Helping companies simplify the move to IP telephony, UUNET SA, a subsidiary of MCI, Inc (NASDAQ: MCIP), today announced it has expanded its voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) suite of services to include two new solutions: Managed IP PBX and IP Trunking Services.
With UUNET`s newly-extended Advantage portfolio, companies can now choose the VOIP solution that best matches their business and technical needs, while taking advantage of their existing voice and data infrastructure. Solutions can be hosted within MCI`s network, located at the customer`s premise or a hybrid of the two, giving customers greater flexibility.
UUNET`s next-generation VOIP portfolio consists of four enterprise solutions and includes its latest additions - Managed IP PBX and IP Trunking - to its flagship Hosted IP Centrex and IP Integrated Access offerings. The new solutions are ideal for a broad range of companies and MCI Advantage customers are already experiencing the same reliability, quality and calling features they have come to expect from traditional business telephone services, with the cost savings opportunities and multimedia applications that VOIP makes possible.
"MCI is helping customers transition to a converged IP environment at their own pace and path," said Elia Tsouros, UUNET SA Business Development Executive. "We know that one-size-doesn`t-fit-all and with our new portfolio we are well-positioned to help customers simplify the complexity of deploying and operating VOIP services while eliminating the traditional constraints of migrating to a converged IP environment."
VOIP creates cost savings and resource opportunities that enable companies to realise more value from their current infrastructure while deriving new functionality. With IP convergence, enterprises can expect to pay for less bandwidth overall, reduce management complexity, procurement issues and billing headaches, all of which translate into lower costs and better utilisation of resources for enterprise customers.
As UUNET`s latest addition to its portfolio, Managed IP PBX Services allow customers to offload the management of their premise-based IP telephony systems. From WAN to LAN, MCI is extending its networking capabilities and combining its global networking, voice and security offerings to deliver a comprehensive managed IP telephony solution with high levels of performance, reliability and restoration.
UUNET`s new offering is based on Cisco`s cost-efficient and highly scalable CallManager platform. UUNET will provide the ongoing management and continuous optimisation of the IP PBX solution, as well as aid in the planning, designing, and implementation phases of the service, delivering a true end-to-end solution for enterprise customers.
UUNET`s other new addition to its portfolio is its Advantage IP Trunking Service which uniquely enables customers to use converged access to carry local, long distance and data traffic, eliminating the need for multiple access facilities for each separate service, greatly simplifying the deployment and management of enterprise VOIP services.
UUNET`s new service also performs the conversion and termination of VOIP calls via its network-based IP gateways. As a result, customers no longer need to purchase and manage costly premise-based IP to PSTN gateways, traditionally used to terminate calls to non-VOIP locations. UUNET`s IP Trunking offering is available on all platforms, including Cisco CallManager. This service is the perfect complement to UUNET`s Managed IP PBX offering.
With UUNET`s VOIP portfolio, benefits to customers are many. With all of its offerings, customers can tap into enhanced voice and data applications, helping to increase employee productivity both in and out of the office with an array of Web-based features. With the expansion of its IP telephony capabilities, UUNET offers customers integrated functionality, including call screening, simultaneous ring, auto attendant, third-party conferencing and Web-based receptionist services.
This enables UUNET to offer large enterprise customers and their teleworkers the voice features they demand in a consolidated package, while delivering cost-effective new communications capabilities to smaller organisations.
UUNET`s new dedicated team of IP telephony experts work closely with each customer to understand their individual business and technical requirements to design, develop and implement a solution tailored to their specific communications environment. Available immediately, UUNET/MCI`s Advantage portfolio is backed by industry-leading service level guarantees.
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UUNET SA, an MCI company, is Africa`s leading provider of converged communications solutions. The company provides Internet connectivity and corporate network solutions to major corporations as well as access services to Internet service providers.
For more information, please visit the UUNET SA Web site on www.uunet.co.za.
MCI, Inc
MCI, Inc (NASDAQ: MCIP) is a leading global communications provider, delivering innovative, cost-effective, advanced communications connectivity to businesses, governments and consumers. With the industry`s most expansive global IP backbone, based on the number of company-owned points of presence, and wholly-owned data networks, MCI develops the converged communications products and services that are the foundation for commerce and communications in today`s market.
For more information, go to www.mci.com.
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