BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Aug. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- As the VoIP market continues to grow, Verizon Business is responding by introducing several new features in September designed to increase functionality and add choice for its SIP Gateway VoIP customers. SIP, or Session Initiation Protocol, is an Internet- based signaling protocol used for creating, modifying and terminating sessions between two or more users on the Internet.
Among the most sought-after features is Foreign Telephone Number Assignment (FTNA), the ability to assign a U.S. telephone number outside the normal local calling area for that number. For example, a resident of Dallas could be assigned a Chicago-area telephone number, allowing friends and family in the Chicago area to place a local call. This feature also gives businesses the flexibility of maintaining local numbers for their customers while controlling costs by centrally locating all or portions of their business elsewhere.
"Since we successfully launched our wholesale VoIP product suite two years ago, we have continued to seek -- and find -- effective ways to fulfill the needs of our customers," said Jim Tyrrell, vice president of voice product management for Verizon. "Performance, reliability and a competitive cost structure are table stakes in this market. Our intent is to reach beyond those basics to offer an exceptional product with superior features."
Among these latest enhancements are several features that will allow wholesale customers to pick and choose specific functions that, in turn, let them customize offerings for their subscribers. For example, wholesale customers will have the ability to order two-way telephone numbers associated with SIP Gateway Service with or without E911 service. Many wholesale companies rely on multiple VoIP providers, so they prefer the savings and efficiency associated with unbundled 911.
Wholesale customers also will have the option of selecting metered or unmetered pricing for SIP Gateway Service Inbound Complete, providing the flexibility to choose the pricing model that best fits their customer base.
The new Discretionary Call Blocking feature will give wholesale customers the ability to designate blocking of eight specific types of calls (such as international long-distance) at the time the order is placed. Verizon Business then integrates the selected blocking into its network switch, thus freeing the wholesale customer from managing the blocking function.
Another popular feature to be offered is seasonal pricing, which allows a wholesale customer to keep a telephone number but temporarily suspend the ability to make or receive calls, except 911. This feature is especially attractive to wholesale subscribers who have multiple homes or who travel extensively.
Also included in the new functionalities is a more robust fraud detection and treatment capability. With this capability, Verizon Business can improve detection of fraudulent VoIP traffic, alert the wholesale customer, then temporarily or permanently block the suspected traffic based on the wholesale customer's direction.
On Aug. 20, Verizon Business also announced new enhancements to its ordering process for SIP Gateway VoIP customers. Wholesale products are sold by Verizon Partner Solutions and Verizon Business International Partner Solutions.
About Verizon Business
Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications , is a leading provider of advanced communications and information technology (IT) solutions to large business and government customers worldwide. Combining unsurpassed global network reach with advanced communications, security and other professional service capabilities, Verizon Business delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world. For more information, visit http://www.verizonbusiness.com/.
