MWEB Business launches inter-branch VOIP offering

MWEB Business, the division of MWEB that focuses on the specialised needs of businesses, today launched OfficeCall, the first product in its range of voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) solutions. OfficeCall has been developed to reduce the inter-branch call charges for businesses with offices operating from two or more locations.

"A lot of hype has been created around VOIP in recent months. The introduction of the OfficeCall range enables us to move beyond the hype, by offering customers a tangible product that promises immediate business benefits such as reduced call charges and simplified network maintenance and management," says Gary Hart, manager: marketing and products, MWEB Business.

OfficeCall will realise substantial cost savings on customers` inter-branch telephone calls by converging voice and data onto a single network. It has been designed to integrate seamlessly with existing telecommunication equipment, negating the need for large capital outlays. The OfficeCall range is furthermore supplied with bandwidth saving and compression features to ensure the quality and speed of an existing data network is not compromised when voice is added.

The quality of VOIP calls is constantly monitored. Should the call quality deteriorate below a predetermined standard, the call will automatically switch to public switched telephone network (PSTN) lines, which means that call quality is never impaired as a result of the unavailability or deterioration of VOIP data lines.

Customers` networks are guarded against external attacks by making use of the latest security technology. A multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network ensures priority is always given to voice traffic.

"Our first VOIP offering has been designed with the needs of various sized businesses in mind. It offers reliable, secure and guaranteed quality voice services," adds Hart.

OfficeCall enables customers to scale their voice requirements as their businesses grow. It is available in the following variations:

* OfficeCall Two (two simultaneous voice connections)
* OfficeCall Four (four simultaneous voice connections)
* OfficeCall Eight (eight simultaneous voice connections)
* OfficeCall Sixteen (sixteen simultaneous voice connections)

Customers can choose between analogue and ISDN access options. The OfficeCall Two, Four and Eight products are available via analogue gateways. All options in the analogue range require an installation fee of R1 800 and a monthly rental starting from R199 per branch. Mandatory billing and Web statistics charges apply at R15 each. All prices exclude VAT.

The ISDN OfficeCall range also requires an installation fee of R1 800 and monthly rental fees start from R349 per branch. Mandatory billing costs apply. All prices exclude VAT.

MWEB Business` voice services are underpinned by its 24-hour support and maintenance.

Visit www.mwebbusiness.co.za or call 0860 100 127 for further information.