Cbeyond and Microsoft Offer Small Businesses a Complete IP-Based Phone Solution

Business Wire,  July 16, 2008  

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Response Point Service Pack 1 Pre-Configured with Cbeyond Simplifies Installation

ATLANTA -- Cbeyond[R], Inc. (NASDAQ: CBEY), a leading IP-based managed services provider to small businesses, today announced the availability of its BeyondVoice[R] with SIPconnect service pre-configured on the Microsoft Response Point IP-based phone system. BeyondVoice with SIPconnect helps to simplify the installation of services for small businesses using Response Point Service Pack 1, which is now generally available.

"We selected Cbeyond as a preferred provider because of its high-quality service," said Xuedong Huang, general manager of Microsoft Response Point. "Combining Cbeyond's service with the Response Point phone system extends the benefits of our easy-to-use phone system with reliable VoIP service to small businesses in key metropolitan areas across the U.S."

Cbeyond's BeyondVoice with SIPconnect service is an integrated package of local and long distance voice, high speed Internet and mobile services that leverages the SIPconnect specification to interoperate with IP-PBX phone systems, like Microsoft Response Point.

Cbeyond helped to pioneer the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunking industry standard, called SIPconnect[R], which institutes a common protocol among digital voice providers worldwide. SIPconnect eliminates the need for a VoIP gateway on the premise, improves voice quality and creates a strong foundation for personalized applications and rich media services. Microsoft Response Point customers using Cbeyond's service will be able to take advantage of digital voice service based on SIPconnect.

"Our strategic alliance with Microsoft allows us to provide a complete solution to our joint customers that is both reliable and cost effective," said Rob Consolazio, vice president of Marketing and Business Development for Cbeyond. "By leveraging the tried and tested SIPconnect specification for full featured telephony, small businesses can take advantage of extensive calling features provided by service providers such as Cbeyond who have a reputation for delivering premium customer service."

Cbeyond channel partners selling the combined solution are able to take advantage of Cbeyond's generous compensation plans and have access to extensive training and resources. Through Cbeyond PartnerAccess (cbeyondpartners.net) the company's channel partners can manage their customer accounts, download sales collateral, create on-demand marketing materials, view account reports, and peruse product information at their convenience.

"With the combined Microsoft and Cbeyond solution we can quickly configure and install an IP-based phone system to our small business customers," said Olivier Havette, Cbeyond channel partner, Microsoft Gold Certified partner, and CEO of The Net Doctor. "The ease-of-use and service reliability offers our customers a complete solution that is cost effective and reliable."

Earlier this year, Cbeyond fortified its relationship with Microsoft by integrating the Hosted Microsoft Exchange solution into its service offering, which is the first hosted service based on Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 that is fully integrated with mobile access from a single provider. For more information about Cbeyond and its small business communications services, visit www.cbeyond.net.

About Cbeyond

Cbeyond, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBEY) is a leading IP-based managed services provider that delivers integrated packages of communications and IT services to more than 36,000 small businesses throughout the United States. Cbeyond offers more than 30 productivity-enhancing applications including local and long-distance voice, broadband Internet, mobile, BlackBerry[R], broadband laptop access, voicemail, email, web hosting, fax-to-email, data backup, file-sharing and virtual private networking. Cbeyond manages these services over a private, 100-percent Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) facilities-based network. For more information on Cbeyond, visit www.cbeyond.net.

About The Net Doctor

The Net Doctor, Inc. is an IT provider, supporting small and mid-size businesses with a broad scope of expertise in networking, web-centric and software services. Its core business is the day-to-day management of its client's IT systems, aimed at keeping the critical framework of information up and running. For more information on The Net Doctor visit http://www.the-net-doctor.com/voip.php.

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