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Analytical Comparison Summary Covad - BNS ClearEdge AT&T - BNS Business Voice over IP, Managed IP Telephony & LAN Current Perspective Covad’s VoIP services, ClearEdge Pro and ClearEdge Integrated Access (IA), are threatening to competitors, because Covad uses its national facilities-based broadband and T-carrier footprint to sell into the VoIP space, specializing in serving smaller and dispersed mid-size businesses that larger market competitors find difficult to target with VoIP. The carrier has a well-established customer base through its DSL offers, and it can up-sell these customers on its VoIP services. Covad's VoIP services are feature-rich, and Covad’s national footprint allows the carrier to offer features like four-digit dialing between multiple sites. Covad did reach out to very small businesses with its ClearEdge Office product, a hosted managed service targeted to single site businesses with less than 10 employees; however, this is a market segment that is highly price-sensitive, with many low-price competitors such as Vonage and Packet 8, and cable providers among the more recent entrants. Covad has discontinued ClearEdge Office in favor of ClearEdge Pro, which is suitable to a broader range of customers with up to 250 employees in one or more sites. Covad ended 2007 with 2,315 VoIP customers and 56,005 stations in service, representing year-over-year increases of 43% and 12%, respectively, showing that the carrier is doing a brisk business with small and medium businesses. Covad was acquired by private equity firm, Platinum Equity, in April 2008. Covad’s new owners have indicated that they plan to allow the company to operate as an independent business unit under its pre-acquisition management team, while making a significant capital investment to expand the carrier’s key revenue-driving services, which should help the carrier strengthen its services and its ability to serve customers. The growth in Covad's VoIP services is a testimony to its ability to deliver services that meet the needs of the small to mid-size business market, but while the carrier posted growth in VoIP services, its corporate net loss tripled year-over-year and the carrier recently experienced a change in ownership. Competition in the VoIP market is steadily increasing, and Covad faces a wide array of challengers including VoIP resellers with a regional presence and local sales and support, along with RBOCs that are stepping up their efforts to reach the SMB market. Although the largest incumbent telcos historically have underserved this space, AT&T, Qwest, and Verizon Business are stable providers that have all enhanced their VoIP offers for SMBs. Covad has distinguished itself by targeting SMBs with services that fit their needs and budgets, but it cannot match the brand recognition, presence, sales force, marketing budget, or spread of services of larger providers that have set their sights on the this market segment. Now that Covad is under new ownership, the pressure will now be on to achieve the company’s financial turnaround goals, which are predicated on making significant and far-reaching cost reductions, while continuing progress towards growing higher margin business services and more direct sales. AT&T’s IP telephony business services are threatening to competitors because the provider supports a mix of network-hosted, premise-based and managed services, backed by an extensive U.S. and international reach and a brand with global recognition. AT&T’s Business VoIP portfolio encompasses AT&T Voice DNA hosted VoIP service as well as AT&T IP Flexible Reach and AT&T IP Toll Free managed services; AT&T’s Business In A Box is a managed turnkey solution designed for small businesses and branch offices; and AT&T IP Telephony/LAN Management is a set of managed services that include AT&T LAN Service, IP Telephony Service and Wireless LAN Service. AT&T’s premise-based solutions support legacy key systems and TDM and IP PBX customer premises equipment, and the carrier has strategic agreements with Avaya, Cisco and Nortel that combine AT&T’s network capabilities with these products to offer customers a one-stop shop for services ranging from network design through to implementation. AT&T plans to introduce Hosted Integrated Contact Services (ICS) in late 2009; a full-featured hosted contact center offer that will include hosted IP Interactive Voice Response (IVR). AT&T's IP telephony services interoperate with its IP VPN services, Managed Internet Service (MIS) and MPLS Private Network Transport (MPLS PNT). AT&T’s overall strategy is that no matter how the customer wants to migrate to IP telephony, AT&T has a solution that will meet their needs. AT&T is the nation's largest carrier, and many customers that are considering the migration to VoIP will already be AT&T voice and data service customers. AT&T will be selling customers new technologies, but in doing so will sometimes be moving existing TDM customers to IP rather than growing its customer base and adding new revenue. Though AT&T sells its VoIP services to businesses of all sizes, the carrier has a reputation for providing premium services that target enterprise-class customers, and the carrier's VoIP services may not scale down to meet the lower budgets of smaller businesses. AT&T does offer services such as Business in a Box and Voice DNA that are suitable for smaller locations, but the carrier does not generally make these services available through reseller channels, customers must procure services from AT&T directly. Many SMBs rely on value-added