AT&T to SMBs: Come join the VoIP party!

We were happy to see the announcement by AT&T of its release of IP Flexible Reach, to ‘IP enable’ existing key systems for SMBs. Since lots of effort, resources and money probably went into this decision by AT&T to enter the SMB VoIP space, it makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside that we are already here and well ahead of the game. It’s gratifying to see that AT&T believes there is a need for what we already sell!

It appears its new service is targeted at small businesses who are taking half steps into the world of VoIP while retaining their existing key systems. The service promises greater leverage of existing or newly provisioned data pipes from AT&T by incorporating voice. This is hardly a new concept. We have been providing this service for a few years now and have thousands of business customers to show for it.

While AT&T wants customers to take baby steps, Junction Networks is pushing the envelope, offering ALL the benefits of VoIP today. We have seen that once customers dip their toes into the VoIP pool, they tend to realize that the true benefits (remote and nomadic users, access to advance applications and more) are available only when using a completely VoIP-centric service. The proof will be in the pudding, but we believe that with IP Flexible Reach, these new VoIP converts will realize that the PBX in the dusty closet now is nothing more than a potential point of failure with limited value.

The next logical step is to find a service provider that not only handles basic call traffic (gatewaying), but also offers the key system smarts (auto-attendant, extensions, voicemail, etc.) without the key system itself. By eliminating the CPE altogether, the small business unlocks total cost of ownership savings, reliability gains and flexibility options.

Enter Junction Networks’ Hosted PBX. Good-bye key system.

Thanks AT&T for getting the message out!