Response Point Wins Another Award
Rex Backman just posted this beauty, “The Response Point team has put another win in the bag with the InfoWorld 2009 Technology of Year Award”
Apple and Microsoft topped the list of InfoWorld’s annual product award winners this year, nabbing three and four Technology of the Year Awards, respectively. Announced today, InfoWorld’s 2009 Technology of the Year Awards recognize the best hardware and software products evaluated by InfoWorld reviewers during 2008.
Response Point Service Pack 2 – Get Ready!
I am loving the updates to Response Point on Service Pack 2. I can’t wait to see it released, our customers are going to love these new features. Some bits are a gimme, other improvements simply make me giddy.
Andy's 2.0 Telco Top 10
Thanks for the mention Andy, I have been busy with my own projects for the last couple of years but I appreciate the fact you still remember some of the projects I had some significant success with, just a wee bit disappointed you forgot to mention them, that’s what I get for not speaking at eComm I guess 🙂
The list of course is bang-on, considering the source that should be no surprise.
I will in fact see become more active this year as my latest startup “SMB Phone” ramps towards general availability and launch. My last conference calling service provider startup “Lypp” is on auto-pilot and is growing nicely, thanks in part to Jay Phillips and adhearsion. The next stop for me will be at Internet Telephony Expo in Miami where I will be talking a bit about why we chose to build a new ITSP “SMB Phone” serving Microsoft’s new Response Point PBX.
Here is the Response Point Seminar schedule:
Tuesday, February 3rd Presentations:
4. An Integrated Solution: SMB Phone Goes to Market
with Response Point
3:00 pm
SMB Phone is a unique VAR and ITSP. Come learn how they identified Response Point as a key technical and business component in their nation-wide go to market programs focused on SMBs.
Presenter(s): Trent Johnsen, VP Business Development – SMB Phone
Wednesday, February 4th Presentations:
3. Response Point Service Provider Roundtable
Interact with the key members of the Response Point Ecosystem. Service Providers will be represented and open to discuss their service offerings and VAR/Agent programs.
Presenter(s):
Bandwidth.com, Cbeyond, Junction Networks, NGT, Packet8, SMB Phone, TotalTel
If you will be attending the show and would like to schedule a meeting, please email Trent Johnsen or myself or call us toll free: 1.866.473.0516 , say either “Trent” or “Erik”.
Nortel yanked from NYSE?
Telecom equipment manufacturers are put to the test as the economy tightens.
Things are not looking all that rosy for Nortel these days, Canwest news had this to say..
With significant declines expected for the telecom equipment market in 2009, Nortel Networks Corp. runs the risk of losing market share regardless of whether it actually files for bankruptcy.
But while the company has denied it is pursuing insolvency protection and analysts say reports that it will are premature, others say a pre-emptive filing might not be a bad idea.
While Nortel is unlikely to face cash issues in 2009, UBS analyst Nikos Theodosopoulos said it might make sense to file in advance of a cash crunch.
Nortel on Thursday received notice from the New York Stock Exchange that it has six months to bring its average common share price back above $1 US, although the company said it is considering another share consolidation to remedy the problem.
Is this a reason to completely remove Nortel from consideration when shopping for a new small business phone system? No, it’s likley that they will get bought up or the government will bail them out (ugh, that is a whole other blog post), but if I were an SMB/SME looking at a Nortel solution I would likely give it some extra thought.
Can Response Point compete with Nortel in the SMB/SME space? I certainly believe that Response Point, when combined with high availability Internet and VoIP SIP trunks, drives great value and features not usually found in the 50 seat and under IP PBX offers.
The most significant advantage Response Point has over the competition (not just Nortel) is that it’s so darn easy to manage. Check out the Response Point Videos, more information on Response Point for Canada.
SMB Phone Inc. Obtains Internet Telephony Service Provider (ITSP) Certification For New Microsoft 'Response Point' Small Business Phone System
SMB Phone Inc. obtains Microsoft certification for Response Point and announces early release of SMB Digital Voice™
SMB Phone Inc. (SMBPhone.ca) announced today it has obtained certification as an Internet Telephony Service Provider (ITSP) for Microsoft’s small business phone system/IP PBX “Response Point”. This certification marks the beta service offering of SMB Phone’s digital telephone service: SMB Digital Voice, made specifically for Microsoft Response Point phone systems.
“We are very excited to be able to bring our new SMB Digital Voice service to small and medium business in Canada,” said Trent Johnsen, Founder & VP Sales. “We believe our certification will help us achieve the goal of becoming the de-facto telephone service provider for Response Point in Canada. Until recently the only way small business in Canada could integrate scalable and reliable telephony services was through acquisition of expensive equipment and analog circuits from old-school telephone companies. SMB Phone has removed those barriers by integrating with Response Point and allowing our customers to leverage our national access to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network).”
