Actiontec Electronics announces a new generation of VoSKY Exchange, a family of PBX-to-Skype gateways. With these products, businesses can use standard desktop phones to make and receive free and low-cost long-distance and international calls over Skype, the world’s fastest-growing Internet communication offering. The new 9140/9180 series adds remote access to Exchange-based Skype lines for users who are out of the office, other convenience features, and a new PBX connectivity strategy that reduces costs.

VoSKY Exchange is a rack-mountable, PBX voice gateway that adds up to eight outgoing Skype lines to the office PBX without changes to existing PBX or phone equipment. Multiple Exchange boxes can be set up in company offices in different locations worldwide to enable free calls between colleagues. Calls to other Skype users are free, while SkypeOut calls to landline or mobile phones are charged at very low rates. The system eliminates the need to use a PC and headset to make Skype calls, has a low one-time cost, and can pay for itself in a few months. Skype itself has no signup or monthly access fees.

New features in VoSKY Exchange 9140 (four Skype lines) and 9180 (eight Skype lines) include:

• Remote user access, enabling employees who are out of the office to make Skype calls over the company’s VoSKY Exchange system by dialing the main company number and an access code. This extends a business’ Exchange-based Skype cost savings from in-office calls to calls made from any landline or mobile phone.
• Global call transfers over Skype, enabling anyone in the company to transfer incoming landline calls to any phone number inside or outside the corporate office or to any Skype user name. Calls can be transferred at no cost to employees in other offices equipped with Exchange or their own Skype accounts, and to any other phone number at SkypeOut rates.
• Global numbering between offices, allowing businesses with multiple locations to create a global numbering plan which unifies the dialing plans of the different office locations together. Inter-office communication no longer requires an employee to dial the full office number and an extension to reach a co-worker. Instead, calls between offices can now be made simply by entering the global extension.
• Line-side (FXO) connectivity to the PBX, replacing the trunk-side (FXS) connection required in earlier models. This simplifies installation because it is more common for PBXes to have open line ports than open trunk ports, and it also cuts costs if all ports are in use by allowing the addition of line cards instead of more expensive trunk cards.

“These latest upgrades continue our efforts to equip businesses with the tools they need to take full advantage of the Skype products without changing their existing phone infrastructure,” said David Tang, Actiontec’s Director of VoIP Product Development. “The first generation of VoSKY Exchange solved the problem of Skype-enabling the PBX, the second added a rackmountable form factor and extensive reporting capabilities, and our new convenience and connectivity features make it even easier to integrate Skype into the enterprise in order to reap the cost savings of Internet communications.”

VoSKY Exchange remains the only PBX gateway that has been Skype Certified. The newest VoSKY Exchange products are being demonstrated in Booth 625 at the Internet Telephony Show – East that began yesterday in Fort Lauderdale.

Specifications and Availability

Minimum system requirements for VoSKY Exchange include a PBX with up to eight free FXO ports and auto attendant capability; a 2.8 GHz Pentium IV PC running Windows XP with 512 MB RAM, 400 MB free hard disk space, a CD-ROM drive and one or two available USB ports; a broadband Internet connection; and Skype Software, which is available as a free download at www.skype.com. The product is available exclusively through VoSKY certified resellers and distributors. For more information, visit www.vosky.com or call Actiontec Electronics at 1-866-341-3285

Skype is not a replacement for the traditional telephone service and cannot be used for emergency calling.