Covad Looks to Value-Added Services

Covad Communications Group Inc. has tapped IP Unity Glenayre Inc. to provide it with a messaging solution that will enable the service provider to offer unified messaging to select VoIP customers, and will be its overall messaging solution for all new turn-ups going forward. The value of the deal for IP Unity Glenayre (whose solution over time will replace a Centrigram voice mail product owned but no longer supported by SS8 Networks) was not disclosed.

While Covad is still formulating how it will package and price for value-added services such as unified messaging, Mahendra Soneji, vice president of product management at the service provider, said monetizing value-added services is the direction in which Covad is headed, and the IP Unity Glenayre solution will help to enable that. The service provider expects to offer more detail on the strategy toward the end of the year, he added.

“They’re right now, with this announcement, getting themselves squarely to the point where they can monetize that transport,” said Stan Little, senior vice president of marketing and business development of IP Unity Glenayre. He explained that Covad early on had a vision about the convergence of unifying voice and data, but up until this point has focused that effort on infrastructure as opposed to services.

All new Covad VoIP customers from here on out will be configured on the IP Unity Glenayre solution to receive basic voice mail; a fax mail box; and a feature that allows customers to configure their own auto attendant using Covad’s “dashboard” Web interface, rather than calling a customer care representative. (Unified messaging, which allows users to manage voice, fax or e-mail messages from a single mail box and other services could be part of add-packages or ala carte offerings.)

Soneji added that because the IP Unity Glenayre product is IP-based, it includes APIs that will allow Covad to add new features to its “dashboard,” possibly in partnership with third-party developers, as needed.

Covad serves more than 50,000 seats with its hosted VoIP services.

Covad Communications Group www.covad.com
IP Unity Glenayre Inc. www.ipunity-glenayre.com

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