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SIP trunking is one of the hot topics these days in the communications technology industry, and many companies — both buyers and sellers of telecom services — are leveraging this technology. Among them is Broadvox, a company that offers voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) business solutions, including its Go! brand series of SIP trunking options.

 

David Byrd (News - Alert), vice president of marketing and product management at Broadvox, told me that his company repackaged its SIP trunking offerings this year and completed some important projects — including integration of Sonus and NextPoint (News - Alert) switches — that will enable it to achieve significant business growth in the future. The company is now placing an emphasis on marketing to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the process of migrating to IP communications.

 

Byrd will be at INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference & EXPO West 2008 later this month, speaking during two sessions: The Service Provider Perspective (Sept. 16, 1:30-3:00 p.m.) and SMB VoIP Options (Sept. 18, 2:00-2:45 p.m.).

 

DB: We completed the integration of the Sonus and NextPoint Softswitches into our network. This was very important as we expanded our wholesale and SIP trunking offerings. Customers have already begun to experience improvements in service and features. In addition, we repackaged our SIP trunking product offerings and at the same time, began delivering our products at lower price points than ever before. We also branched out in the connectivity arena, now offering T1s and DS3s as well as allowing customers to continue to BYOB.

 

DB: We have plans for substantial business growth as a result of the achievements made during the past seven months. The network upgrade, restructure of product packaging and pricing and new offerings promise to infuse new interest in Broadvox nationwide. Having laid the groundwork for expanding our customer base, we directed our focus by selecting six Directors of Channel Sales to cover the United States and Canada. With these changes and additions, we anticipate capturing even more of the market share of SMBs and enterprises that are migrating to IP communications solutions.

 

DB: All forms of communication are rapidly moving toward real time, facilitated by VoIP and unified communications applications. VoIP has come of age and where it was once considered new technology, it has quickly become the industry standard. Most companies, large or small, view it as a necessity. It has brought about a “greener” work force, making it possible for workers to conduct business from virtually any location.

 

DB: It is difficult to point to any one company during the past year. There have been a lot of changes in the way people do business and there have been several companies that have received a lot of public recognition. Microsoft immediately comes to mind with its unified communications (UC) solution, as does Apple’s release of the iPhone (News - Alert). Both of these products are drawing a great deal of attention to IP communications in general and people are becoming more comfortable with the technology.

 

DB: It has changed the way we advertise. We are seeing people go directly to Google to find what they are looking for so now the challenge is to structure our ads and announcements to increase the odds that they will come up at the head of the list. People read less printed material; companies are becoming more environmentally aware so a decline in printed ads and a migration to advertising on the Internet is more popular than ever before. With that, receiving more “hits” with Google becomes key as well as improving our presence on the Web. This is why we continue to support the IP communications community on TMCnet.

 

DB: Apple and its products do not really affect our position in the IP communications arena.

 

DB: Certainly we use the BlackBerry Curve, and iPhone is also being used by a few. Our criteria is selecting smartphones that provide all the features and functionality of IP communication, with reliability and ease of use. Within our infrastructure, the BlackBerry is most often the phone of choice.

 

DB: Whoever maintains both a feature and cost advantage. It is clear that both companies have a great product and have penetrated the market to a great degree. The key point is that smartphones are the way to go and there are other companies, such as Samsung and Nokia who are also finding their niche. Apple seems to have cornered the market for users looking for a device that plays movies and music, but BlackBerry and others are rapidly catching up. The end result will likely not be so much about Apple vs. RIM, but more about Apple versus the smartphone companies where price is a major factor.

 

DB: We should very soon see the true integration of the phone and PC. The phone will replace our laptops. We will have a docking station to connect to external drives/storage and monitors. Mobile communication is already well on its way to eliminating the need for PCs with all the features and power built into smartphones. 

 

DB: During Tuesday’s SIP trunking workshop, attendees will learn how SIP trunking can maximize the return on investment (ROI) for SMBs and will hear about SIP trunking from a service provider perspective. On Thursday, the focus will be on the options for SMBs when migrating to VoIP and attendees will learn the basics of voice and data solutions and how to select the right one for their business.

 

RT: What type of attendees do you think should come to your session?

DB: SIP trunking is relatively new technology for a lot of people so these sessions would be of particular benefit to value-added resellers (VARs) who can learn how SIP trunking can benefit their clients. Armed with a clearer understanding of SIP trunking, VARs will be able to show their clients how they can achieve immediate savings when they migrate to VoIP and as a result, VARs will experience an increase in sales.

 

DB: At Broadvox we offer the industry’s best service, prices and innovations year after year. We customize communication solutions for our customers, not the other way around. Customers can BYOB or we can provide the connectivity. Our flexibility and customization coupled with our interoperability, scalability and ease of deployment are factors that our customers appreciate. We designed and engineered a private network for our customers, guaranteeing QoS that the most discriminating customers expect.

 

DB: Well, not really a surprise but there will be continued consolidation and we will have a new face in the Whitehouse.