resellers for IT management, including the procurement of services, and these customers may feel intimidated at the thought of sourcing VoIP services themselves and/or be concerned that they will not receive the same level of post-sales attention from AT&T that they receive from their local VAR. Strengths and Weaknesses Covad - BNS ClearEdge AT&T - BNS Business Voice over IP, Managed IP Telephony & LAN Strengths • Covad’s ClearEdge Pro is a fully hosted network-based VoIP service for customers with 10 to 250 users per site. The service makes the jump to VoIP easy for small companies that have not invested in an IP-based phone system and for mid-sized companies that must connect branch offices and want to offer a consistent feature set across all locations. ClearEdge Pro is compatible with IP handsets from Cisco, Polycom, and LG, as well as traditional analog handsets. • Covad ClearEdge IA is premises-based solution that works with customers’ existing PBX or key telephone system to deliver unlimited local and long-distance minutes, high-speed T1 broadband, dynamic bandwidth allocation, and e-mail and Web hosting services. ClearEdge IA allows the customers to set a “Business Continuity” feature to remain available to callers during power failures, outages, or when all office lines are busy. Covad’s ClearEdge Pro is a fully hosted network-based VoIP service for customers with 10 to 250 users per site. The service makes the jump to VoIP easy for small companies that have not invested in an IP-based phone system and for mid-sized companies that must connect branch offices and want to offer a consistent feature set across all locations. ClearEdge Pro is compatible with IP handsets from Cisco, Polycom and LG, as well as traditional analog handsets. • Covad VoIP customers can switch pricing plans without incurring penalties or extending their broadband contracts. Customers using the per-minute pricing plan, for example, can analyze month-to-month costs and switch to the per-handset unlimited plan if it would save money. Such service flexibility is important to smaller businesses with fluctuating revenues. • Covad is not a traditional voice provider; therefore, it has no conflict of interest in offering VoIP services. By comparison, most incumbent providers must be mindful of VoIP’s potential to cannibalize their legacy switched voice services when they deploy VoIP. • AT&T is offers an IP-enabled voice service for every segment of the market, from teleworkers to the largest multinational enterprises, and the carrier has offered VoIP-based solutions since 2001. AT&T is one of the best-known telecommunications brands in the world, and when it comes to selling to large domestic or multinational enterprises, AT&T has a name that gets it in the door. • AT&T has tested equipment from the top five PBX/IP PBX equipment providers to help ensure network interoperability. In addition, the carrier has a substantial base of Centrex customers, which are accustomed to getting network-hosted voice services from their carrier. These customers should be easier to up-sell to network-hosted VoIP. • AT&T’s Business VoIP solutions are compatible with its IP VPN services, so that customers can mix and match the two to design a solution that best meets their needs and budget. The carrier supports AT&T Managed Internet Service (MIS) or MPLS Private Network Transport (MPLS PNT) as transport services for Voice DNA, IP Flexible Reach, Business in a Box and IP Toll-Free. • AT&T provides IP-enabled contact center solutions with its IP Toll-Free service. AT&T IP Toll-Free supports SIP-enabled features (i.e., SIP Refer, SIP Redirect), and interoperates across IP and PSTN-based contact centers, allowing customers to migrate to IP at their own pace. Interoperability with AT&T’s Toll-Free Advanced Features and the ability to use AT&T Route-IT! to control PSTN and IP networks further supports a hybrid environment. AT&T plans to launch AT&T Hosted ICS in late 2009; a hosted contact center offer that will include hosted IP IVR. • AT&T operates a customer-facing Web portal called AT&T BusinessDirect, which streamlines customer self-service and provides detailed performance reporting for services. AT&T BusinessDirect gives AT&T Business VoIP customers access to an Administrator portal to allow access to reports, eBill, eOrder, eMaintenance and eServicing functions. The personal end user portal enables users to reroute calls, view call logs, set up on-demand conference calling and listen to voicemail via any Internet connection. • AT&T offers small businesses with 5-50 employees a powerful, less complex IP-based communications solution with its Business in a Box turnkey managed service. By deploying an AT&T branded and managed network-based endpoint at the customer premise, AT&T can provide voice and data communications on a single IP connection and single service using MIS Plus, a T1 WAN link. Weaknesses • Covad may be a notable contender in VoIP among small to mid-sized businesses, but competitors such as AT&T, Verizon, and Qwest are reaching out to small to mid-market businesses with their own set of VoIP services. As Covad moves into the mid-sized business market, it will compete against the larger carriers more frequently. These carriers can promise headroom to grow their VoIP services into the thousands of lines if necessary. • Covad does not have the long voice service heritage enjoyed by the traditional telcos. As a result, Covad does not have a conventional voice customer base that would be an easy up-sell to its VoIP services, and it does not have the safety net of converting VoIP customers