8x8, Inc., the Packet8 broadband VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and videophone communications service provider, announced that it has partnered with chip maker Legerity, Inc., the "V" in VoIP, to develop a turnkey Phone-Ready PC solution for PC OEMs. The solution enables PC vendors to bundle Packet8 voice and video Internet phone services with new platforms that offer simplified VoIP communications and enhanced audio and video collaboration.

The Phone-Ready PC simplifies deployment of VoIP services by allowing customers to plug their existing analog phone into a pre-configured PC and immediately begin using an Internet phone service. The 8x8/Legerity turnkey solution incorporates Packet8 VoIP service with a Legerity PCI PhonePort adapter card and Packet8 Softalk, a SIP softphone developed in conjunction with CounterPath Solutions, Inc. for use with the Packet8 residential, video and Virtual Office Internet phone services.

"PC vendors will benefit from 8x8's turnkey solution," said Shoaib Mohammad, director of business development at Legerity. "The new Packet8 solution offers immediate time to market and design flexibility for PC vendors to start marketing bundled carrier-class VoIP service to consumers and businesses around the world."

Integrating best-in-class solutions from Legerity and CounterPath, the 8x8 turnkey offering is a standards-based, upward-migratable VoIP solution that delivers outstanding voice and video quality along with Packet8's advanced calling features. Residential and small business users who subscribe to Packet8 Softalk enjoy clear, delay-free audio, unparalleled call quality on PSTN calls and high resolution, full motion video. Business customers additionally benefit from access to the powerful Virtual Office hosted PBX service that delivers corporate class calling features via the Internet at a fraction of the cost of traditional business telecom alternatives.

"The Legerity-enabled Softalk solution gives PC vendors an opportunity to offer consumers and small businesses a very robust and easy to install Internet phone service," said Christopher Peters, 8x8 vice president of strategic alliances. "The capability for users to plug their regular telephone into a PC's built-in phone port and immediately begin using Packet8 service is an attractive selling point that PC vendors can capitalize on in their marketing efforts."

Earlier this month at the Intel Developer Forum, Legerity announced the availability of the PhonePort family of products. The first two members of the family are the PhonePort PCI and PhonePort HD voice interface devices. The Legerity PCI PhonePort adapter card design, which provides a complete carrier-class phone interface, uses the Le96136 device along with a Microsoft WHQL certified driver to support Microsoft Windows VoIP-enabled applications. The PhonePort HD device provides phone connectivity for next-generation motherboards using the Intel High Definition Audio Interface. The Legerity PhonePort solutions also include a Call Control Applications Programming Interface (API), which provides a standard interface that abstracts the hardware layer for developers. The API was used to integrate the Softalk softphone software.

The CounterPath eyeBeam Video SIP softphone application features an intuitive and familiar interface with easy access to contacts and video via sliding drawers, a "Tree" menu for easy navigation and a small installer footprint [under 3MB].

"By integrating the eyeBeamVideo SIP softphone and the Legerity PhonePort PCI card, the Packet8 solution is not only more robust, reliable and secure than ever before, but enables customers to take advantage of the VoIP experience regardless of whether they are broadband gurus or accessing the internet for the first time," says Donovan Jones, vice president of sales and marketing of CounterPath. "This is exactly what VoIP is about -- creating an open standard environment where companies like 8x8, Legerity and CounterPath bring leading edge technology together and deliver real solutions to consumers and small businesses."

Demonstrations of Packet-8 VoIP-ready PC solution will be held in the Packet-8 booth # 1927 as well as Legerity booth #234 at the VON Spring tradeshow starting March 15, 2006, in San Jose, CA.