Pacific Internet & Nextep team to offer VoIP

Stuart Corner
Thursday, 18 May 2006 09:30

Business IT - Technology

Pacific Internet Australia and NEC's Nextep Broadband have formed a partnership to offer business-grade VoIP services.
PacNet is well behind many of its competitors in getting into VoIP and managing director Dennis Muscat, justified the delay by saying: "There's been a rush to release new products and services in the VoIP space, many of which have been from start-up operations, yet take-up among small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to date has been cautious. It suggests this savvy market sector is carefully evaluating the offerings and waiting for an established, trusted player to provide the functionality, flexibility and cost-savings they've been waiting for, all on one bill.

"Our most recent Pacific Internet Broadband Barometer research showed six percent of the broadband enabled SMB market in Australia is looking to adopt VoIP in 2006, making our total addressable market nearly 34,000 businesses – and demand is growing."

Muscat said: "We aim to secure at least 25 percent of the total business VoIP market by the end of 2007...Pacific Internet's channel partners, now numbering well over 300, will be key in marketing this product. They have been closely monitoring their customer bases, and we have responded to their feedback by building a quality product with suited pricing and functionality."


Pacific Internet says it plans to evolve its VoIP offering over the next 12 months and will also release a PABX replacement solution for the mid-range SMB market. Nextep managing director, Duncan Wallace, said that NEC's local broadband R&D facility would enable valued-added applications to "rapidly evolve in line with our customers' needs".

The service is being offered initially with two plans: a "simple cost-saving solution," Vocal Express, and amore advanced plan, Vocal Professional, Vocal Express offers local calls at 10 cents and national calls at 9 cents per minute, via an ATA. It is available to anyone with a broadband service (minimum 512/128) but non-Pacific Internet broadband customers incur a minimum monthly charge of $25.

Vocal Professional gives customers a phone number to be used as an additional line, greater cost savings and added functionality, including voicemail messages sent via email, SMS or to their mobile. It costs $30 per month, but existing Pacific Internet customers get $15 worth of free calls. A two number option for $50 per month includes $25 worth of free calls. Fixed-to-mobile calls are 25 cents per minute and local calls and national calls are 10 cents untimed.