IP phone system developer ShoreTel has announced the newest release of its ShoreTel (News - Alert) Developer Network, version 3.0. ShoreTel’s IP system scales from 1 to 10,000 users, and integrates PBX, voice mail, attendant functions, and other features in an easy to manage IP PBX (News - Alert) that is ideal for business large and small, in single or multiple locations.

 

To enable its channel partners, integrators, developers, and customers to more easily leverage the ShoreTel system in building an enhanced communications solution, ShoreTel Developer Network 3.0 includes enhanced APIs and sample code, as well as a ShoreTel Developer Newsgroup.

 

ShoreTel initially launched its Developer Network a year ago as part of its strategy of easing integration of ShoreTel’s system into business communications platforms and to make tools for leveraging all of ShoreTel’s capabilities readily available.

 

For instance, ShoreTel announced back in August of last year sales force automation (ShoreTel-Salesforce) and E (News - Alert)-911 notification applications that integrate telephony features into business processes. ShoreTel’s latest such application is its Web Dialer, which extends ShoreTel’s click-to-dial functionality to any phone number in a Web browser. Like these packaged applications, ShoreTel Developer Network provides a way of integrating the benefits of IP Communications into the work environment to increase productivity and improve both employee and customer satisfaction. 

 

Members of the Developer Network can make use of many tools provided by ShoreTel, to create custom and prepackaged solutions that can automate tasks, personalize telephony features, or otherwise enhance business processes. Those tools include the ShoreTel COM Object, with more than 100 methods, properties, and events to simplify development and minimize time to deployment, as well as sample applications.

 

“The full-featured TAPI interface, ShoreTel COM Object, and sample code library have helped us effectively respond to our customers’ requests to enhance their business processes using the ShoreTel system,” said Bryon Palitto, president and CEO of Palitto Consulting Services. “Recent examples include a custom call tracking application and an application that gives our customer the ability to receive a whisper page at defined intervals in order to better manage call duration.”

 

The Developer Newsgroup enables information sharing by way of posting and answering questions. With this feature, users can collaborate and share best practices, new ideas, and innovative solutions.

 

“Ultimately, it is all about delighting customers,” said Steve Timmerman, vice president of marketing, ShoreTel. “We are doing everything we can to make a wide variety of time- and cost-saving applications available to every ShoreTel system owner.”