ESTOS ECSTA for snom Middleware takes First Prize in VoIP Category
Starnberg, Germany - 31 March 2010. The innovation award 2010 ceremony was recently held by the German Initiative Mittelstand. The award is aimed at strengthening ITC solutions for the mid-size market, the heart of Germany’s national economy. ESTOS ECSTA for snom middleware was rated as the most innovative product in the VoIP category. ECSTA allows the operation of snom phones with common Microsoft TAPI-capable applications such as Unified Communications or Computer Telephony Integration solutions. Around 2,000 companies submitted products for the award.
The annual German INNOVATIONSPREIS-IT was introduced seven years ago by the Initiative Mittelstand – a group representing medium-sized businesses in Germany – to recognize cutting-edge and trendsetting solutions aimed at improving the competitive position of mid-sized companies. In 2010, promotion of the INNOVATIONSPREIS-IT was taken over by the German organization Fraunhofer Verbund IuK Technologie.
This year’s shortlist included ESTOS, one of the leading independent software vendors of Unified Communications solution components with its middleware, ESTOS ECSTA for snom. The product enables medium-sized companies to seamlessly run all TAPI-capable communication applications independently from the existing PBX or the preferred SIP provider (so called IP-Centrex Model). The ESTOS middleware converts the snom CTI interface protocol into the Microsoft TAPI standard and allows snom SIP phones to be used with Microsoft-capable applications. There are two versions available for different company sizes: a standalone and a network solution. The product was scrutinized by an independent panel of 80 experts against the benchmarks of innovation content, practical relevance and appropriateness for mid-sized companies.
Rainer Kölmel, Managing Director of Initiative Mittelstand praised the excellent outcome for ESTOS: “Congratulations to the whole team. ESTOS ECSTA for snom is a huge success. We see ourselves as providing a gateway between businesses and solution providers. This includes offering a consultancy service to help decision makers choose the right infrastructure. The multi-environment capabilities for various PBX infrastructures make the ESTOS middleware ideal for the mid-size market. I am extremely pleased that our experts recognized the trendsetting advantage!”