LONDON, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Global Crossing today announced the launch of a hosted Voice over IP (VoIP) service. Global Crossing Hosted IP Voice(TM) combines the functionality of a traditional private branch exchange (PBX) with additional value-added services, delivered over Global Crossing's MPLS-based global IP network. The service has been developed in collaboration with TeleWare Plc, the UK's leading provider of intelligent business communication solutions to enterprises and service providers.
With Global Crossing Hosted IP Voice(TM), businesses of any size can take advantage of managed, network-based IP telephony without the need for on-site equipment and with added flexibility, since all features can be accessed via the office telephone, at home or via mobile. Global Crossing's high- performance IP network supports the consistent delivery of TeleWare's IP centrex voice services and advanced features such as personal numbering, multiple call appearance, unified communications and team working.
Global Crossing Hosted IP Voice is targeted to resellers and service providers who are expanding their portfolios to include VoIP and to ISPs focused on the enterprise market. This centrex VoIP service allows resellers to secure additional market share and to generate new revenue streams from recurring monthly rentals and voice minutes. Hosted IP Voice complements their existing portfolios and offers differentiation at a time when the traditional TDM voice market is reaching saturation and is subject to intense price pressure.
"This offer is another example of execution of our strategy to deliver global IP services to enterprises on both a direct basis and indirectly by working with partners to create IP solutions for resellers serving small and medium-sized enterprises," said Anthony Christie, Global Crossing's chief marketing officer. "Hosted IP Voice is a compelling solution that integrates the performance and resilience of our flexible IP capabilities with an advanced suite of IP centrex voice services. With this package, small and medium enterprises can take the first step towards implementing IP telephony while using their existing voice equipment."
Global Crossing established its leadership in the VoIP arena four years ago and currently runs two billion minutes per month of traffic over its private, global platform.
"For the SME, this solution frees capex and enables it to grow at a predictable ongoing cost without having to worry about upgrading or replacing their PBX," said Steve Haworth, group strategy director for TeleWare. "Outsourcing the management of hardware reduces the demands on busy IT and telecoms staff, while the customer enjoys carrier grade resilience without the need to make resilient design decisions. With the advent of services that are feature-rich and flexible enough to handle future requirements, 2005 will be the year that IP centrex hosted services for business finally arrive."
Global Crossing Hosted IP Voice(TM) offers four service bundles for standard, advanced and executive users, plus an operator console service for multi-line call supervision. Some of the common features include geographical direct dial inwards, caller line ID, abbreviated dialing, soft phone client, voicemail that can be accessed by the telephone or Web interface, internal hotdesking and a Web portal to check preferences, performance statistics and billing, and to provision extensions.
The service can be scaled up or down in step with an enterprise's changing needs and includes a choice of network access -- from IP VPN, DSL or the Internet. Consolidating voice and data traffic over a single IP platform opens the way for considerable savings on network costs. Charges are levied on a monthly per-user basis, making telecom budgeting easier because there is no capital outlay, nor hidden costs. All on-net calls are included in the monthly recurring cost of the extension, including calls between different sites. The service is available initially in the UK.
Global Crossing Hosted IP Voice(TM) is particularly suited to businesses that are expanding and require new sites to be connected or those that have numerous mobile or home-based employees. This hosted IP solution provides an entry point for migrating voice onto data networks, and it provides an IP- centric solution for businesses facing problems with the inter-operability of PBXs.
For enterprises that have key systems or PBXs that have reached the limit of their capacity or who are considering contract renewal options, Global Crossing Hosted IP Voice(TM) service provides a flexible solution that delivers the benefits of VoIP with no capital outlay. The service is designed to fully integrate with a customer's existing PBX, providing additional features as an overlay to the technology being currently used.
ABOUT GLOBAL CROSSING
Global Crossing provides telecommunications solutions over the world's first integrated global IP-based network. Its core network connects more than 300 cities and 30 countries worldwide, and delivers services to more than 500 major cities, 50 countries and 6 continents around the globe. The company's global sales and support model matches the network footprint and, like the network, delivers a consistent customer experience worldwide.
Global Crossing IP services are global in scale, linking the world's enterprises, governments and carriers with customers, employees and partners worldwide in a secure environment that is ideally suited for IP-based business applications, allowing e-commerce to thrive. The company offers a full range of managed data and voice products including Global Crossing IP VPN Service, Global Crossing Managed Services and Global Crossing VoIP services, to more than 40 percent of the Fortune 500, as well as 700 carriers, mobile operators and ISPs.
Please visit http://www.globalcrossing.com/ for more information about Global Crossing.
ABOUT TELEWARE
TeleWare is the leading supplier of intelligent communications solutions provided as packaged and tailored Application Software. TeleWare's applications provide local and wide area Unified Communications capabilities to businesses, improving communications contact with individuals and teams and providing full multimedia messaging services. TeleWare's applications enhance communications and enable the support of today's working practices such as teleworking. They provide a consistent user interface to the phone, PC, PDA or mobile handset over the entire range of communications infrastructures from traditional telephony to IP Telephony. Unparalleled interoperability and a commitment to open standards ensure flexibility, freedom and ease the migration path from today's infrastructures to full IP operation.
TeleWare's suite of applications is delivered as On-Premise solutions, Managed or Hosted Services to medium and large Enterprises and Service Providers. TeleWare customers include over 20 percent of the Times Top 100 and approaching 20 percent of the top 1,000 blue chip national and multinational companies.
TeleWare has certification for the quality standard ISO9001/2000 TickIT and has been awarded the Investors in People national standard for training and development of its employees to achieve its business goals.
For further information visit http://www.teleware.com/
Statements made in this press release that state the company's intentions, beliefs, expectations, or predictions for the future are forward-looking statements. These statements contain words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," "will," "seek," or similar expressions. Such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the statements, including the conditioning of the company's continued listing on the NASDAQ National Market on its timely filing with the SEC of all periodic reports for all reporting periods ending on or prior to September 30, 2005; the company's history of substantial operating losses and the fact that, in the near term, funds from operations will not satisfy cash requirements; legal and contractual restrictions on the payment of dividends and the inter-company transfer of funds by the company's subsidiaries, including restrictions under the senior secured notes indenture applicable to Global Crossing (UK) Telecommunications Limited ("GCUK"); the likelihood that the prices the company charges for its services will continue to decrease; the company's ability to continue to connect its network to incumbent carriers' networks or maintain Internet peering arrangements on favorable terms; the success of the company's business realignment plan and the realization of anticipated cost savings; the consequences of any inadvertent violation of the company's Network Security Agreement with the U.S. Government; the impact of actual and potential customers' bankruptcies on the company's sales prospects and results of operations; increased competition and pricing pressures resulting from technology advances and regulatory changes; competitive disadvantages relative to competitors with superior resources; the impact of the company's technology choices on its competitiveness; the company's dependence on third parties for many functions; political, legal and other risks due to the company's substantial international operations; risks arising out of the company's material weaknesses in internal controls and possible difficulties and delays in improving such controls; the concentration of GCUK's revenue in a limited number of customers, and the rights of such customers to terminate their contracts or to simply cease purchasing services thereunder; and other risks referenced from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company undertakes no duty to update information contained in this press release or in other public disclosures at any time.
CONTACT GLOBAL CROSSING:
Press Contacts
Becky Yeamans
+ 1 973-937-0155
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