New Verizon Voice-Over-Broadband Service to Give Small Businesses One Network for Voice and Data That Can Be Managed from PC Desktop

NEW YORK -- This summer, Verizon and GoBeam will offer voice-over-broadband service, including unified communications features, to Chicago-area small businesses, providing cost savings, streamlining equipment needs and simplifying management of their communications.

Called Verizon Voice Over Broadband, the service will be delivered via Internet protocol infrastructure which transmits voice and data over one network.

Verizon Voice Over Broadband consolidates local phone service, long-distance, voice mail and fax, conferencing and document collaboration capabilities into one service that can be managed from any Internet connection using the Web.

Features of the new service will include:

• Find me/follow me: Users can direct their calls to any phone, pager or e-mail address.

• Demand conferencing: Instantly set up a conference call with two to 10 participants.

• Unified messaging: Manage voice, fax and e-mail communications from one mail box.

• Office administration: Make phone service changes from any Internet-enabled PC.

"Small businesses today are looking for products and services to help them better manage their communications and control costs," said John Baker, executive director -- Business Development for Verizon. "Verizon's new Voice Over Broadband service will provide companies with flexible communications and significant cost savings."

With Verizon Voice Over Broadband, businesses can reduce capital and maintenance expenses by managing one network for voice and data instead of two. Unlike the equipment required with a typical new PBX system or major system upgrade, Verizon Voice Over Broadband generally requires minimal on-site equipment. The switching equipment for the new service is owned, managed and maintained for Verizon by GoBeam, which was recently awarded Network Magazine's "Product of the Year for VoIP" (voice over Internet protocol).

"There is enormous pressure on businesses today to run operations as efficiently as possible and no one is more aware of that requirement than company owners and managers," said Jeff Stern, executive vice president and co-founder of GoBeam. "At GoBeam we are committed to providing businesses with communication service that empowers workers whether they are in the office or working remotely. Verizon's Voice Over Broadband service will allow businesses to focus on their core business issues instead of thinking about their communications system's care and feeding."

Under the terms of the agreement, GoBeam will provide the service infrastructure, billing and customer support.

About Verizon

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services. Verizon companies are the largest providers of wireline and wireless communications in the United States, with 133.8 million access line equivalents and approximately 29.6 million wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. With more than $67 billion in annual revenues and nearly 248,000 employees, Verizon's global presence extends to more than 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information on Verizon, visit www.verizon.com.

About GoBeam

GoBeam Inc. provides fully managed realtime communications service to businesses including business telephone, conferencing, collaboration and messaging features available through a Web-based interface. GoBeam develops and deploys communication features enabling channel partners to provide customers with complete voice/data service packages currently available only to large enterprises. GoBeam can be contacted at 260 North Wolfe Road, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 (866) 462.3269. GoBeam can be found on the Web at www.gobeam.com.

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