Case Studies
Mitel: Mentor an IP telephony development team
Project: Mentor an IP telephony development team
Technologies: Microsoft COM, ActiveX, TAPI (Telephony Application Programming Interface), C, C++, UML (Unified Modelling Language), Windows, Voice-Over-IP H.323
Services: Training & Mentoring
Domains: VOIP
Situation. Mitel wanted to take advantage of the Microsoft COM (Component Object Model) architecture in their Voice-over-IP-Telephony call control engine. Not only would COM integration allow the call control engine to interface with any end-user telephone, it would also give the application the advantages of a component-based architecture, such as modularity and reusability. However, Mitel didn’t have anyone in-house with knowledge of COM to assign to the team. If the team had to learn the technology on their own, the development effort would have to be at a standstill for several weeks while they researched COM in order to be able to understand it to the depth required for the project.
Solution. Mitel needed to avoid the roadblocks associated with learning a new technology. Instead of halting development while the team ramped up on the technology, Mitel hired a Macadamian technology mentor. The mentor validated the proposed architecture and design of the product. Having a Macadamian mentor allowed the Mitel team to proceed with development as they were learning COM, saving time and maximizing resources.
Benefits. COM and ActiveX were used to their full potential in the product, enabling the Call Control Engine to interface with any telephone. Not only was the development of the application accelerated because of developer access to an expert with COM experience, but the Mitel developers got experience with COM and ActiveX and became experts themselves.
Company Profile. Mitel Networks is a leading-edge provider of next-generation IP communications solutions. The company creates advanced platforms and applications in the areas of speech recognition, wireless mobility, unified communications, and contact center solutions. Through direct channels and strategic technology partnerships, Mitel Networks currently serves the education, hospitality, healthcare, and government markets, providing converged communications solutions.
