Cable ONE Business (NYSE:CABO) has launched cloud-based virtual PBX voice technology in several markets. The new telephone service, Hosted Voice, is currently available in Anniston, AL; Prescott, AZ; Boise and Nampa, ID; Grenada, MS; Fargo, ND; Duncan, OK; and Sherman, TX. Cable ONE Business plans to make the service available across the majority of its markets by the end of the year.
"Hosted Voice is a feature-rich virtual telephone system that allows business customers to reduce the cost of buying and maintaining a complex PBX system," said Chris Boone, vice president of business services for Cable ONE. "With Hosted Voice, all equipment is leased, and all updates and repairs are handled by Cable ONE. In addition to helping our customers save money, this solution also eases the stress placed on their internal IT teams."
The Hosted Voice solution is designed to let customers mix and match a variety of voice "seats" along with optional features and devices to meet their specific needs. The service offers flexible configurations to accommodate businesses of all sizes. Pricing starts at $19.99 per month for a seat with basic calling features and unlimited long-distance when bundled with a business Internet plan for 36 months. Additional seat options with full unified communications (UC) capabilities are also available.
The optional ONE Voice UC soft clients allow customers to integrate their iPhone or Android mobile devices and Windows or Mac desktops with their Cable ONE Business Hosted Voice service. With ONE Voice UC, employees can make and receive calls, manage web presentations, chat with colleagues and increase overall productivity from their desk or on the go.
"Mobility isn't just for road warriors and execs anymore," said Boone. "Employees across all areas of a business are using mobile devices to stay connected - whether they're working from home, temporarily out of the office, at a customer site, and even while they're in the office."
Cable ONE Business' Hosted Voice solution also offers collaboration tools, including group chat, desktop sharing and audio/video conferencing. Additionally, an online portal and mobile app enable telephony administrators to manage users and services at any time from anywhere.