(Source: Business Wire)Broadview Networks, a network-based business communications provider, announced today that it is taking its hosted IP phone service, OfficeSuite, nationwide. The company, historically focused on customers in the Northeast, New England and Mid-Atlantic states, indicated that their platform offers companies the "Total Solution" for voice services and data networking needs, with options for guaranteed performance and voice quality.

"It's all about engineering quality," said Brian Crotty, Broadview Networks' chief operating officer. "The model for communications providers changed with the growth of the Internet and advances in IP technology. While there are many small, inexperienced operators in the market, their services are generally ˜best-effort' and they typically don't offer service level agreements (SLAs) such as ours. By using MPLS, we're able to guarantee OfficeSuite's voice quality and data networking performance to customers across the country."

OfficeSuite is a hosted IP phone solution that provides small- and medium-sized businesses with an enterprise-grade phone system and service, typically without any capital investment or increased support staff. The solution includes phones located at a customer's premises and all the network services that support the voice services. OfficeSuite also offers various options for Internet access and private data networking. To make this possible, Broadview hosts the phone system within its own IP network, with only the actual phones located in the customer's offices. Traffic is sent "into the cloud" where it is routed between office locations or on to its final destination.

OfficeSuite includes over 40 popular and unique features like: "hot desking" that allows users to make and receive calls using any OfficeSuite phone in any office; "mobile twinning" that simultaneously rings an employee's desk phone and their cell phone; voicemail that can be forwarded in e-mail and played anywhere; and auto attendants that prompt callers to select the right destination for their own call. Customers also get a robust calling plan for local, regional and long distance calls, as well as access to an online portal where administrators and end-users can easily manage the system and preferences, enable features and make real-time changes. Broadview includes system upgrades, simple administrative tools for routine maintenance that can eliminate the need for expensive maintenance contracts, and initial training for all OfficeSuite customers.

"The power of OfficeSuite is even more compelling to customers with multiple locations," Crotty said.