From Intel’s Developer Forum this week, Intel and Avaya announced their intent to collaborate on optimizing Avaya’s SIP-based, IP Telephony Softphone for use with notebook computers using Intel’s Centrino mobile technology.

The collaboration will enhance performance and reliability of the softphone, especially with simultaneously running computer programs. It will incorporating packet prioritization, bandwidth reservation and call admission control, which enables the Avaya Softphone to provide consistent quality of service across both wired and wireless networks using industry standards such as 802.11e.

Using these enhancements, mobile workers can link laptop computers into remote wired and wireless networks and simultaneously run various business applications while using an Avaya Softphone. The Avaya SIP-based Softphone includes presence and Instant Messaging capabilities.

The companies also will collaborate to improve the integration, control and functionality of Bluetooth devices used in conjunction with the softphone.

Avaya and Intel have a long-standing relationship in which the companies have done joint development work and sharing of information. With more details being announced by Intel on its Centrino mobile at the conference this week, the companies publicly revealed the joint development work around optimizing Avaya’s softphone.

“This is the first time we are really doing some joint work specifically around a single product and to move the user experience forward for users of the softphone running on a notebook platform,” said Dave LeClair, director of technology partners, Communication Appliance Division for Avaya.

IP Telephony softphones are software-based telephony clients used on computing devices such as PCs, laptops, and PDAs. Bluetooth devices are short-range wireless-enabled devices that can synchronize the information in a desktop or notebook computer and connect to other mobile devices. It coordinates the mobile and fixed computing devices.

“Intel has an [application interface] for VoIP over a WiFi network that allows us to have better quality-of-service and to invoke features for call control and other things that allow for a much better user experience of voice-over-WiFi. Our SIP softphone will be utilizing those APIs,” LeClair said.

The collaboration is part of Avaya’s execution on its Intelligent Communications strategy, which is meant to seamlessly connect communications applications and business applications and link users and processes through voice, text and video over any network.