back to circuit-switched business voice if IP telephony turns out not to be a good fit. • Competition in the SMB market is building as CLECs such as MegaPath and XO, VoIP providers such as Cbeyond and M5, and cable operators announce VoIP initiatives targeting the SMB space. Covad also faces a threat in the form of IP-PBX manufacturers such as Avaya and Cisco, which offer managed services. While these managed services may be in the early stages, it is only a matter of time until they catch up to Covad. • Covad used to be very transparent in its pricing practices by listing packages and prices in easy-to-understand plans, factors that would help small and medium-sized businesses in their decision-making. The carrier has since removed VoIP package pricing information from its Web site and it now requires customers to contact its customer service agents to get even basic plan information • Covad launched ClearEdge Office in September 2006, distinguishing itself as one of the few major providers to offer a service specifically for very small businesses. By February 2008, the service had disappeared, quite possibly due to pressure from cable operators that are offering two and four-line voice services bundled with data and video. The cable operators are starting at the very low end of the market, but it is clear that they have every intention of moving up further into Covad’s target market. • As the nation's largest carrier, many customers considering migration to VoIP will already be AT&T voice and data customers on voice and data services. AT&T will be selling customers on new technologies, but in doing so will sometimes just be moving its TDM customers to IP rather than adding new logos and new sources of revenue. • AT&T offers Business in a Box and Voice DNA that meet the needs of SMBs, but the carrier does not generally make these services available through reseller channels, customers must procure services from AT&T directly. Many SMBs rely on value-added resellers for IT management, including the procurement of services, and these customers may feel intimidated at the thought of sourcing VoIP services themselves and/or be concerned that they will not receive the same level of post-sales attention from AT&T that they receive from their local VAR. • AT&T IP Flexible Reach does not include customer-facing Class 5 calling features. Competitors that have launched similar VoIP services usually replicate PSTN features faithfully, so customers do not experience any differences in features when they make the migration. Customers must rely on the integrated access devices AT&T uses for IP Flexible Reach which support a list of call management features in order to compensate for IP Flexible Reach's lack of Class 5 functionality. Buying Criteria and Metrics Comparison Platform Covad - BNS ClearEdge AT&T - BNS Business Voice over IP, Managed IP Telephony & LAN Platform • Covad uses its own nationwide ATM backbone and DSL or T1 access network infrastructure to provide its IP telephony services. Covad can manage the quality of its VoIP services, because it has end-to-end control all the way down to the access link to the customer’s premises. Covad’s access infrastructure ties into the carrier’s national ATM backbone, which can provide quality of service controls and ensures logical separation of voice and data traffic. • Covad has deployed the Mereon Unified Messaging platform from IP Unity Glenayre for its ClearEdge voice services. Services for new customers will be operated through the Mereon platform; older customers will be moved off Covad's legacy Centigram voicemail product and over to the Mereon platform over time. • Covad uses Cisco 1800, 2400 and 2800 series routers in its network to provide its IP telephony services, as well as Sylantro feature applications servers. • Covad ClearEdge services work with KTS and PBX systems and phones, so customers can use any compatible analog or digital phone with the service, as long as they purchase telephone adapters to IP-enable any non-IP handsets and/or purchase IP phones. Covad supports Cisco 7940 and 7960 VoIP telephones, Polycom 500 and 501 VoIP telephones, and LG 6812 and 6830 VoIP telephones. • Covad’s ClearEdge Integrated Access IP telephony service includes a Cisco 2400 Series integrated access device to connect to customers’ premises PBX or KTS equipment. • Covad supports the G.711 uncompressed codec and the G.729a codec with its VoIP services. • AT&T has certified the following devices as compatible with network-based Voice DNA: Cisco 7940G and 7960G IP phones, Cisco's VG 224 and ATA 186 Integrated Access Devices, Citel P-Phone Adapter, Polycom 301, 601, 650, and IP 4000 Conference Phone; LG/Nortel LIP-6812 and LIP-6830 and CounterPath Solutions’ eyebeam softphone. • AT&T has certified interoperability with three major IP PBX vendors for its IP Flexible Reach service: Avaya, Cisco and Nortel. AT&T can operate with most key systems and legacy TDM PBXs. Once fully integrated, customers do not need a premises gateway; voice traffic traverses an IP access link into the AT&T network cloud, where AT&T hands the call off through a local gateway to its local and long-distance networks, or internationally for off-net call completion. • AT&T IP Toll-Free has been certified with the dominant players in the contact center market including Avaya Communications Manager with ACD and IVR, Cisco’s UCC with Call Manager, IP IVR, and CVP and Genesys SIP server. • AT&T’s EVPN, MIS/MPLS PNT, IP-enabled Frame Relay and IP-enabled ATM services feature a real-time class of service for delivery of VoIP services. AT&T provides