Covad and Cisco Team for Managed UC for SMBs

SMBs have a new option for business productivity thanks to Covad Communications Co., which has certified the Cisco Systems Inc. Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business equipment with the Covad integrated access service. The two now can deliver Cisco UC + connectivity together in one, as a managed service.

Covad’s integrated access provides voice and Internet connectivity via a single T1 line, targeted to small businesses with up to 35 employees. It dynamically allocates bandwidth for voice and data, always prioritizing voice traffic. It allows SIP trunking and works with a range of PBX options.

Meanwhile, Cisco’s UC provides a suite of functionality meant to make voice, video and data communications more productive, bringing big-business collaboration to the SMB world.

The Cisco offering includes:

• Eight or more IP phone station support
• Four trunks
• Optional T1/E1 voice interface (PRI and CAS)
• Integrated voicemail
• Automated attendant
• Basic call center capability
• Music on hold
• Optional wireless access
• System management

The result? Covad can offer a managed, affordable service for the lower end of the market based on Cisco’s gear, that businesses can expand as needed, line by line.

Covad, a member of the Cisco Powered Program, recently launched integrated access service into its indirect sales channel with an innovative online quote and order system that streamlines the pre-qualification and speeds the sales process.

“It is a tremendous help to partners that Covad has put the quoting and ordering tool directly in our hands,” said Omar Qawiyy, communications consultant at Mid Atlantic Data Systems Inc.. “Covad has also found the right scale for small businesses by allowing customers to start with just four phone lines and add new lines one by one.”

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