Cisco did not provide pricing in advance of the announcement.

Avaya Inc. will introduce an extension of its unified communications strategy called Communications Enabled Business Processes, comprising new software and services, said Lawrence Byrd, director of the new CEBP unit.

A new Avaya Communications Process Manager will deliver multiple Web services across Avaya's existing Communication Manager, Meeting Exchange and Voice Portal products. It will start at US$88,000, plus $60 per user, he said.

Also, a new Event Processor, which is an optional capability of the Process Manager, will monitor real-time information streams and provide alerts if problems develop. It will sell for $40,000.

Whirlpool Corp. is using the Process Manager to improve business processes for monitoring applications and sending alerts, Byrd said.