Communications is the lifeblood of any enterprise.
In fact, I can declare that it is indeed one of the components of humanity, and our civilizations.
For businesses though, it is more than that: it is vital. To survival, thriving, and continued success.
Traditionally, communications, especially voice communications has been a service delivered via fixed lines by the local mega-Telco.
No longer.
The advent of voice-over-IP (Internet Protocol), commonly abbreviated and pronounced as VOIP, has changed that paradigm completely, as users can now obtain their phone service from non-traditional means, from cable companies, and more recently from even wireless Telco's.
Verizon is a local PSTN – fixed telephone provider – in many jurisdictions, but if rumors are to be believed, moving to a wireless-first firm, possibly shedding wireline assets in the future.
As a result, Verizon has been making more moves into delivering services, especially data services.
One of these is their VOIP bundle, Verizon Virtual Communications Express, or VCE.
What is Verizon Virtual Communications Express, VCE?
Verizon describes VCE as:
A reliable alternative to on-premises phone systems with in-house management. Easy to install, our cloud-based VoIP system offers reliability even if your business is impacted by unplanned events..
Or in plain English, it is an alternative to the trusty old PBX, albeit with really advanced featured.
VCE is based in the Verizon Cloud, which makes management and upgrades to the service something user firms do not have to bother with.
Verizon VCE Features
The basic features of Verizon VCE are extensive:
- · Provides a high degree of control and management
- · Enables large companies to communicate and share information in real time
- · Flexible and scalable growth
- · Connects mobile devices to company phone systems
- · Combines voice and data over a single network
- · Eliminates long distance and domestic calling costs with unlimited voice calling plans
- · Reduces cost and resources required to manage an on-premises phone system
- · Enables near real-time collaboration with cloud-based productivity apps
- · Helps maintain business communications, even during disasters
What I like about VCE it that it has some features that help mobile, remote businesses stay in touch, especially a softphone.
VCE, as I understand it, is targeted at any business with at least one user. The maximum number of users per VCE account is limited to 1,000.
This solution is totally cloud based. This geographic transparency is a big boon for companies that have remote staff: each remote staffer gets a handset that shows up on CallerID as the parent company. There is no switching or routing hardware installed at client locations.
Verizon VCE is the result of a collaboration between Verizon, Polycom, and BroadSoft.
The use of Polycom for hardware means that the market leader in collaborative telephony hardware is aboard, and has put their HD audio phones as options for this service. In fact, some hardware models have video capabilities built into the Polycom hardware itself!
Verizon’s direct salesdrones, external salesdroids, or partners, upon getting pertinent information from the prospective partner, initiate a series of diagnostic tests using a tool call then Examinet (I may be wrong on the correct moniker, but, hey!), that determines their broadband network’s suitability to transporting the VOIP traffic. As I understand it, this allows Verizon to be correctly aware of the limitations of the broadband. As I was told, this then sets the parameters for the service delivery. Smooth, reliable broadband is a requirement for the top tier of VCE’s service, HD audio and videoconferencing combo.
This product is interesting in the level of customer self-install it allows. Every facet of VCE is configurable through a web interface. In fact, VCE is designed to be installed by non-technical customers.
Customers can keep their existing phone numbers, and have a selection of hardware
From sales to implementation requires a time of about 3-4 weeks.
Released to market in 2012, VCE is available nationwide, and with or without Verizon as your local mega-Telco.
SMB & Midmarket Impact
For the SMB and Midmarket, not having to worry about a PBX or a full-featured telephony solution is key. Verizon VCE is an all-inclusive solution that has all the features that businesses need.
More information on Verizon Virtual Communications Express can be found here.
This blog post came out of conversations sponsored by Verizon.
John Obeto is CEO of Blackfriars Capital
© 2002 – 2015, John Obeto for Blackground Media Unlimited
