PanTerra Networks
Encyclopedia
PanTerra Networks is a cloud-based Unified Communications
service provider. It has a true unified communication system that is a real Software as a Service offering. Customers can add or delete seats as required by their business, making a fixed cost of communications for a small or medium business a variable cost.
) model. Funded by high net worth individuals, the company received its first venture capital investment from D. E. Shaw Ventures in 2006. Andre Turenne joined the board from D. E. Shaw. In 2008, Halo Ventures invested in the company with Ed Esber
joining the board.
In 2008, the company introduced its first product, WorldSmart, a cloud-based unified communications offering. The solution integrates voice, conferencing, video, messaging, email, collaboration, fax and call center services into a single solution with a common user and administration portal.
In 2009, PanTerra was named a visionary vendor in Gartner Research's UC-as-a-Service (UCaaS) Magic Quadrant
Report. This report is a separately published report from the premise-based UC magic quadrant report.
In 2010, the company introduced a 100% browser-based version of WorldSmart (WorldSmart 4.0), eliminating any on-premise hardware or client software requirements and storing all communications in the cloud.
Additionally, in 2010, PanTerra made Inc. Magazine's Top 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America. According to Inc. Magazine, PanTerra experienced over 640% revenue growth from 2007 to 2010. PanTerra also was listed in Red Herring's 2010 Top 100 Hi-Tech Companies in North America. PanTerra also repeated their listing as a visionary vendor in Gartner's 2010 UCaaS Magic Quadrant Report.
The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA with a development team in Hyderabad, India.
The services are sold in three unlimited UC suites:
Unified communications
Unified communications is the integration of real-time communication services such as instant messaging , presence information, telephony , video conferencing, data sharing , call control and speech recognition with non-real-time communication services such as unified...
service provider. It has a true unified communication system that is a real Software as a Service offering. Customers can add or delete seats as required by their business, making a fixed cost of communications for a small or medium business a variable cost.
History
PanTerra was founded in 2001 by Walter Snell and Sridhar Mupidi to offer communications services in a Software-as-a-Service (SaaSSaas
SAAS is an abbreviation for* Social Accountability Accreditation Services* Software as a service * Student Awards Agency for Scotland* Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences* South Australian Ambulance Service...
) model. Funded by high net worth individuals, the company received its first venture capital investment from D. E. Shaw Ventures in 2006. Andre Turenne joined the board from D. E. Shaw. In 2008, Halo Ventures invested in the company with Ed Esber
Ed Esber
Edward M. Esber, Jr. is the former CEO of Ashton-Tate and initiated its subsequent sale to Borland. Esber joined VisiCorp --as Exec VP of Sales and Marketing...
joining the board.
In 2008, the company introduced its first product, WorldSmart, a cloud-based unified communications offering. The solution integrates voice, conferencing, video, messaging, email, collaboration, fax and call center services into a single solution with a common user and administration portal.
In 2009, PanTerra was named a visionary vendor in Gartner Research's UC-as-a-Service (UCaaS) Magic Quadrant
Magic Quadrant
The Gartner Magic Quadrant is a proprietary research tool developed by Gartner Inc., a US based research and advisory firm. According to Gartner, the Magic Quadrant aims to provide a qualitative analysis into a market and its direction, maturity and participants, thus possibly enabling a company...
Report. This report is a separately published report from the premise-based UC magic quadrant report.
In 2010, the company introduced a 100% browser-based version of WorldSmart (WorldSmart 4.0), eliminating any on-premise hardware or client software requirements and storing all communications in the cloud.
Additionally, in 2010, PanTerra made Inc. Magazine's Top 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America. According to Inc. Magazine, PanTerra experienced over 640% revenue growth from 2007 to 2010. PanTerra also was listed in Red Herring's 2010 Top 100 Hi-Tech Companies in North America. PanTerra also repeated their listing as a visionary vendor in Gartner's 2010 UCaaS Magic Quadrant Report.
The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA with a development team in Hyderabad, India.
Services
WorldSmart Cloud Services is a suite of cloud-based unified communications services designed for Small and Medium sized Enterprises:- Business Voice
- Virtual PBX - All the basic PBX functionality is available including extension dialing, unlimited auto attendants, voicemailVoicemailVoicemail is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to individuals, organizations, products and services, using an ordinary telephone...
, ring groups, music on hold, and intelligent call routing, as well as some advanced features like MobileCall which allow a call to be transparently moved from any device (cell phone, desk phone, softphone) to any device. - Audio Conferencing - unlimited audio conferencing on a per user basis plus conference room conferencing.