voice over MIS and MPLS PNT customers with a Cisco router that contains an internal VoIP module to connect to the customers’ TDM PBX. • AT&T will deploy a fully configured Quintum Technologies' Tenor VoIP switch along with an AT&T managed router for key system implementations. The gateway will connect to any brand of analog key system. • AT&T Voice DNA supports G.711 and G.729 codecs for voice and fax depending on the call type and device. IP Toll Free supports G.711, G.726, G.729a and G.729b codecs for voice and fax. Reach Covad - BNS ClearEdge AT&T - BNS Business Voice over IP, Managed IP Telephony & LAN Reach • Covad’s network-based ClearEdge Pro and premises-based ClearEdge Integrated Access VoIP services are available in 232 of the 235 markets across 44 states where Covad has a DSL and T-carrier access presence. Covad also serves some smaller markets, where the provider uses a T1 interconnect partner to extend its VoIP services between the customer and the Covad network. • Covad can use its partners' access services to extend its VoIP services beyond its footprint for customers that are purchasing Covad VoIP as part of a multi-site package. Covad requires prospective IP telephony customers to subscribe to Covad-provided SDSL or T1 connections to use the carrier’s network-based or premises-based VoIP services in order to insure the quality of Covad's voice services. Covad requires at least 384 kbps SDSL for its VoIP services. • Outside of VoIP dial tone, Covad does offer conventional single-line dial tone service with its ADSL service on a resale basis from the incumbent local exchange carriers. The carrier also offers its line-powered voice access (LPVA) service, a hybrid VoIP/analog dial tone service bundled with ADSL2+ that it has deployed in 12 markets on a wholesale basis for EarthLink, one of its largest ISP partners. • AT&T launched its network-based VoIP service, Voice DNA, in mid-2005, and as of mid-2008, the service was available in 2,366 rate centers reaching 173 markets in 36 states where the carrier has local access facilities. AT&T Voice DNA is only available in markets where AT&T can also provide E911 services. AT&T's virtual telephone number (VTN) capability provides presence through 11,518 Rate Centers located in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. • AT&T’s Voice DNA Remote Worker/Remote Site Option is designed for the small Office/home office (SOHO) market within AT&T’s business VoIP footprint. Remote workers can use AT&T Voice DNA in conjunction with DSL or cable modem service, supplied by AT&T or another provider. AT&T requires Voice DNA Remote Worker customers to use business grade DSL service. Cable modem service can be residential or business grade, but the customer must subscribe to a minimum 128 kbps upstream bandwidth. • In the U.S., AT&T offers IP Flexible Reach within its business VoIP local footprint, which was available in approximately 173 U.S. markets in 36 states and the District of Columbia as of February 2008. AT&T has 2,366 Native Telephone Number (TN) Rate Centers and 9152 Virtual TN (VTN) rate centers. AT&T has presence in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. with VTN support. • AT&T IP Toll-Free service is available in 49 states and can also receive calls from Alaska and Canada. IP Toll-Free can support International call termination when used with a customer’s WAN, and can support International origination and termination when used with AT&T’s PSTN-based Global Inbound Service. • AT&T IP Telephony/LAN Management is available to customers of the following AT&T WAN Services: Managed Internet Service Plus (MIS+/VoMIS) for U.S. domestic service, Enhanced Virtual Private Network Service (EVPN/VoEVPN) for U.S. domestic and international service, and Managed Router Service (MRS/VoMRS) for U.S. domestic service. AT&T IP Telephony/LAN Management customers must subscribe to an appropriate AT&T Wide Area Network (WAN) Service under a separate contract. • AT&T Business VoIP services are generally not available to customers through the carrier’s reseller channels except on an individual case basis. Applications & Features Covad - BNS ClearEdge AT&T - BNS Business Voice over IP, Managed IP Telephony & LAN Applications & Features • Covad’s Dashboard portal is available to all ClearEdge customers and offers a set of standard features that include find me/follow me, click-to-call, instant conference calling for up to ten people, instant messaging, Web conferencing, contacts list, directory services, call logs, and Microsoft Outlook integration. Optional features include visual voicemail, fax mail, and unified messaging. • ClearEdge customers can keep their existing phone numbers, including direct inward dial (DID) extension setups, and toll-free numbers. Covad ports numbers for customers at no charge as part of its on-boarding process. All ClearEdge customers get free on-net calls and four-digit dialing between offices in different locations served by Covad. • ClearEdge Pro is a network-based VoIP service that operates over a managed T1 or SDSL line and can be expanded to multiple T1s. • ClearEdge Integrated Access is a premises-based solution that connects to key telephone systems (KTS) or PBXs through analog or ISDN PRI interfaces and provides Internet access with dynamically allocated bandwidth. The four plans available offer eight/16 analog ports or ISDN PRI (single or dual T1 circuits), 101,000 domestic minutes per site per month, e-mail/Web hosting service, a Cisco 2431 IAD, and an Office Administrator portal. Covad’s Dashboard service must be purchased separately. • ClearEdge