SMB Digital Voice™ features:
- $29.95 Digital Business Telephones Lines
- Competitive Long Distance (North America)
- Competitive International Long Distance Rates
- Free calling between offices on SMB Phone network
- Free inter-branch call transfer
- Free local calling
- Free Caller ID
- Burstable Voice Channels (Auto-expandable phone service)
- Local Number Portability (Transfer your existing phone number)
- e911
- 611 (direct support number)
- Multiple regional phone numbers (get a phone number almost anywhere in Canada)
- SMB Anywhere™ (support for remote users)
Customers interested in participating in the early release program for SMB Digital Voice™ will receive 30 days free and a 50% monthly discount off the subscription rate. For more information please call +1 (866) 473-0516, ask for ‘sales’.
About SMB Phone Inc.
SMB Phone is a premium Canadian business telephone company designed exclusively to serve Microsoft Response Point customers. SMB Phone services are created just for Response Point and the way Small Medium Business work today. Response Point makes it easy to use, grow and manage your small business communications needs. SMB Phone make it easy to obtain accompanying business quality telephone service. Order Response Point online.
For more information about SMB Phone Inc. :
Email | +1 (866) 473-0516
New Response Point Site – Paving Way for Service Pack 2
Ann Marvin, marketing maven at Microsoft, has done a great job directing the overhaul of the Response Point site, which launched today.
This new site launch could very well be setting the tone for greater things to come. From the rumors on the street, Service Pack 2 is shaping up to be the feature set that will add serious boost to the Response Point offering.
I have to admit, the RP team south of 49 is doing a fabulous job of churning out updates in rapid fashion. It could have something to do with the fact that the project is the product of a startup, made up of some very talented people.
I think they have a ways to go before reaching the Kool-aid Point but they are headed in the right direction.
This is certainly not the Microsoft I remember from days gone by. Being a serial VoIP software entrepreneur I know how hard it is to consistently make good forward progress on the feature road map. With that in mind, I have real respect for small teams that can move at light speed and execute with precision. This team does not resemble the large bureaucratic monster that incubates them, likely a good thing.
I would say the other small pbx vendors have something to think about, these guys and gals are clearly on a mission. I can’t wait to get my hands on Service Pack 2.
Innovative Phone System Benefits Local Company
As our little telecommunications company continues to grow Microsoft continues to take notice. Most recently our partners in Redmond have completed and published a case study on one of our customers “True North Drafting” (TND) a specialist in creating the detailed shop drawings that guide the fabrication and on-site installation of commercial-grade glass and aluminum structures.
TND has been a long time customer of ours and before purchasing their Response Point small business phone system they were using the Lypp conference call services.
This marks the second Lypp case study by Microsoft. The first was on Lypp itself, as a value added reseller for Response Point.
Thanks goes out to Rex and his team at Microsoft for the mention and to our customer of the month, “True North Drafting”, for their ongoing support.
SMB Phone Systems Expands Microsoft Response Point Offer To Alberta
As many of you already know, I have been building up a PBX equipment vendor and interconnect specializing in Microsoft’s Response Point small phone systems. I have done a number of Response Point installations (many more since that post) in the Lower Mainland and my customers seem genuinely happy. With this in mind I decided to expand into Alberta.
“SMB Phone Systems” now has installers and sales personnel in Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary. I have a long list of referral customers, spanning many verticals, ranging from 1 person to 20 workstations that would be happy to provide their honest opinion on the Response Point system and their experiences with my newest little venture.
If you are a small business located in Vancouver, Edmonton or Calgary and find yourself in need of a Small Office Phone System be sure to visit our website “SMBPhoneSystems.ca” or call sales at (866) 473-0516 ext.1.
Shop Drawings firm goes for Lypp and Response Point
One of our happy customers has just been asked by Microsoft if they would like to participate in a Case Study. The customer, a shop drawings firm specializing in CAD drawings for commercial glazing/glass projects (yes that is Safeco field you see there and yes they did extensive work on that project), was looking for a better phone system. True North Drafting was already using Lypp for Conference Calls but after hearing about Response Point they decided to take a demo system from us for a month. They liked it and decided to buy it.
After a couple of weeks using the system they are now raving about it! I will be sure to post the case study when it’s published.
Lypp chosen by Microsoft for Response Point Partner Case Study
Microsoft has recently published a case study on Lypp for our involvement with their Small Business Phone System – Response Point.
It also mentions our plans to deliver a last mile broadband offer that will potentially make VoIP for Small Businesses a viable solution in Canada.
Thanks to Rex Backman at Microsoft for putting this together.
WebRTC.is 