SBC mapping out IP telephony strategy

SBC Communications expanded its PremierServ package of voice and data services to the Chicago market this week. At the same time, the company said it is getting close to expanding its IP telephony service and making a decision on proceeding with a softswitch-based offering.

PremierServ, which packages a series of services for the mid-tier market, includes what SBC dubs its Total IP Communications Solution that includes an IP telephony product using the Cisco AVVID infrastructure. As part of the next step, the company also has started offering IP Centrex with plans to move to a softswitch service this year.

Over the last quarter, SBC has sold about four times the number of IP telephony packages as it sold through all of 2002, said Cathy Coughlin, president of SBC’s Business Communications Services group. Currently, the RBOC is in trials with a softswitch vendor that it wouldn’t name at about 10 customer locations.

Initially, SBC also may look to a wholesale provider as an initial strategy into the softswitch market.

“We will look to do some thing to get to market quickly, but the intention is to have them as an in-house solution,” said John Regan, vice president of marketing for SBC Managed Network Service.