Qwest and Microsoft to Deliver VoIP Services via the Desktop to Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

Business customers to benefit from combined voice, e-mail, collaboration, instant messaging and desktop services — Yesterday at Fall 2005 VON, Qwest Communications International Inc. and Microsoft Corp. announced that they are working together to provide small and medium-sized business (SMB) customers with a converged communications solution. By integrating the Microsoft® Solution for Enhanced VoIP services with Qwest’s OneFlex™ Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services, Qwest will offer SMB subscribers a comprehensive managed suite of services that combines VoIP, e-mail, Internet access, collaboration, presence, instant messaging and desktop services.

Qwest and Microsoft expect the service will be available in 2006. Qwest is the first service provider to integrate the Microsoft Solution for Enhanced VoIP Services.

“Small and medium-sized businesses want access to the same types of communications services that large enterprises enjoy today, but the investment and resources required to manage those services have traditionally been out of their reach,” said Tom Richards, executive vice president of the business markets group at Qwest. “With Microsoft, we can make this a reality for our customers. We’ll be able to provide SMBs with powerful, yet easy-to-use telephony and desktop capabilities.”

“Although pricing has certainly been a key factor in the early development of the VoIP industry, we believe that it’s the richness of the customer experience that will ultimately drive mainstream adoption of VoIP,” said Michael O’Hara, general manager of marketing for the Communications Sector at Microsoft. “Qwest is focused on delivering greater value to its SMB customers, and we’re pleased to be working with Qwest to offer integrated communications services that enhance their customers’ productivity.”

The Microsoft Solution for Enhanced VoIP Services combines hosted versions of Microsoft server products including Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005 and Windows® SharePoint® Services with Sylantro Systems’ Application Feature Server. This solution, in concert with the Qwest OneFlex Hosted VoIP services, offers a multiservice platform through which Qwest can deliver a rich set of services and telephony capabilities to SMBs, as well as enterprises and consumers.