[October 11, 2004]

VoIP Goes Retail Via Office Depot

BY JOHANNE TORRES

VoIP provider Voiceglo, just struck an exclusive deal with Office Depot (quote) that will make the company’s GloPhone service available for retail sale. Voiceglo's GloPhone VoIP service and Office Depot's USB VoIP-enabled phones will now be sold in more than 900 Office Depot stores nationwide and online starting this November.

According to the agreement, Office Depot will be selling pre-packaged GloPhone-enabled USB phones nationally. GloPhone, a Web- and PC-based phone service, enables consumers to make calls to and receive calls from any phone, anywhere in the world using either a broadband or dial-up Internet connection.

“We are pleased to partner with Office Depot, a leading global retailer, and are thrilled they recognize VoIP as an emerging market and want to be a part of it via our new partnership," said Edward Cespedes, president, Voiceglo. "With Office Depot and Voiceglo's global presence, we are confident that together the companies will help consumers maintain vital and cost-effective telecommunications connections by using our GloPhone product."

"The relationship with Voiceglo is an exciting new business opportunity, and allows us to offer customers a new and affordable means of communication," said Mark Amos, merchant for communications at Office Depot. "It is a great business solution for small business owners and consumers that give them the cost controls they need to be competitive while giving them many unique features they do not have today."

GloPhone and Office Depot will set up users with a U.S. telephone number in the area code of their choice instantly. Consumers who sign up for GloPhone service through Office Depot will be able to choose from five calling plans ranging from free (PC to PC) to $19.95 monthly for 1000 bundled local and long-distance minutes for U.S. and Canadian calls. Along with the standard features in all GloPhone packages - including caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, missed call notification, voicemail to email and conference calling.

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