Alcatel-Lucent’s OpenTouch Conversation software for BYOD unified communications

The OpenTouch Conversation software (OTC) is intended to help businesses securely and efficiently manage bring your own device (BYOD) strategies and deliver services such as instant messaging, data sharing, voice calls and video collaboration to employees’ personal devices, including smartphones and tablets.

By ‘handing off’ a conversation from platform to platform, employees can seamlessly shift between the different types of business communications services. They will no longer have to hang up and redial as they switch between devices or make special arrangements to have a video call. For example, they could start a voice call on an office phone, move the conversation to a video conference on a PC or tablet and then conclude it on a mobile phone.

The first release of OTC supports iPad, runs over Wi-Fi and 3G networks, and includes security and management features.

The interface has been designed to look and act the same across all device screens. On screen, an employee can see a graphical timeline of recent, current and future conversations, pictures of their current key contacts and a ‘stage’ where their current conversation(s) takes place. Real-time rich presence information about availability of other people that can be added to conversations is displayed so the status of all concerned is immediately visible.