Communications service provider Covad (News - Alert) Communications and telephone systems developer TalkSwitch, have launched a campaign that will enable small businesses to easily experience the benefits of VoIP. Combining the service expertise of Covad and the hardware knowledge of TalkSwitch (News - Alert), small businesses now have available a “Do It Yourself” broadband communications solution they can install themselves, that also provides the reliability, features, and support they require.

Covad’s contribution to the bundle is its ClearEdge Integrated Access solution, which combines the proven reliability of Covad’s managed network with advanced voice-optimized technology and features that enable small businesses to maximize their communications potential. Covad’s small business solutions include a portfolio of cost effective analog and digital premises-based solutions — though it also features hosted solutions as well.

The package also includes TalkSwitch’s 480vs phone system, a self-installable replacement for its 48ca PBX (News - Alert) system. Like the 48ca, the 480vs can handle four incoming lines and eight local extensions, which can be either analog or IP. The system is also designed to be able to easily scale to 32 users per location, which means small businesses are assured their Covad/TalkSwitch solution can grow as they do, and they won’t have to worry about replacing their phone system simply because business has been good.

The Covad/TalkSwitch solution, which offers small businesses an alternative to expensive enterprise systems or lower quality consumer products, starts as low as $459 monthly for a 25-seat office, representing a savings of up to 40 percent when compared to legacy systems — in addition to the added features enabled by IP. What’s more, the simplicity of a self-installable system means vendors do not have to make several visits to the site in order to get the system up and running, consuming both time and money. Instead, companies can quickly and easily deploy the system and get back to running their businesses.

“Small businesses don’t have time to worry about their phone systems. They simply want a service that works reliably and will easily grow with their businesses,” said John Macario, president of Savatar, a strategy and technology consulting firm specializing in the small business market. “Because most of these businesses do not have an in-house IT expert, the self-installable feature of the Covad/TalkSwitch solution is a key differentiator.”

The Covad/TalkSwitch solution is available immediately and can be purchased through TalkSwitch network of 1,500 channel partners or through Covad.

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Erik Linask is Associate Editor of INTERNET TELEPHONY. Most recently, he was Managing Editor at Global Custodian, an international securities services publication. To see more of his articles, please visit Erik Linask’s columnist page.