Integrated Access standard features include hunt groups, call restriction, caller ID block/unblock, anonymous call rejection, and business continuity along with unlimited nationwide calling up to 101,000 minutes per site, voice-optimized T1 broadband, e-mail/Web hosting service, free office-to-office calls, and an office administrator portal. • Covad offers a failover feature for ClearEdge Integrated Access, which will redirect inbound calls to alternate numbers in the event of hardware and network failures. E911 service will not be available to ClearEdge Integrated Access customers if there is a power failure, a disruption in the T1 line, or a malfunction of the broadband router. The carrier recommends that customers maintain an alternative means to call emergency services. • Voice DNA service offers Standard, Enhanced and Premium feature packages and optional features of Call Distribution Module, Attendant Console, Audio Conferencing for up to ten users, Auto Attendant, Virtual Voicemail and Microsoft Outlook integration are included in the Premium package. Customers can mix and match plan features for each location. Customers with a premise-based solution of IP Flexible Reach and IP VPN services can purchase Voice DNA to supplement their PBX or key system functionality with Voice DNA’s VoIP features. • AT&T Voice DNA allows administrators to generate VoIP call reports and handle moves/adds/changes/disconnects via the AT&T BusinessDirect customer portal. Administrators can allow employees access to a Personal Web Site, where they can view their own AT&T Voice DNA call logs and configure call control features. The AT&T Voice DNA Personal Web site enables teleworkers and roaming employees to access voice mail via any Internet connection. Using a softphone, they can use their business telephone service remotely through a dedicated Internet access or broadband connection. • AT&T Business in a Box is a managed turnkey voice and data solution provided to small and medium businesses (SMBs) and branch offices via a single network connection and device. Business in a Box offers VoIP functionality through Voice DNA or IP Flexible Reach, IP VPN access through AT&T MIS+ and includes two outbound analog ports for use in the event of a power failure, along with firewall protection, LAN connectivity via Power over Ethernet and WiFi data access capabilities. • AT&T IP Toll-Free provides customers with a seamless migration path to IP-based infrastructure by fully interworking with AT&T’s existing Toll-Free Advanced Features. Customers can manage both TDM and IP endpoints through AT&T’s Route-It! service and receive reports and billing for both IP and TDM toll free calls through the AT&T BusinessDirect customer portal. IP Transfer Connect is a SIP-based routing feature that allows AT&T IP Toll-Free inbound calls to be transferred to another AT&T IP Toll-Free or nodal Toll-Free site in the U.S using out-of-band SIP signaling and speed dial codes. Transfers can be pre-answer or post-answer and can include data forwarding. • IP Flexible Reach is a SIP trunking service that supports IP and TDM PBXs as well as key systems. IP Flexible Reach terminates at the customer’s premises onto an AT&T managed router and provides local services (DID/DOD, toll free termination, local number portability, directory assistance, operator services directory listing, 911/E911 at registered locations, N11/411, caller ID with name and blocking options), dynamic bandwidth sharing, voice prioritization, voice quality SLAs and local and long distance calling plans. IP Flexible Reach also supports Virtual Telephone Numbers. SLAs Covad - BNS ClearEdge AT&T - BNS Business Voice over IP, Managed IP Telephony & LAN SLAs • Specific to its VoIP services, Covad has a 100% availability objective. If its VoIP service is unavailable for more than 15 cumulative minutes in a 24-hour period, the customer is eligible for a 1/30 credit of the service's monthly recurring charge. • Rather than offer more granular SLAs, Covad's ultimate service guarantee is that it lets customers walk away from the service if they are not satisfied. Covad VoIP customers can choose to cancel the VoIP portion of their service with 30 days' written notice, without incurring a termination penalty (if the customer chooses also to cancel Covad's T1/SDSL Internet access service, that cancellation does carry an early termination penalty). • In the initial on-board process, if Covad cannot deliver the VoIP service to a customer's business location as specified, the customer may opt either to swap to a lower-speed tier (if available) or to cancel the order. Covad offers a 30-day installation guarantee for its underlying SDSL and T1 services, with a credit of 50% off the first month’s bill if the service is not installed within 30 days. • Covad offers SLAs for installation interval, monthly service availability, and time-to-repair for the underlying Business DSL services. Covad’s installation interval is 30 days with a remedy of 50% of the first whole month’s MRC for that circuit. Covad’s monthly service availability is 99.9%, with remedy of a credit of 3% per hour of the monthly recurring charge for the circuit. The carrier’s time-to-repair SLA is 24 hours with a remedy of 10% of the MRC for the circuit. • The AT&T Business VoIP Site Availability SLA performance objective specifies that no problem stemming from AT&T Network, CPE or AT&T-provided dedicated access will prevent customers from completing all VoIP telephone calls for a period that lasts two consecutive hours or more. If AT&T does not meet this performance objective, customers may