The Collaborative Cloud is Avaya's framework to deliver communication and collaboration solutions to participating organizations. The Pods are designed to deliver solutions for virtualized storage , computing and networking that are optimized for collaboration and such real-time applications as VDI, or Virtual Desktop Infrastructure.

'Fast, Easy Path'

The Pods employ VMware vCenter and VMware View, as well as storage arrays from EMC, plus Avaya's own applications for networking, management , communications, and integration . Through a single Pod-management interface, users can manage the functions and receive technical support.

Jean Turgeon, Avaya's vice president of Technical Solutions Marketing, said in a statement that the Pods provide enterprise customers with a unique, cloud -ready portfolio of solutions containing all of the components needed to quickly establish and take advantage of advanced unified communications and collaboration applications. He added that it gives customers "a fast, easy path to the cloud" in an application-driven network , without worries relating to infrastructure .

EMC told news media that the embedding of its management and storage arrays in an integrated set of solutions offers a simple and easy-to-deploy business communication solution that no longer requires "separate set up and configuration of their SANs to store, manage, protect and analyze" such information as session data from VDI.

For its part, VMware said that its podified solution will allow organizations to "reduce cost and complexity" in deploying virtualized applications.

Like 'Being a Caterer'

Analyst Laura DiDio of Information Technology Intelligence Corp noted that Avaya is very strong in services, and, by teaming up with EMC and VMware, they increase their strength.

She also pointed out that, in addition to assembling the components in the Pods, Avaya is also providing management, communications, and tech support, which she compared to "being a caterer" who provides everything needed for the meal.

Avaya's Collaborative Cloud Framework delivers collaboration services and apps through a single, scalable architecture via the company's cloud service providers. The company has said that its Cloud Framework is differentiated from other company's cloud offerings because of its emphasis on lowering operational costs, and on improving clients' ability to compete by enabling rapid innovation.

The company has steadily been rolling out services that utilize its Collaborative Cloud. In February, for instance, Avaya introduced its Communications Outsourcing Solutions (COS) to help companies increase performance and reduce costs of managing their communication environments. COS also utilizes the Collaborative Cloud framework.

In June, Avaya launched its Government Outsourcing Solutions (GovOS) solution -- hosted and manage services for unified communications, contact centers and data networking. The services, also utilizing the Collaborative Cloud, are designed to provide central management, priced on a per user basis, that complies with the U.S. federal government's requirements for security and certification.