Speakeasy to Offer Linksys IP Desktop Phone Aimed at SOHO & Small Business

October 11, 2006; 07:49 AM

Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems, Inc., and Speakeasy, one of the nation’s largest independent providers of broadband communication services, jointly announced a collaboration to target small businesses with Hosted Voice over IP solutions. As part of the agreement, Speakeasy will market the Linksys IP Desktop Phone (SPA 942) in conjunction with its flagship Business VoIP solution, a hosted service aimed at small business customers seeking a single provider for broadband-based and voice and data services. Speakeasy Business VoIP offers small and medium businesses the benefits of a sophisticated PBX phone system without having to invest in complex and expensive on-site hardware.

"Linksys is known in the industry as the global leader for IP, wireless and networking for the SOHO and Small Business market” said Bruce Chatterley, CEO of Speakeasy. "Linksys and Speakeasy customers perfectly intersect in their needs for a complete phone solution in both hardware and service. The attractive price point and rich feature set of the Linksys SPA 942 make it a highly appealing phone to add to Speakeasy’s solutions portfolio. With the Linksys phone, we now have one of the strongest SOHO-focused VoIP bundles in the industry.”

The Linksys SPA 942 is the best price/performance IP desktop phone that Speakeasy will sell and is ideal for a business using a Hosted IP telephony service. This Phone coupled with Speakeasy service will help minimize the cost of switching from an obsolete PBX infrastructure to a future-proof hosted telephony solution with significant business continuity advantages. The Linksys SPA 942 allows individuals all the features of IP telephony and reduced long distance while working from a home or any virtual office. For example, consultants working at a client’s location for extended periods or business teams working from home can simply plug the Linksys SPA 942 into any broadband connection anywhere in the world. Once connected, the employee shares the corporate office number, eliminates long distance charges, and enjoys popular Voice over IP features such as voicemail to email and the easy to use Microsoft® Outlook Toolbar plug-in.

”Teaming with Speakeasy makes for a strong offering of VoIP hardware and service that was developed for the small business customer in mind”, said Sherman Scholten, director of product marketing. “Speakeasy shares our vision in making it easier to give small businesses a more complete VoIP solution that provides the features, benefits and capabilities that they need to run their company more efficiently. We look forward to working with Speakeasy and supporting their growth in the hosted VoIP market. “

The Linksys IP Desktop Phone has a number of features that will provide small businesses with big business phone functionality including:

- Full featured two or four line business class IP Phone supporting Power over Ethernet (PoE) 802.3af
- A comprehensive feature implementation including SIPB, configurable lamp management and backlit display, highly secure call processing via HTTPs/TLS/S-RTP, Dual switched Ethernet ports, Speakerphone, Caller ID, Call Hold, Conferencing, and more
- Easy installation and highly secure remote provisioning. Menu based and web based configuration.
- An optional power supply is orderable separately for this product if not utilizing PoE

Speakeasy’s retail price for the Linksys IP Desktop Phones SPA 942 will be under $220. The phone will be added to the Speakeasy Business VoIP service offering in early November 2006.

About Speakeasy
Speakeasy, the nation's largest independent broadband services company is focused on meeting the needs of discerning businesses, professionals and those who depend on the Internet for higher productivity in life. Speakeasy manages its own private fiber-optic national network, ensuring fast connections, low latency, and an unparalleled degree of security protection from the public Internet. Speakeasy offers a full range of innovative services, including Voice over IP (VoIP), OneLink dedicated DSL, Business Class T1 and multiple business-grade connectivity options. Customers rave about the personalized and highly competent support they receive from Speakeasy's Seattle-based customer service team. Speakeasy's services are available in most metropolitan areas within the 48 contiguous United States. Those interested in Speakeasy can visit http://www.speakeasy.net or call 800.556.5829.

About Linksys
Founded in 1988, Linksys, A Division of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the recognized leader in Voice, Wireless and Ethernet networking hardware for consumer, SOHO and small business users. Linksys is dedicated to making networking easy and affordable for its customers, offering innovative, award-winning products than seamlessly integrate with a variety of devices and applications. Linksys also provides award-winning product support to its customers. For more information, visit www.linksys.com.