- Computer Telephony Integration - Their Advanced Communications Extensions (ACE) service integrates telephony with a desktop allowing full call control or a desk phone through a browser interface on the computer. It works with PCs, Macs and Linux-based computers.
- Cloud VoiceMail and Voice-Text Transcription - Unlimited voicemail boxes per user with the ability to translate voicemails to text and deliver them to an email box.
- Virtual PBX - All the basic PBX functionality is available including extension dialing, unlimited auto attendants, voicemail
- In-house Call Center
- Advanced Queuing - Call Center product provides unlimited queues, music on hold, virtual agent location and features such as customer call back (ability to call a customer back when an agent is available instead of making them wait on the line).
- Supervisory Modes - Supervisory modes including silent listen, whisper and barge-in to assist in agent training and quality control.
- Call recording - Agents can record both inbound and outbound calls.
- Live Monitoring - A browser-based live monitor application allows supervisors to monitor agents in real-time.
- Detailed Reports - Real-time reports are available.
- Collaboration
- Web Meeting - A WebExWebExWebEx Communications Inc. is a Cisco company that provides on-demand collaboration, online meeting, web conferencing and videoconferencing applications...
like web collaboration capability is included which works with any user that has an internet browser. - Remote Desktop Share - Users can share their desktop with others as well as securely access their desktop remotely. This is very similar to GoToMyPCGoToMyPCGoToMyPC is a remote control software service that enables the user to operate their computer from another computer, over the Internet. Citrix Online, a division of Citrix Systems, produces GoToMyPC.-Technology and business development:...
.
- Web Meeting - A WebEx
- Unified Messaging
- Cloud Email - The company provided integrated hosted email that is compatible with Microsoft OutlookMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Outlook is a personal information manager from Microsoft, available both as a separate application as well as a part of the Microsoft Office suite...
clients and includes a separate browser-based client as well. - Digital Fax - Each user gets a personal digital fax number that they can receive faxes on. Received faxes can be viewed online or they can be emailed to the user. Users can also fax from their desktop.
- Cloud Secure IM and SMS - The WorldSmart service supports integrated secure text messagingText messagingText messaging, or texting, refers to the exchange of brief written text messages between fixed-line phone or mobile phone and fixed or portable devices over a network...
and instant messagingInstant messagingInstant Messaging is a form of real-time direct text-based chatting communication in push mode between two or more people using personal computers or other devices, along with shared clients. The user's text is conveyed over a network, such as the Internet...
. Messages can be converted from IM to text and back based on a user's presence. All messages are stored in the cloud.
- Cloud Email - The company provided integrated hosted email that is compatible with Microsoft Outlook
- Business Process Integration
- Outlook Support - The Outlook client is fully supported allowing users to synchronize all their contacts and calendar events into the WorldSmart cloud as well as perform click to call functions and receive contact popups on inbound calls all from the Outlook interface.
- Salesforce.com Support - A Salesforce.comSalesforce.comSalesforce.com is an enterprise cloud computing company headquartered in San Francisco that distributes business software on a subscription basis. Salesforce.com hosts the applications off-site...
plug-in integrates WorldSmart services with a CRM database, allowing auto dialing and contact popups. - WebAPIs - Any web-based application can be triggered with specific information passed to it such as callerID, customer ID, or time-of-day.
- Unifying Features
- Real-time Presence - The desktop interface presents real-time presence information for all users.
- 100% Browser-based Client - The desktop interface runs within a standard Internet browser, eliminating any client-based software installation or the storage of any communications on the remote desktop machine.
The services are sold in three unlimited UC suites:
- Element - a Basic UC suite for basic employees.
- Communicator - Upgraded UC suite that adds additional web collaboration and management oriented communications features.
- CallCenter - Upgraded UC suite that adds in-house call center capabilities.
See also
- Unified communicationsUnified communicationsUnified communications is the integration of real-time communication services such as instant messaging , presence information, telephony , video conferencing, data sharing , call control and speech recognition with non-real-time communication services such as unified...
- Cloud computingCloud computingCloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
- Software as a serviceSoftware as a ServiceSoftware as a service , sometimes referred to as "on-demand software," is a software delivery model in which software and its associated data are hosted centrally and are typically accessed by users using a thin client, normally using a web browser over the Internet.SaaS has become a common...
- Service providerService providerA service provider is an entity that provides services to other entities. Usually, this refers to a business that provides subscription or web service to other businesses or individuals. Examples of these services include Internet access, Mobile phone operators, and web application hosting...