Speakeasy launches business VoIP

Although its plans to blanket downtown Seattle with WiMAX service are earning the most attention (see Related Article below), broadband service provider Speakeasy has also expanded into the voice-over-IP market, launching consumer VoIP service in September 2004 and last week adding enterprise VoIP to the mix.

“We want to deliver as much as we can to be a one-stop shop for businesses, and VoIP is a critical part of that,” said Speakeasy chairman and founder Mike Apgar. “We had many competitors that talked a lot about VoIP that stumbled. We waited until we knew the technology was ready. Now it makes sense to move ahead, and it’s going to be one of the cornerstones of our business offering.”

According to Speakeasy CEO Bruce Chatterley, what separates the company’s VoIP service from that of its rivals is its private, dedicated IP network, which enables Speakeasy to maintain control of service quality from the desktop to the telephone and back. The service delivers unlimited local and long-distance calls between the U.S. and 24 countries, and also includes features like Microsoft Outlook integration, conference calling and call management.