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| [September 17, 2007] |
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Whaleback Introduces Third Major Release of the CrystalBlue Voice Service, Building on the Ability to Blend the Best of Hosted VoIP and Premises-Based PBX Solutions
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. --(Business Wire)-- Whaleback Systems(TM) today announced the Diamond Shoals product release, which includes new functionality that extends the capabilities of Whaleback's managed voice service architecture to address the unique requirements of mid-market, small enterprise businesses.
"Mid-sized businesses are no longer forced to select between hosted VoIP services with questionable call quality and PBX platforms that are expensive to deploy and manage," said Mark Galvin, Whaleback Founder, President and CEO. "This is the first in a series of upcoming Diamond Shoals product announcements and it includes architectural enhancements, new phones and attractive pricing options that enhance the value proposition for CrystalBlue and will particularly attract the larger medium-sized businesses to our managed VoIP solution. In our two previous releases, we focused on addressing mission-critical telephony and business continuity features for the small business market. Diamond Shoals has several important features designed with the larger mid-sized business in mind."
First launched in February of 2006, the award-winning CrystalBlue Voice Service saw its second major release in December 2006 with the introduction of the Cuttyhunk release. Diamond Shoals is the third major release of CrystalBlue, which leverages leading-edge telephony technology and a flexible and scalable software environment to continuously add new features and enhanced value to enterprise customers. Diamond Shoals also builds on Whaleback's recently announced Redundant Array of Inexpensive Links (RAIL) capabilities that allow multiple broadband links to be easily combined to form a single high-availability network connection.
OrcaVision Enhanced Voice Quality Management
The Diamond Shoals release introduces the OrcaVision Voice Quality Management System, which provides total visibility into the customer's call path as their voice traffic crosses multiple IP networks. A graphical network mapping tool is used to visually monitor the health and performance of these networks, with multiple views that display call quality information by provider, by customer or by user. OrcaVision allows Whaleback Network Operations Center (NOC) personnel to analyze call volume, traffic bottlenecks, usage patterns and call histories. The system also performs a periodic health check of every remote PBX system for its availability and operating status. A system fault that might occur on any customer site can be detected within minutes. Automatic notification of system problems or service degradation is based on alarms that trigger whenever call quality thresholds are violated. Whaleback personnel immediately investigate and resolve the problem--usually before the customer is aware of or impacted by, the event.
Using new Diamond Shoals technology, a Whaleback customer can leverage the recently announced RAIL technology to send voice traffic over cable, DSL and fiber links and load balance traffic across multiple links and from multiple service providers. As a result, they efficiently leverage the bandwidth required to meet their call volume and to ensure availability and performance. OrcaVision is used to monitor service quality, detect faults and re-route traffic around problems until a resolution is found. The combination of RAIL and OrcaVision enables expandable bandwidth with redundancy and failover as well as link optimization of multiple access lines to ensure consistent, high-quality voice calls.
"Businesses relying on network-based hosted VoIP services are frustrated by the inability of their providers to detect and correct problems with performance and availability," said Galvin. "By combining a premises-based IP-PBX with OrcaVision's centralized voice quality management, we have removed the guesswork from VoIP service delivery--allowing it to be a truly managed service instead of just a hosted service."
HD Voice Support
Whaleback's Executive IP Handsets are designed and manufactured by Polycom, and Whaleback is announcing support for Polycom's HD Voice technology, which delivers twice the clarity of ordinary phone calls for life-like, vibrant conversations. HD Voice incorporates Polycom's Acoustic Clarity Technology 2 and leverages the newest full duplex, echo cancellation, noise reduction and advanced voice processing technology. Whaleback is now offering the Polycom SoundPoint IP 550, a four-line phone that features Polycom HD Voice and includes Power over Ethernet support.
Additional Handsets Available
Whaleback is further expanding its portfolio of Executive IP Handsets and offering two additional Polycom phones. Customers can now select Polycom SoundPoint IP 330 and 320 phones, which are two-line, entry-level phones with superb sound quality, full-duplex speakerphone performance and an enterprise-grade feature set. They include integrated Power over Ethernet support, and while the SoundPoint IP 330 is ideal for cubicle or call center applications, the SoundPoint IP 320 is ideal for common areas or wall-mounted deployments.
Special Pricing for Occasional Users and Courtesy Phones
To better address the midsize company market, Whaleback is now offering flexible pricing for occasional users and courtesy phones. Companies in which users share office space and only use a phone when they come to the office (i.e. real estate agents or field support personnel) can add additional voice mail extensions with optional Direct Inward Dial (DID) Numbers and transparent call diversion capabilities to a private number to cost-effectively extend CrystalBlue to support occasional users who infrequently need service. Whaleback also offers courtesy phone capabilities that allow outbound calls from common areas such as lobbies, conference rooms and cafeterias. Courtesy phones can be used for internal calls, toll-free calls and outbound domestic calls.
Orca Station High-Value Service Bundle Available
As part of the Diamond Shoals announcement, Whaleback is also announcing its first premium service bundle. Orca Station is ideal for users that need a combination of unlimited outbound calling, personal faxing, a home office extension and mobile telephony communications from hotels, airports, Internet cafes or any other broadband location. For only $59.95--only $10 more than Whaleback's Standard Station fee of $49.95 per user--a user gets unlimited national long distance calls, OrcaFax inbound and outbound faxing service and a Whaleback Executive IP Softphone that integrates IP telephony onto personal computers so users can increase productivity, avoid desktop clutter and benefit from access to full-featured telephony from wherever they have a broadband connection.
New Volume Discounts Available
Whaleback is increasing volume discounts for the CrystalBlue Voice Service. The price per seat of the Standard Station service remains at $49.95 but declines steadily based on number of seats to as low as $19.95. The new Orca Station service bundle is similarly discounted based on number of seats to as low as $29.95.
Availability
Existing customers will be automatically upgraded to the new release at no extra charge and immediately benefit from OrcaVision Voice Quality Management. Whaleback manages and monitors all deployments, and the Whaleback Network Operations Center will upgrade all existing customers without any need for user intervention. All of the new features and pricing options are immediately available to new CrystalBlue customers.
According to Galvin, "This first announcement in our new Diamond Shoals family of product releases demonstrates how Whaleback continuously evolves CrystalBlue to provide increased value over time. Unlike a hosted service that locks small and medium businesses into fixed prices and limited functionality, Whaleback combines the simplicity of a network-based managed service with the advanced features of a premises-based IP PBX to deliver high-quality, end-to-end business-class voice services with advanced features and flat-rate pricing."
About Whaleback Systems
Whaleback Systems is a Managed Service Provider (MSP) and the pioneering developer of the first business phone solution built from the ground up for broadband. Unlike traditional systems, the Whaleback CrystalBlue Voice Service is 100 percent premises-based and software-driven. It includes the only IP PBX with Key System Unit features and Road Warrior Functionality. Whaleback's all-inclusive, unlimited nationwide calling package makes the most advanced technology immediately affordable for companies that need between 5 and 1,500 phone stations. The Whaleback service is available through partnerships with channel partners and VARs. For more information, visit www.WhalebackSystems.com.
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