Private cloud provider ITonCloud has become the first Australian IT provider to offer the full functionality of Skype for Business, including voice, messaging and video capabilities, integrated into its virtual cloud desktop platform using Citrix.
ITonCloud CEO, Andrew Tucker, said, “Offering the full functionality of Skype for Business which include Standard, Enterprise and the plus versions is part of our commitment to make IT straight forward and easy for our clients.”
“Many cloud solutions, like Office 365, Azure or AWS, need to be purpose-built piece by piece. What we have focused on providing is a solution that is fully formed to make it easier for our clients to focus on their business instead of IT,” added Mr Tucker.
Despite only launching two years ago, Skype for Business has positioned itself to be the market leader in the UC (unified communications) category with an estimated 36 per cent of the market according to research from Spiceworks*.
What sets ITon Cloud apart from other cloud solutions?
“Many cloud solutions can only offer part of the Skype for Business experience, for instance only the Standard version without telephony and video conferencing (VC) for groups. Our offering includes both telephony and VC running seamlessly in our hosted desktop environment,” said Mr Tucker.
The Skype for Business integration will be available to all ITonCloud customers at a minimal cost per user. Like the rest of ITonCloud’s offerings, it is managed via a Business Panel making it so simple to add and remove users with a click of a button. This includes allocating a phone number to the new user or reallocating when the user leaves. As with all ITonCloud offerings, new versions and updates are automatically applied.
Mr Tucker said, “One of the many benefits of having your IT environment hosted in the cloud is maintenance, updates, regular back-ups and virus/malware protection are all taken care of for you, allowing you to focus your resources on business critical activities.”
The integration of Skype for Business is just one of the many value-added features available on the ITonCloud cloud desktop platform. ITonCloud allows its users to host their entire IT environment in the cloud, reducing the need for on-premise servers and significantly cutting set up and maintenance costs. Users can easily access programs and apps through an integrated virtual desktop hosted in the cloud, facilitating greater security, mobility and flexibility.
How businesses are already using ITonCloud’s offering
ITonCloud client Home Care Holdings, a mobile health provider, was one of the first to take advantage of the new Skype for Business Enterprise Plus as well as Standard to meet users’ needs appropriately. The first rollout has been completed with already 300 users utilising all the features, with another 200 being to be added to complete the first two stages of the roll out.
Home Care Holdings Group Chief Technology Officer, Jerome Barrientos said, “The Skype for Business integration with the ITonCloud platform has been a game changer for us. It will mean we can do away with landlines completely, enhancing our mobility and collaboration among our users.”
“It will also generate considerable cost savings for us, reducing our telephony costs. This is because we no longer have to invest in hardware and complex on-site systems, instead we have a managed service with a single supplier with is stable and has a reliability of cost.”
“It’s an offering that fits in with our overall IT strategy which is to focus on simplification and provide our network or users with systems that are robust,” added Mr Barrientos.
