SBC Communications Ranked the Leading Provider of Hosted IP Voice

SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC) today announced that the SBC family of companies has been rated as the leading provider of business hosted IP voice services by International Data Corporation (IDC), a leading global market intelligence and advisory firm focused on the information technology and telecommunications industries.

In the report, IDC predicts that hosted services will emerge as a leading platform for business IP telephony, also known as Voice over IP (VoIP). IP telephony is rapidly growing in the business market as companies look to take advantage of the cost efficiencies and advanced features enabled by the technology. Hosted services deliver IP telephony functionality over carrier networks rather than premises- based equipment, allowing businesses to adopt the technology without extensive equipment purchases or ongoing management concerns.

IDC’s forecast of the U.S. business hosted IP voice services market is based on analysis of service providers and end-user demand for hosted IP voice services. The industry analyst firm analyzed all of the existing hosted IP voice service providers, looking at criteria such as market opportunity and the ability to gain share. Based on this research, the SBC family of companies was ranked ahead of all other service providers – including incumbent local exchange carriers, competitive local exchange carriers and virtual network operators – and cited as the “top contender for market leadership in terms of revenue and market reach.”

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