Updated: April 26, 2008 VoIP De-Mystified How to Compare Shop for Choose The optimal VoIP plan for your needs.

Updated: April 26, 2008 Persimmon Telecommunications Brings together a team of experts to help you make the best choice for your Telecommunications services Cost Effective Connections

Updated: April 26, 2008 Joe Budelis Harvard PhD in Decision & Control 30 years experience Areas: Project Management, IT, Analysis, Telecommunications Long Term Positions: –Mobil Corporation –Morgan Stanley Dean Witter –ShopForT1.com, Telarus, Commission River

Updated: April 26, 2008 What we bring to you Telecommunications expertise Consulting services –To help you find the best option(s) for your Telecommunications needs –To assist you with questions or issues that arise during provisioning and during the contract term –To help you determine if contract renewal or a switch to another service is most beneficial

Updated: April 26, 2008 Specialties T1, DS3 and Fixed Wireless lines –Fractional, Full, Bonded, Point-to-Point Ts –Data, Voice and Integrated Ts OC3, MPLS, Ethernet and DSL lines Phone Service –Local and Long Distance Phone Service –Toll Free Service –VoIP –Cell Phone Service –Audio Conferencing Domain Registration and Web hosting Fax Services

Updated: April 26, 2008 What is VoIP? Voice over Internet Protocol –Uses broadband internet connection for phone service Also known as: –Broadband phone service –I-net telephony –Internet phone service –IP Phone service

Updated: April 26, 2008 How does it Work? Router shares broadband connection with PC(s) Digital Terminal Adapter (aka dta or phone adapter) is interface between –Router and –Normal analog phone Alternatively, some plans use an IP phone

Updated: April 26, 2008 VoIP Background Initially VoIP was implemented PC-to-PC –Using a PC as your phone is still an option with some plans Voice quality was originally poor –Improvements in technology have greatly improved voice quality –Most users can not tell the difference most of the time

Updated: April 26, 2008 VoIP Advantages Low cost toll calls Phone portability – you can use your VoIP phone from “any” broadband connection Low cost to have phone numbers in distant locations Many features available via software at a low cost or no additional cost Features are upgradeable via software download Calls to others on same service are always free

Updated: April 26, 2008 VoIP Disadvantages Phone line is down if broadband connection is down Phone adapter and/or router occasionally must be rebooted Voice quality degrades if internet connection has latency, jitter or significant packet loss

Updated: April 26, Service Not all VoIP vendors offer 911 service in all areas and, when they do: –You must enter into a database precisely the location where you will be using the dta –You must update the location in the database when you move the dta –Some vendors require that the shipping and billing addresses be the same as the address where you will use the service

Updated: April 26, 2008 Basic VoIP Service Typical Features Voice mail CallerID – with or without name CallerID Blocking 3-way Conferencing Call Waiting Call Waiting ID Call Forwarding On-line Account Management Call Transfer Virtual Numbers

Updated: April 26, 2008 Basic Home, Home Office Plans Pay Monthly - Annual Plans –$9.99 and $14.99 plans for 200 and 500 mins –$19.99-$24.99 per mo for unlimited calls to USA, Puerto Rico, Canada numbers and some other countries All-Inclusive Annual Plan –Unlimited call plans –$199 per year –Extra charges for DA and International –Various charges may add up to about $5/mo

Updated: April 26, 2008 Business Options Basic VoIP Service – Vendor provides IP phone or dta that you can use with any analog phone or phone system Hosted PBX Service – Vendor provides dta and phone instrument with features that, in the past, were only available on high end PBX systems Integrated T1 – T1 shared between voice and data; carrier provides QoS to voice

Updated: April 26, 2008 Hosted PBX Service Typical Additional Features Autoattendant –Customizable –Dial by extension –Dial by name –Company directory 3- or 4-digit extension to extension dialing Conference bridge Multiple Call Handling Ring Groups Switchboard Call Park / Call Pickup Do Not Disturb

Updated: April 26, 2008 Hosted PBX Option Virtual Office –$49.99/month Unlimited USA & Canada calls –$99.99 equipment cost Virtual Office Speakerphone DTA –$1.50/mo FET – 3% Federal Excise Tax –$1.50/mo RRF – Regulatory Recovery Fee –$1.99 E911 Service Fee –$39.99 activation fee –$24.99/month metered 250 outbound mins/mo cents a minute thereafter –30-day (max 300 minutes) money back guarantee

Updated: April 26, 2008 Basic VoIP Business Options Business 2000 Plan –2000 inbound/outbound mins/mo USA and Canada –Includes voic , caller ID, call waiting, three-way calling, find me/follow-me, simultaneous ring, call forwarding, and more. –Unlimited calls to other Packet8 numbers –$39.99 per month –3.5 cpm for additional USA/Canada outbound calls after 2000 outband mins

Updated: April 26, 2008 How to Choose a VoIP Plan? See Plan Comparisons on the VoIP Comparison spreadsheet at: Use the first column as a checklist of features – which are most important to you?