Thursday, April 8, 2010

Verizon Announces VoIP Packages for SMBs

Network World

 
At the recent Comptel Spring 2010 conference, Verizon Global Wholesale Division announced plans for three new VoIP phones and Internet packages designed for retail service providers to offer to small and midsize businesses. The wholesale offers will be accompanied by marketing efforts to SMBs.

The first package combines Verizon's Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Gateway Service with new a NEC Univerge SV8100 IP PBX that is offered with an associated installation and maintenance bundle. Both the SIP connection and the NEC PBX are offered at a discount, although the service and hardware discounts expire on June 30.

The second package, designed for 30 or more users, is an Internet T1 dedicated circuit service that also combines service and hardware. The equipment offered in this package is either a Samsung Ubigate iBG 1000 for data-only applications or a model 1003 for data and voice services combined. Like the first offer, the package is offered at a discount, which expires at the end of March 2011. QOS assurance is offered as an option for an additional charge.

A third package offers customers a Samsung iBG1000 bundled with an Ethernet connection at either 5Mbps or 10 Mbps. The cost of the router is credited back to the customer over the first year of service, and the Ethernet connection is discounted with the promotional offer, which expires on at the end of March 2011.

Commenting in a statement on the new bundles, Quintin Lew, senior vice president of marketing for Verizon Global Wholesale said, "By creating new home and business VoIP services and Internet packages that include both services and hardware, we're giving our wholesale customers new ways to support their small- and medium-sized business customers in a time when every nickel and every efficiency counts toward success. Our goal continues to be to arm our wholesale customers with the tools that help them to help small and medium-sized businesses succeed."