ENA, Sylantro Launch Hosted VoIP for Education

##AUTHORSPLIT##<--->

Internet service provider Education Networks of America (ENA) has teamed up with Sylantro Systems to deliver hosted VoIP solutions for education using ENA Connect and back-end systems using Sylantro's Synergy platform.

The solution offered by the two companies is a hosted VoIP system that allows schools to implement in a gradual way, if needed. It can work in conjunction with existing PBXes, and implementations can be expanded without additional hardware, since the system is hosted. (ENA Director of Research and Development Michael McKerley emphasized that the hosted solution also provides continuity in times of disasters, emergencies, and other situations where school staff may not be on site to handle calls.)

The system also provides compatibility with a range of operating systems. Said McKerley, "Twenty percent of the locations we serve are Mac-based, and a number of one to one computing initiatives in schools rely heavily upon Linux, so Sylantro's support of user interfaces and soft phones that work across many different desktop platforms was crucial to us. Schools and libraries often start with smaller VoIP implementations, but need the latitude to expand quickly without having to constantly upgrade or replace premise-based hardware."

Some of the features of the Connect systems using Sylantro technologies include:

  • Time of day/day-of-week personalized call routing;
  • Video and voice in the classroom;
  • The ability to call from remote locations while displaying the school's information on caller ID phones; and
  • Mash-up capabilities combining Web and telephony applications, such as click to call from hosted websites.

According to the two companies, the services began rolling out in April, with implementations expected to be completed at 30 sites by the end of July. (Twenty-nine of these are K-12 schools; the remaining one is for the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents.)

Read More:

READ MORE DAILY NEWS


About the author: David Nagel is the executive editor for 1105 Media's online education technology publications, including THE Journal and Campus Technology. He can be reached at [email protected].

Proposals for articles and tips for news stories, as well as questions and comments about this publication, should be submitted to David Nagel, executive editor, at [email protected].

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


Featured

  • abstract image representing AI tools for reading and writing

    McGraw Hill Introduces 2 Gen AI Tools for K–12, Higher Ed Students

    Global education company McGraw Hill has added two new generative artificial intelligence tools to help personalize learning experiences for both K–12 and higher ed students, according to a news release.

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs Off on AI Content Safeguard Laws

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills into law, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • KnowBe4-MobileMind Integration to Simplify Security Training Management

    It's now easier for MobileMind users to track and manage teachers' progress with KnowBe4's security training campaigns.

  • Human Error Remains the Leading Cause of Cloud Data Breaches

    Human error is still one of the biggest threats to cloud security, despite all the technology bells and whistles and alerts and services out there, from multi-factor authentication, to social engineering training, to enterprise-wide integrated cybersecurity platforms, and more.