Covad revamps integrated VoIP/data product

Covad Communications today is launching its revamped Integrated Access product, adding SIP trunking and IP PBXs to the product mix that previously included analog lines and digital PRI connections. Covad’s goal is to extend the appeal of the product, which dynamically allocates the bandwidth of a T-1 to voice or data traffic, to a broader base of customers and to make it much easier for customers to adopt.

In order to offer a more extensive integrated access service, Covad did extensive retooling of its network, adding Acme Packet session border controllers, to make the reliable, said Jake Heinz, vice president and general manager of Covad VoIP. While admitting that SIP trunking and IP PBX support is not ground-breaking service, Heinz said Covad intends to offer the service in a way that makes it easy for its retail customers – small to mid-sized businesses – to adopt.

“When we bought [VoIP provider] GoBeam years ago, we scaled their solution nationwide over our broadband network,” Heinz said. “It was a good plan. What we did not do was follow Covad’s original strategy for automation to make us an easy provider. The things we had done on the broadband side, that kept us alive and breathing and doing well while so many others were struggling or disappearing, we never really fully leveraged into VoIP.”

Covad is now doing exactly that, Heinz said, having developed a “quote to order” interface for the integrated access product that will streamline the way the service is ordered. The service is aimed at companies with up to 35 employees per location, and starts at as low as $435 a month with no installation fees.

By using SBCs, Covad also adds flexibility into the network since it replaces static IP addresses of network end points with a DNS implementation.

While Covad must compete with a wide range of companies offering VoIP to the SMB space, Heinz believes there is still substantial growth ahead, and that Covad is now positioned to better garner those new VoIP customers. He also sees continued requests for the analog integrated access product.

“You’d be surprised how many people still want analog handoffs,” Heinz said.