Comcast Business (NASDAQ:CMCSA) has made a small and medium-sized business (SMB) focused addition to its voice solutions portfolio, VoiceEdge Select. Designed for small businesses, VoiceEdge Select is a cloud-based phone service with standard and advanced calling features, a mobile app and business-grade phones priced by the seat.
The new business service includes traditional calling features as well as, at no additional cost, features such as automated attendant, hunt groups, simultaneous ring, and readable voicemail. Business-grade Panasonic phones are included with the cost of the service, and customers can select from cordless and desk phone options.
"Small businesses are the heart of the American economy, and they need services that can help them better serve their customers and compete against larger brands. VoiceEdge Select gives them professional call handling and an easy to use portal and mobile application letting them tailor the service to their needs to ensure they never miss a call in or out of the office," said John Guillaume, vice president of product management and UX at Comcast Business.
Comcast's technicians will provide professional installation and instruction for customers. Businesses can keep their existing phone number, and with the mobile app, employees can receive and make calls from any device, including their desk phone, mobile phone or home phone using their business caller ID. Because the service is in the cloud and managed through an online portal, upgrades and configuration changes can be made without involving IT staff.
"Services like VoiceEdge Select are leveling the playing field for small businesses by giving them access to capabilities similar to those of large enterprises," said Diane Myers, senior research director, IHS Markit. "The advanced call features and inherent flexibility of VoiceEdge Select will be attractive to small businesses looking to gain a competitive advantage, easily scale alongside business needs and better manage their infrastructure and costs."
Comcast Business provides a range of voice services for SMBs up to large enterprises, including:
- Business Voice Mobility - for small branch locations or home offices with up to 20 employees
- Business VoiceEdge - for small- and medium-sized offices with up to 1,000 employees and multiple locations
- PRI Trunks - for businesses with onsite IT staff and a traditional on-site PBX
- SIP Trunks - for larger businesses with onsite IT staff and an existing IP PBX