| SBC Hosted VoIP Platform Cited as Early Leader in Emerging Market |
“As IDC indicates, there is a strong, emerging market for hosted business VoIP services. SBC companies recognized this market need early on, and we are firmly established as early movers on a national level.”
SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC) today announced that the SBC family of companies has been rated as the leading provider of business hosted IP voice services by International Data Corporation (IDC), a leading global market intelligence and advisory firm focused on the information technology and telecommunications industries.
In the report, IDC predicts that hosted services will emerge as a leading platform for business IP telephony, also known as Voice over IP (VoIP). IP telephony is rapidly growing in the business market as companies look to take advantage of the cost efficiencies and advanced features enabled by the technology. Hosted services deliver IP telephony functionality over carrier networks rather than premises- based equipment, allowing businesses to adopt the technology without extensive equipment purchases or ongoing management concerns.
IDC's forecast of the U.S. business hosted IP voice services market is based on analysis of service providers and end-user demand for hosted IP voice services. The industry analyst firm analyzed all of the existing hosted IP voice service providers, looking at criteria such as market opportunity and the ability to gain share. Based on this research, the SBC family of companies was ranked ahead of all other service providers - including incumbent local exchange carriers, competitive local exchange carriers and virtual network operators - and cited as the "top contender for market leadership in terms of revenue and market reach."
"VoIP is gaining accelerated business adoption because it provides measurable cost savings, simplifies the delivery and management of communications, and facilitates convergence for more flexible business practices," said Mark Winther, group vice president, worldwide telecommunications, IDC. "SBC has come out of the blocks early with a fairly comprehensive offer."
IDC's forecast profiled the SBC PremierSERVsm Hosted IP Communications Service (HIPCS), a national service that was launched in November 2003 and is now available in 69 metropolitan areas.
"We're excited to be recognized by IDC as the leading provider of business IP voice services," said Ray Wilkins, group president - SBC Marketing and Sales. "As IDC indicates, there is a strong, emerging market for hosted business VoIP services. SBC companies recognized this market need early on, and we are firmly established as early movers on a national level."
Last week, SBC Communications announced an agreement with Ford Motor Co. that calls for SBC companies to design, implement and manage a state-of-the-art VoIP platform in one of the nation's largest IP telephony deployments, including more than 50,000 users in 110 Ford facilities.
The SBC family of companies is one of the nation's largest providers of IP telephony services for business. The majority of equipment incorporated into SBC business voice solutions today is IP- enabled. SBC companies also have been widely recognized by industry and financial analyst organizations as a leader in the evolution of IP telephony technology.
SBC companies today offer a comprehensive range of data and voice networking services for businesses of all sizes. The extensive SBC IP portfolio includes a network-hosted IP telephony option as well as options for businesses looking to add some of the features of IP telephony to existing networks.
About SBC
SBC Communications Inc. is a Fortune 50 company whose subsidiaries, operating under the SBC brand, provide a full range of voice, data, networking, e-business, directory publishing and advertising, and related services to businesses, consumers and other telecommunications providers. SBC holds a 60 percent ownership interest in Cingular Wireless, which serves 25 million wireless customers. SBC companies provide high-speed DSL Internet access lines to more American consumers than any other provider and are among the nation's leading providers of Internet services. SBC companies also now offer satellite TV service. Additional information about SBC and SBC products and services is available at www.sbc.com.
SBC PremierSERV HIPCS is provided by SBC IP Communications Inc.
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