[March 16, 2006] Retailing VoIP: CompUSA and Vodavi Partner Tweet By Johanne Torres TMCnet Contributing Editor   Office supplies superstore CompUSA selected Vodavi Technology Inc.'s carrier class IP terminals to support the retailer's offering of Bandwidth.com's Hosted VoIP solution for small to medium-sized commercial customers nationwide. Bandwidth.com is providing carrier VoIP network services for voice and data transport. The CompUSA offering was unveiled today.   The new agreement calls for CompUSA to deploy Vodavi's family of 6800 Series Hosted IP terminals, enabling the retailer to provide carrier-grade telephones that include all the features and functionality of a traditional desktop telephone coupled with the advantages of advanced IP technology. The devices will be compatible with standard protocols such as MGCP and SIP. The Vodavi 6800 Series phones interact with Bandwidth.com's hosted Call Server to access features of the server as well as place and receive calls.   Bandwidth.com's hosted IP solutions for business will be available in more than 240 CompUSA stores in the U.S., as well as on the CompUSA Web site. "With this partnership, we're offering small and mid-size business owners a solution never available to them before, the ability to select and purchase a comprehensive VoIP system from a trusted national retailer, knowledgeable about their needs and ready to provide the services to get it done right," said Brian Woods, executive vice president of merchandising for CompUSA.   Vodavi's 6800 Series Hosted IP Terminals are carrier-class IP endpoints. The 6804 phone is designed for use in lobbies, dorm rooms or low-use areas. The 6812 and 6830 are loaded with features for busy attendants.   "We are proud to have been selected from an elite group of manufacturers to work with CompUSA to bring cost saving and productivity enhancing VoIP solutions to those businesses looking for a flexible, managed IP environment," noted Vodavi's president and CEO Gregory Roeper.   Vodavi made news last week when it inked a reseller agreement with message on-hold veteran Audiomax. The agreement allows Vodavi to sell Audiomax's Message/Music On-Hold system to its nationwide network of authorized dealers.   "Our concern is always with our customers and giving them access to best of breed technology solutions that will improve their business operations," said Vodavi's vice president of sales Rich Gralto. "We are pleased to be the conduit for the Audiomax product to our sales channel. Dealers looking to recommend a solution for their enterprise business customers can purchase through us, simplifying the procurement process while having fast and reliable access to one of the country’s leading message on-hold companies."   The Audiomax 5100CD is a digital playback system designed to provide a continuous–play audio source for messages-on-hold. The audio program is loaded into its high-density flash memory from a data CD containing an MP3 file using a pure digital-to-digital file transfer. Enterprise customers utilize the Audiomax system in conjunction with their Vodavi telecommunications system to promote products or services, enhance company image, address frequently asked questions and inform customers of important news while callers are placed on hold.   CompUSA, Inc. http://www.compusa.com Bandwidth.com http://www.bandwidth.com Vodavi Technology Inc. http://www.vodavi.com ----- Johanne Torres is contributing editor for TMCnet and Internet Telephony magazine. To see more articles by Johanne Torres, please visit Johanne Torres' columnist page. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]