[May 18, 2004] Smaller Companies Reap Big-Company Benefits Outsourcing IP Telephony to Appia Communications IP telephony isn’t just for the big boys anymore. Appia Communications makes it simple and affordable for companies with as few as 15 employees to take advantage of IP telephony – without the high cost of equipment and the expense and hassle of managing the services. Appia Communications’ IP telephony solutions allow businesses to run their communications systems – voice, data and video – over one connection. This eliminates the need to install and maintain separate equipment for telephone and data services. Outsourcing IP telephony centralizes voice, data and video communications functions, eliminating multiple billings and management headaches by giving customers a single point of contact. It makes these functions affordable, while offering all the benefits of having the services in-house. Outsourcing also provides customers with flexible voice and data communications options and a rich variety of advanced features, including support for telecommuters. Cost savings are dramatic and include long-distance toll bypass, which enables free calls between offices, abolishing long-distance calling fees. IP telephony eliminates the need for a PBX or a key system in each office, and voice messages can be transferred between extensions, in the same office or around the world. “Outsourcing often enables savings of 30 percent or more in a matter of months,” says Victor von Schlegell, Appia Communications President. “We have also found that customers appreciate having a single point of contact. Outsourcing means having only one number to call to make changes or resolve problems. This is important for companies and organizations with small IT staffs. Finally, IP telephony enables a business to expand or contract telecommunications costs in response to business cycles. It takes a matter of minutes to change phone services, as opposed to the days it takes with the traditional telephone network.” Money is not the only savings. The advanced capabilities of IP telephony are also being used to bring about productivity improvements. These capabilities include increased support for mobility, allowing employees to function regardless of location, and centralized administration. Integrated messaging applications that allow for voice access to e-mail and a common, single mailbox for voice, e-mail and IM are also growing in popularity. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]