Metaswitch Networks, a provider of carrier systems and communications software, has announced that SureWest Communications has selected the MetaSphere Application/Feature Server to provide advanced IP telephony services for business customers.

 

The new MetaSphere-based services, announced at this week’s SUPERCOMM 2009 show in Chicago, are delivered over SureWest’s (News - Alert) networks and are expected to provide the company’s business customers with increased communications efficiency, productivity and flexibility, as well as an array of innovative telephony applications.

 

SureWest has built a reputation as one of the nation’s largest, integrated communications providers and serves roughly 150,000 residential subscribers and 15,700 business customers in the Kansas City and Sacramento regions.

By deploying the MetaSphere solution, SureWest joins a growing number of carriers who have chosen MetaSphere to deliver enhanced services that can drive a competitive advantage in the hosted business services marketplace.

“We were tasked with coming up with the feature server platform in order to offer hosted IP PBX (News - Alert) and advanced business services,” said Carl Murray, strategic technologies director for SureWest Communications, in a video interview. “So we evaluated the price, the features, the functionality and also the fit with SureWest -- how it fit in our long term plans. With that, MetaSphere came out on top.”

SureWest needed a feature-rich, manageable and scalable platform to serve the critical business segment, which represents about a third of its revenues today. MetaSphere delivers a suite of compelling value-added services that includes unified messaging, auto-attendant, incoming call manager, live message screening and intuitive Web-controlled voice conferencing.

“A key part of our expertise lies in delivering applications that can generate real revenue for service providers and real benefits for their customers,” said Andrew Randall, senior vice president of marketing and business development for Metaswitch. “SMBs are demanding hosted IP PBX services to reduce their costs while also gaining immediate access to compelling new applications.”

Just this week, Metaswitch Networks announced that the enhanced MetaSphere now combines a complete range of consumer calling features, compelling advanced applications and a full suite of business-communication services onto a single, SIP-based system.