I recently had the opportunity to ask Frank Paterno, vice president of Marketing at Intelliverse about the evolution voice services in the marketplace ranging from Hosted PBX (News - Alert) and SIP trunking to IVR and Unified Communications services.

Intelliverse is a leading provider of communications services for the Enterprise, Wholesale and SMB market sectors. The business is creating industry-specific communications solutions by aligning sets of technology-based applications around specific business dynamics. The result is a suite of value-driven communications packages to address your specific business needs.

 

What has been your company’s biggest achievement in 2008 so far?

In 2008, we launched a very successful partner program with New Edge Networks which has two major achievements. First we have put together an entire marketing program with sales tools around a bundle of MPLS private data connectivity from New Edge and Voice services from Intelliverse. The program makes it easy for a sales agent to sell a complete solution to a small business with features and pricing that compliment each other. Second, we have interconnected our networks so a customer who chooses the New Edge / Intelliverse bundle will enjoy a higher and more reliable quality of service over those that choose to bring their own broadband. Because of the network interconnection, no customer voice traffic travels over the internet.

 

What can we expect to see for from your company for the next 12 months?

Intelliverse already has a full suite of voice services in the marketplace ranging from Hosted PBX and SIP trunking to IVR and Unified Communications services. We view the next 12 months as the time where these services really start to make an impact in the small business sector. Our efforts over the next year will be spent ensuring quality and ease of use as our customer base begins to rapidly expand. We are also listening to the needs of our customers as they use the service and make suggestions for additional features that would bring value to their business.

 

How do you see the communications market evolving?

The communications market is becoming more concentrated and realistic. As is expected with a disruptive technology such as VoIP, the last few years have seen a flood of new companies with innovative and creative technology. For a while it seemed that all sorts of companies (utility, cable, electronics provider, etc.) were seeking to become a communications service provider. I believe that during 2008, the flood has begun to reduce resulting in a more concentrated set of providers with a focus on providing solutions to real business needs. I think this concentration will continue over the next few years as this once disruptive technology now becomes the standard for all communications services.

 

 

What company made the biggest contribution to communications this year?

Because we concentrate more on the business portion of communications, I believe Cisco/Linksys (News - Alert) has made the biggest contribution. Their devices are the enabling factor bringing new technology literally to the eyes and ears of end users. Their products have become priced so that the cost to acquire them does not prohibit entry to VoIP services.

 

Google has made the overabundance of information manageable and useful to consumers and business people alike. Google has changed the way we research everything from world history to treatments for diseases. Whereas Google has not invented new information, it has created a tool that makes existing information useful and available to those seeking it. As information becomes used, it leads to more people making information available so indirectly, Google has also caused an increase in the amount of information available online.

 

Apple has taken technologies that had already been around (mobile phone, PDA, unified messaging, internet) and packaged them into a solution that is understandable and affordable by the average human. One great example is the huge response to Apple’s Visual Voicemail application on the iPhone (News - Alert) which allows users to choose (“click on”) a voicemail based on date/time received and calling number. This voice to email technology has been in the market since at least 1998 but now Apple has made it something that everyone knows and wants.

 

I currently use a Motorola (News - Alert) cell phone and Blackberry PDA. In the next few weeks, I intend to combine both services and use an Apple iPhone.

I believe there will always be room for at least 2 major providers in a given market sector. In the consumer and small business markets, I believe Apple will quickly win over RIM. In the corporate enterprise sector, I think RIM has an opportunity to hold on to the market if they remain competitive with Apple in terms of features and pricing.

 

 What do you think the communications market might look like in five years?

In 2013, the traditional landline phone services will be viewed as extinct. Wireless and VoIP based services will converge to the point where the combined service has become the new standard.

 

Attendees to my Applications session will learn what types of applications are selling VoIP services today and tomorrow. VoIP does not get sold because it is a better “phone” service but because it enables users to apply and integrate disparate services. We will discuss these reasons as they exist today and then also as they will evolve to exist next year.

 

What type of attendees do you think should come to your session?

Anyone that wants to understand and share why users are actually choosing to embrace and purchase VoIP solutions. VoIP for VoIP’s sake is not enough any more. Only by making a real business case for this technology will we allow it to grow to the next level.

 

Why should customers choose your company’s solutions?

Intelliverse represents the perfect mix of next-generation technology features and carrier-grade reliability and stability. Because we have existed for over 2 decades, our employees understand how a communications service should be supported and built (to last.)

 

Please make one surprising prediction for 2009.

Verizon or AT&T will begin installing only voice over data services for all new orders.