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MSP Birch Communications to Acquire Portions of Telecom Provider Covista Communications

By Laura Stotler
TMCnet Contributing Editor

Managed service provider (MSP) Birch Communications has signed a definitive agreement to acquire select customer and network assets from Covista Communications (News - Alert), Inc. Covista is a facilities-based telecommunications service provider offering solutions for business, wholesale and residential customers in 48 states.

The acquisition will be the 17th for Birch since 2006. Birch focuses on providing IP-based, managed telecommunications and IT services to small- and medium-sized businesses. The company serves metropolitan areas within 38 states across the U.S.

Birch offerings include local and long-distance voice services, broadband Internet access, SIP trunking, mobile voice and data and a variety of communications and IT services. Covista, based in Chattanooga, TN, offers a base of customers in the southeastern, southwestern and northeastern states that will complement Birch's current customer footprint.

The company, which acts as a CLEC in 48 states and is also an FCC (News - Alert) 214 international facilities-based carrier, offers a Metaswitch-based facilities network. Covista has switching centers in Tennessee, New York City and Los Angeles, providing a wide range of services. The company's portfolio includes traditional switched and dedicated phone services as well as advanced voice and data solutions, hosted IP-PBX (News - Alert), enhanced wireless, data storage and business continuity and disaster recovery services. Birch expects the acquisition will strengthen their IP-Network as well as enhance the MSP's hosted PBX, SIP turning and wholesale services.

"We look forward to welcoming the Covista customers into the Birch family," said Chris Aversano, chief operating officer at Birch. "We are excited to be able to introduce them to our award-winning customer service team and our outstanding portfolio of IP-based services. In 2013, we intend to continue the expansion of the Birch IP-Network service footprint into new markets and to broaden the scope of our managed telecommunications and IT solutions as we anticipate and plan for the needs of our customers."

"We are pleased to know our customers will be receiving the same level of customer care at Birch to which they are accustomed," said Warren Feldman, president and CEO of Covista Communications. "With a premium network architecture, along with a varied and competitive product offering, our customers should be confident in building their businesses' future knowing their data and communications services will be provided with excellence and professionalism."

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