC client, designed to be used to communicate in a variety of ways, from instant messaging and email through to voice — and, of course, video.
The first thing you notice is the large and very bright (11.6in.) touchscreen — bigger than those found on most consumer tablets and on Cisco's Cius, against which it's inevitably being positioned. Wi-Fi comes as standard and there's a slot to take an SD card. It's also bristling with interfaces, including a wired Gigabit Ethernet port, two USB connectors (primarily there to add an optional keyboard and mouse) and an HDMI port to attach a larger display. Stereo speakers, a microphone and a forward-facing camera finish off the spec, with high-end options here to support voice and video conferencing.
Designed primarily for use in an office environment, there's a fold-out support at the back that can be used to prop the tablet up like a photo frame or raise it slightly off the desk for more comfortable typing onto the virtual keyboard. For deskbound users there's also an optional base on which the tablet can be slung that replicates most of the ports, as well as providing additional connectivity for a voice handset/headset. Interestingly Avaya's tablet isn't being billed as a high-end replacement for the desktop phone, although it can be used this way. It's also possible to connect a wireless headset via the built-in Bluetooth interface and go truly handsfree.
Version 2.1 of Google's Android OS is used to drive the Avaya device, with a custom interface giving access to both local apps on the tablet itself — and more importantly, SIP-based applications delivered via the Avaya Aura UC platform.
Directory integration is important here, with the ability to access contacts held on the Avaya Aura system plus Exchange, Gmail and Facebook accounts. Lotus Domino, Twitter and others are also expected to be added soon.
One of the key drivers behind the Avaya Flare Experience is a desire to make video conferencing as easy as making a voice call, and it certainly seems to work. Scroll through the directories and presence information is displayed where available, while to initiate a call all you have to do is drag a contact into the spotlight in the centre of the display.
Video calls can be point-to-point or multi-user via the Aura videoconferencing server. Either way, simply drag the participants into the spotlight and, as if by magic, it's all setup for you, ready to go. In our trial we connected to desktop video users in the UK via a server hosted in Germany, the conference taking just a few seconds to initiate.
Other nice features include the ability to drag users out of the spotlight for a private offline conversation then return back to the main action when ready. Collaborative working will also be possible, although it's not in the current release.
It all seems to work very well, and the Avaya tablet is very impressive. However, it's important not to look at it as just another iPad competitor. Yes it can run local Android apps, but at around $2,000 it's never going to make it out of the corporate space where, as a UC client for use with the multimedia Flare Experience, it has a lot more going for it. Whether it survives when the promised clients for other platforms appear, however, remains to be seen.
Alan Stevens