Cbeyond Inc.,  a provider of communications and IT solutions, today announced a new voice and data solutions program to small businesses at Technology Marketing Corporation’s ITEXPO West 2009.

 

The so-called Cbeyond (News - Alert) Platform Partner Program links Cbeyond with IP-PBX equipment manufacturers to certify the equipment is interoperable with Cbeyond’s core voice and data services offering - BeyondVoice with SIPconnect. The program also teams Cbeyond and manufacturers in the sales, marketing, training, technology and support groups within the organizations to offer an end-to-end experience to customers.

 

Company officials will discuss the program in booth #532 during ITEXPO West 2009, which is now underway at the Los Angeles Convention Center. During the conference and tradeshow, Cbeyond officials participated in three sessions. The event, which runs through Sept. 3, is expected to draw more than 7,000 attendees.

 

According to the company, BeyondVoice with SIPconnect lets small business customers operate like enterprise firms by adding digital voice lines, offering access to a wider array of rich features, and eliminating costly gateway equipment. This solution offers features including direct inward dialing, simultaneous ring, sequential ring, click to dial from a PC, and anonymous caller ID rejection – features that were typically cost-prohibitive for small businesses.

 

The program is open to IP-PBX (News - Alert) and equipment manufacturers are interoperable, or interested in becoming interoperable with Cbeyond’s BeyondVoice with SIPconnect service; who want to develop a long-term business development relationship with Cbeyond based on a joint sales and marketing plan, or have interest creating an indirect channel to serve small business customers.

 

“We created the Platform Partner Program to put our SIPconnect service into the hands of more small businesses because the productivity, functionality and cost benefits are compelling,” said Jason Walker, product manager for Cbeyond’s SIPconnect service, in a statement. “By aligning both our marketing and our technology development efforts with the leading IP-PBX providers and equipment manufacturers, we can bring the most advanced technology to small businesses at a price they can afford – making their lives easier and increasing their productivity. We welcome partners to join the program who have similar goals of serving the needs of the small business entrepreneur.”

 

In addition to integrating with Cbeyond’s BeyondVoice with SIPconnect service, IP PBX and equipment manufacturers that are part of the program and complete interoperable certification with Cbeyond’s network can also reap the benefits of channel sales support and joint marketing programs. Cbeyond’s sales and marketing programs will assist partners with sales, deployment and support. In addition, the company’s technical support teams will be trained to help small business customers receive the necessary support based on their specific technology configurations.

 

"We see tangible value in expanding our work with Cbeyond because the company's focus on supporting small businesses parallels our own, and the support model is similar to Digium's for working with companies using open source Asterisk (News - Alert)," said Steve Harvey, vice president of worldwide sales for Digium.

 

Cbeyond provides communications and IT solutions to more than 46,000 small businesses nationwide.

The company offers more than 30 applications including local and long-distance voice, broadband Internet, mobile, BlackBerry (News - Alert), broadband laptop access, voicemail, email, web hosting, fax-to-e-mail, data backup, file-sharing and virtual private networking.

 

Recently, the company made headlines when it announced it would expand, adding an additional 600 jobs in Atlanta by 2013.