qualify for a one-day credit for the affected AT&T business VoIP site. AT&T caps credits at five credits in any calendar month for a particular business VoIP site, and 30 credits in a calendar year for a particular business VoIP site. The site availability SLA does not apply to remote sites. • AT&T generally relies on the ITU R-Factor, an objective measurement of packet loss, latency, and jitter, for its VoIP call quality SLA guarantees. AT&T guarantees a minimum R-Factor of 70 (equivalent to about 3.6 Mean Opinion Score) for 95% of a business customer's U.S. VoIP calls as measured on an individual call basis, excluding calls that are 10 seconds or less in duration. • Credits for failure to meet its R-Factor objective start at 5% of its monthly VoIP charges, multiplied by the number of successive months the goal is not met (up to five consecutive months, for a 25% credit on VoIP charges). Customers with premises-based services must have the PBX connected directly to the AT&T VoIP interface and an access speed of at least 128 kbps to qualify for the SLA. • AT&T's VoIP availability, time to repair, latency, packet loss and jitter guarantees depend on the underlying services and networks delivering VoIP to the customer. In the U.S., AT&T MIS and MPLS PNT offer 100% network availability with credits kicking in one minute after an outage, an objective of 37 ms average round-trip latency network-wide, 99.95% data delivery and an objective of less than 1 ms average jitter. SLA objectives vary internationally by region and between regions. The metrics are derived from network-wide averages, measured on a PoP-to-PoP basis. AT&T additionally offers unspecified end-to-end service objectives, available as part of the standard SLA. • IP Telephony/LAN Management offers a 99.9% service availability SLA and an on-time provisioning SLA of 95%. Service Level Objectives (SLO) include a time to repair (TTR) of four hours for remote restores, eight hours for restores that require a dispatch, and Time to Notify of 30 minutes for problems defined by AT&T as Severity 1 and one hour for problems defined by AT&T as Severity 2. • AT&T offers a VoIP Watchdog tool, which continuously manages and monitors network paths between customer sites for voice quality; each path is probed continuously to provide early notification of any network changes that may affect VoIP call quality. Based on R-factor thresholds, auto-tickets are created for possible network reroutes around congestion spots. Pricing Principles Covad - BNS ClearEdge AT&T - BNS Business Voice over IP, Managed IP Telephony & LAN Pricing Principles • ClearEdge customers receive 101,000 local and nationwide long-distance minutes per site, per month. Usage over the cap is billed at 2.5¢ per minute. Covad does not charge for on-net intra-company calls, so distributed businesses can use four and five-digit dialing across the country at no charge. • Covad offers a number of optional features to ClearEdge customers for an additional monthly charge that include auto attendant, hunt group, electronic faxing, analog fax line, softphone (for outbound calls), inbound toll free, and network storage capacity of 25 MB, 50 MB, and 100 MB. Electronic faxing and inbound toll free carry usage charges. • ClearEdge Pro carries a flat monthly per-seat rate that includes the calling plan, underlying broadband service, optional features, and metered calling for international services. The carrier offers flat-rate and metered calling plans. International calling plans are an add-on to the Covad on-net VoIP calling plans, although Covad says it will sell international pricing plans as part of a bundled service at competitive rates. • Covad ClearEdge Pro does not lock its VoIP customers into a long-term contract; customers must sign a one-year agreement for Covad access, but they can switch between VoIP calling plans and even cancel the VoIP portion of their service with no penalty. Covad ClearEdge Integrated Access is available in two and three-year contract terms. • Covad prices ClearEdge broadband and VoIP services separately. The carrier offers six tiers of Business DSL that start with service up to 1.5 Mbps/384 kbps for $69.95/month and go to service up to 15 Mbps/1 Mbps for $194.95/month (with one year contract). There are four tiers of SDSL access starting with a 144 kbps or 192 kbps service for $129.95/month and go up to a 1.5 Mbps service for $269.95/month (with one year contract). • AT&T Business VoIP service price components include a non-recurring set up fee, calling plans based on the number of concurrent calls selected by the customer for each site, feature packages and the underlying transport service: AT&T Managed Internet Service (MIS) or AT&T MPLS Private Network Transport (MPLS PNT). AT&T requires Business VoIP customers to purchase the Managed Router option with IP VPN services. • AT&T Voice DNA customers must select the Standard, Enhanced or Premium Feature Package. The plans start at $49/user/month. Premium Package customers can also add audio conferencing, attendant console, call distribution module and auto attendant. The feature packages include the enhanced telephony features, plus unlimited on-net, local and U.S. long-distance calling. • IP Flexible Reach has three calling plans. All plans come with unlimited outbound on-net calling; the IP PBX vendor, model and software versions must be the same between locations for calls to be designated as “on-net”. Calling Plan A offers metered long distance and international service. Calling Plan B offers unlimited local calling and metered long distance and international