ShoreTel, Inc., a leading provider of pure IP unified communications solutions, has announced it is working with IBM to integrate ShoreTel's distributed unified communications solutions with Lotus Sametime,IBM's unified communications and collaboration platform.

The plug-in will allow joint customers to access ShoreTel's powerful distributed IP telephony features from within their IBM Lotus Sametime application, providing greater freedom to choose the right communications to optimize their business processes, the company said.

With ShoreTel, companies will be able to integrate voice capabilities throughout their IBM collaboration application, providing users with new, productivity-enhancing features without the need to learn new programs or change the way they are accustomed to working, the company said. Companies can enjoy greater productivity and collaboration using an easy-to-deploy, easy-to-manage and easy-to-use solution that offers unmatched reliability.

"We are very excited to be adding ShoreTel to our growing ecosystem of unified communications and collaboration Business Partners," said Bruce Morse, vice president of unified communications and collaboration, IBM. "Their leading telephony expertise, particularly in the area of small-to-medium-sized businesses, is key in offering customers greater choice and flexibility in unified communications decisions. Working with ShoreTel, we will enable customers to seamlessly add vital capabilities for voice communications, collaboration, and productivity to their IBM-powered business processes," he said.

"Our relationship with IBM is another important step in our commitment to help enterprises easily integrate all the collaborative and productivity benefits of our distributed unified communications solutions into their existing business processes," said Mark Arman, vice president of business development at ShoreTel. "Our joint customers will also benefit from two renowned service organizations with the resources, commitment, and track record to ensure an optimal experience, even as our capabilities continue to evolve over the years."

ShoreTel's distributed architecture extends enterprise-class voice services to every office and outpost, keeping employees fully connected wherever they go. The IP-based ShoreTel solution delivers immediate results and can be easily expanded and customized for industry-specific needs, whether in healthcare, government, retail, education, manufacturing or financial, the company said.

About ShoreTel, Inc.

ShoreTel, Inc., (Nasdaq: SHOR) is a leading provider of pure IP unified communications systems. ShoreTel enables companies of any size to seamlessly integrate all communications-voice, data, messaging-with their business processes. Independent of device or location, ShoreTel's distributed software architecture eliminates the traditional costs, complexity, and reliability issues typically associated with other solutions. ShoreTel continues to deliver the highest levels of customer satisfaction, ease of use, and manageability while driving down the overall total cost of ownership. ShoreTel is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, and has regional offices in the United Kingdom, Sydney,Australia, and Munich, Germany. For more information, visit http://www.shoretel.com/ or call 1-877-80SHORE.

For more information on IBM's unified communications and collaboration Platform, visit http://www.ibm.com/lotus/sametime.