Avaya submitted the most detailed response to our RFI, and it included a 21-page ROI addendum detailing cost savings over five years. 
We suspect Avaya would push Kodiak hard for full VoIP because those benefits are listed in most of the ROI analysis.
Agents can connect to the system through the existing TDM PBX system and move to IP phones over time. Softphones are also an option, and telecommuters can use IP or PSTN. Add the built-in VPN, and you'd have what we consider the best proposal for telecommuter support.
Kodiak's users are given a fat local client or a server-based thin client for CTI. Aside from the standard contact and wait-time info, Kodiak could place suggested canned responses into the interface for the agents' benefit. The products from Interactive Intelligence and Telephony@Work have similar features.
We weren't as impressed with Avaya's system integration. It supports only three fax servers, a small handful of IVR and ACD (automatic call distributor) systems, and only Avaya products are officially supported for VoIP gateways. Routing rules can be developed with a drag-and-drop GUI, a common setup among the responses. Avaya also would let Kodiak IT drop into lower-level programming and access custom APIs as a workflow step. The workflow designer application allows for simulating and testing scenarios before committing.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