service. Calling Plan C offers unlimited local, 300 minutes of long distance (per each Concurrent Call purchased) for one flat monthly rate and metered charges for long distance calls over the 300 minute limit and for all international calls. • AT&T IP Toll-Free customers can order a calling plan with U.S. toll-free interstate inbound calls priced at a single per minute rate and toll-free intrastate calls priced at state-specific rates (Calling Plan D). Calling Plan D can only be ordered in conjunction with Calling Plan A. AT&T also provides usage-based pricing on its pre-answer transfer service (“IP Redirect”), but provides an “all you can eat” approach for post-answer transfers (“IP Courtesy Transfer”), and data forwarding (“IP InfoPack”) which are each flat rate monthly recurring charges based on maximum concurrent calls provisioned. Network-hosted Services Covad - BNS ClearEdge AT&T - BNS Business Voice over IP, Managed IP Telephony & LAN Service Name(s) Covad ClearEdge Pro AT&T Voice DNA Geographic Availability 2,052 COs in 235 MSAs in 44 states through a mix of direct presence and DSL partnerships 2,366 rate centers reaching 173 markets in 36 states where the carrier has local access facilities. Voice DNA is only available in markets where AT&T can also provide E911 services. Network Routers Cisco 1841, 2811 routers, Cisco Ethernet switches, Siemens 5950 & 5890 SDSL routers. IP/MPLS core utilizes Cisco and Avici routers. Softswitch Platform BroadSoft Network server; Sylantro Systems Feature Applications Servers Not available Handsets Recommended Cisco 7940 and 7960; Polycom Soundpoint IP 501, LG LIP-6812, LIP-6830; analog telephones. Cisco 7940G & 7960G phones, Polycom 301, 601, 650 & 4000 Conference Phone, LG/Nortel 6812 & 830.CounterPath eyeBeam softphone. IP Phones Required (Yes/No) No; analog, digital, Iand IP Phone acceptable. Analog phones require telehone adapter. No - analog phones can be used Bundled CPE N/A AT&T provides the (IAD) at the customer premise (AT&T branded Cisco VG 224 or ATA 186). Customer is responsible for handsets, consoles and other premise devices. Provider Access Required T1 or SDSL. DIA, Private IP VPN, business-class DSL or cable broadband Access Transport Options ADSL, SDSL, T1 Voice DNA Central Site: AT&T Managed Internet Service or MPLS Private Network Transport (PNT) – DS1 or DS3 (full or fractional). AT&T Voice DNA Remote worker: business grade DSL (from any provider) or cable broadband = 128 kbps. Maximum # of Simultaneous Calls Up to 15 simultaneous calls on 1.5 Mbps T1 using G.711 codec; up to 34 simultaneous calls on 1.5 Mbps T1 using G.729a compression, available on a custom basis. No minimum or maximum Number of Users 10 - 250 users No upper limit defined VoIP-specific Calling Features Find me/follow me, click-to-call (including Microsoft Outlook contact lists), visual voicemail, fax mail, instant conference calling and web conferencing, private IM, directory services, call logs, soft console, auto attendant. Voice DNA Enhanced Package: click to call, call logs, missed call notification, locate me (find me/follow me), call forward (busy, no answer, variable), call treatments, caller categories, simultaneous ring, call forking, no answer ring timers, selective call forwarding, selective call acceptance, selective call rejection from callers in specific call categories, speed dialing corporate, speed dialing personal (favorites), directory/contacts, alternate name search, my profile. Voice DNA Premium Package: Microsoft Outlook integration, voicemail (with eAccess, enotifications and message waiting light), switch phone. 4-digit Interoffice Available between sites if PBX/KTS provides extension dialing feature. Supports 3-7 digit interoffice dial. VoIP-specific SLAs 100% service availability objective; Covad will use commercially reasonable efforts to avoid unanticipated service interruptions. No more than 15 cumulative minutes of outage due to Covad's equipment or facilities in a 24-hour period; underlying access loops have time to repair and availability guarantees Business VoIP Site Availability SLA performance objective specifies that no problem stemming from AT&T Network, CPE or AT&T-provided dedicated access will prevent customers from completing all VoIP telephone calls for a period that lasts two consecutive hours or more. MIS VoIP Call Quality = R-Factor percentage = 95% of calls > 10 seconds within 48 contiguous U.S. status must meet or exceed R-Factor of 70. IP VPN SLAs for service availability, time to restore, latency and packet loss (data delivery) apply to underlying service. Credits for Failing to Meet SLAs 1/30 of the monthly recurring charge if more than 15 cumulative minutes of outage. Customer may cancel VoIP service without penalty after 30 days' written notice. As per underlying VPN SLA E911 Support E911 supported for all locations Yes Max Conference Call Participants 10 user maximum for click-to-conference features and ability to control conference call from the Web browser (put individual users on hold, mute, etc.) Up to 10 participants per call. Contracts No contract for Covad VoIP (customer may change plans or cancel without penalty); one-year or longer contract required for underlying access 1-year contract Cost Per-minute plan = $26-$32/phone/month, and from $.03-$.05 per minute. Per-minute rates decrease as the number of overall minutes and the number of stations increase, with rates as low as $.025 per minute. Flat-rate price = $36.95-$54.95/phone/month, with lower prices for customers using a higher number of handsets. AT&T Voice DNA non-recurring set up fee = $250, Standard Package = $49/user/month, Enhanced Package = $54/user/month, Premium Package = $59/user/month. Voice DNA Optional Features: Call Distribution Module = $56/month, Attendant Console = $50/month, Audio Conferencing (up to 10 users) = $12.50/month, Auto Attendant = $63/month with $500 non-recurring charge. Voice DNA Remote Worker Site Charges: Home Office Router w/QOS = $10/month, Home Office Router w/QOS and single voice tunnel = $30/month, Small Office Router w/QOS = $20/month, Small Office Router w/QOS and single voice tunnel = $40/month. Includes unlimited on-net, inbound and outbound Local & U.S. offnet Long Distance (LD). Premises-based Services Covad - BNS ClearEdge AT&T - BNS Business Voice over IP, Managed IP Telephony & LAN Service Name(s) Covad ClearEdge Integrated Access Business in a Box, IP Flexible Reach, IP Toll Free, IP Telephony/LAN Management Geographic Availability 125 MSAs covering 232 markets in 44 states via direct presence and DSL partners. Inbound international service not available; international termination available Business in a Box and IP Flexible Reach: AT&T’s Business VoIP local footprint, which was available in approximately 173 U.S. markets in 36 states and the District of Columbia as of August 2008. IP Toll-Free: 49 states plus inbound calls from Alaska and Canada. Can be used with Customer WANs for International terminations or with AT&T’s Global Inbound Service for International origination or termination. IP Telephony/LAN Management: 51 countries as of August 2008, AT&T plans to increase coverage in 2008. PBX Vendor/Premise Gear Analog telephones/key telephone systems; PBXs with ISDN PRI interfaces. Business in a Box: AT&T branded customer endpoint included in service bundle. IP Flexible Reach: Avaya Communications Manager, Avaya IP Office, Avaya Quick Edition, Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express, Nortel. AT&T will deploy Quintum Technologies' Tenor VoIP gateways with Key System. IP Toll-Free: An AT&T Managed Router is provided, all other premise equipment including TDM or IP PBX to be procured and managed by customer. Handsets Recommended Cisco 7940 and 7960; Polycom Soundpoint IP 501, LG LIP-6812, LIP-6830; analog telephones. IP Flexible Reach: Cisco 7940G & 7960G phones, Polycom 301, 601, 650 & 4000 Conference Phone, LG/Nortel 6812 & 830.CounterPath eyeBeam softphone. Managed/Unmanaged CPE Service and IAD managed by Covad; PBX/KTS managed by customer Business in a Box: AT&T branded customer endpoint. IP Flexible Reach: AT&T Managed Router; all other premise equipment including TDM or IP PBX to be procured and managed by customer. IP Toll-Free: An AT&T Managed Router is provided; all other premise equipment including TDM or IP PBX to be procured and managed by customer. Access Transport Options T1 Business in a Box: AT&T Managed Internet Service Plus. AT&T plans to expand transport options for BIB in 2008. IP Flexible Reach: 56 kbps to T3 (45 Mbps)/E3 (34 Mbps). Ethernet and SONET OC-n solutions on a custom basis. IP Toll-Free: Uses AT&T Managed Internet Service (MIS) or MPLS Private Network Transport (PNT) service. Supports T1, T3, Fractional T3 Access Maximum # of Simultaneous Calls Up to 15 simultaneous calls on 1.5 Mbps T1 using G.711 codec. IP Flexible Reach: TDM PBX with CAS - T1 = 6 - 48, T3 = 6 - 240 (even increments), TDM PBX with PRI - T1 = 6 - 46, T3 = 6 - 228 (even increments), IP PBX - T1 = 6 - 48, T3 = 6 - 700 (single increments). IP Toll-Free: T1 – up to 70 VoIP-specific Calling Features Standard Covad Dashboard features include: Click-to-call, conferencing, find me/follow me, instant messaging, address book synchronization, contacts list, directory services, call logs, and Microsoft Outlook integration. Additional features through Covad Virtual and Remote Dashboards: Visual Voicemail, fax mail, unified messaging. AT&T premises-based VoIP customers can purchase AT&T Voice DNA. See above for list of available Voice DNA features and options. IP Toll-Free: SIP-enabled call transfers using SIP Refer (post-answer) or SIP Redirect (pre-answer) capabilities. Forward network and user-specified data using IP InfoPack. Interoperable with PSTN-based Advanced Features including: Call Allocator, Network Announcements, Call Routing Features, Redirection Features, Routing Control (including AT&T Route-It!) Cost Packaged plans include unlimited calling (101,000 minutes per month), with overage charged at $0.025/minute. International calling plans available IP Flexible Reach: based on non-recurring set up fee, calling plans based on the number of concurrent calls selected by the customer for each site, feature packages and the underlying transport service. IP Toll-Free: Installation charges apply to IP Toll-Free, IP Courtesy Transfer, IP Redirect and IP InfoPack. Usage charges apply for IP Toll-Free and IP-Redirect. Flat monthly recurring charges apply for IP Courtesy Transfer and IP InfoPack based on maximum number of concurrent calls provisioned. IP Telephony/LAN Management: Installation and maintenance custom priced depending on configuration. Monthly Recurring Charge for management is $8.50 per month per phone for Advanced Management option and $5.75 per month per phone for Standard Management option. Top Follow IT Connection on Twitter | Home | Products | Suppliers | Real-Time Analysis | Sample Reports | About Us | Sign Up Now | FAQs | Partnership Program | Blogs | Site Map | Click here to sign up, or contact us at: ITConnection@currentanalysis.com or call +1 703-788-3700. All materials Copyright Current Analysis, Inc. Reproduction or distribution prohibited without express written consent.