Clear Edge for the little guy

Covad Communications Group, Inc., a provider of integrated voice and data communications solutions, used the Fall 2006 VON Conference & Expo to announce the nationwide availability of Covad ClearEdge Office. Covad is billing Clear Edge Office as the first combination of VoIP and high-speed internet built specifically for “very small businesses.”

Covad promises that with Clear Edge Office, teeny-weeny office can continue to use existing analog phones, and that Covad will handle the entire installation, which involves only two additional pieces of equipment: a DSL router and an analog telephone adaptor.

The gauntlet thrown by Covad sounded thusly from Covad senior vice president Claude Tolbert: "This signals the end of low quality consumer VoIP products masquerading as small business solutions.” One enthusiast of the product – IDC VoIP services program research manager Will Stofega – said that it represented “a wake-up call to consumer providers who think catchy advertising is going to help them succeed in the small business market without a quality managed service.”

Covad cited statistics regarding their target market provided by market research firm AMI Partners: The US $13.2 billion market segment is made up of businesses with between five and 19 employees, and represents over 2 million small businesses with average monthly telecom expenditures of more than US $500.

Clear Edge Office operates on Covad’s nationwide broadband network. Covad Clear Edge Office offers a web-based dashboard interface and features including search, management of voicemail and faxes through any web connection, call waiting, call forwarding, call logging, call monitoring and call pick-up.

With Covad Clear Edge Office, say firm reps, the company now offers a complete portfolio of VoIP products to small- and mid-sized businesses. Covad Clear Edge Integrated Access combines separate voice and data access services into a single solution for T1 broadband lines.

San Jose, Calif.-headquartered Covad is a provider of integrated voice and data communications. The company offers DSL, Voice Over IP, T1, web hosting, managed security, IP and dial-up, wireless broadband, and bundled voice and data services. Covad broadband services are currently available across America in 44 states and 235 metropolitan statistical areas.