Verizon Business has announced the availability of its full VoIP portfolio for the International market, offering a full suite of VoIP solutions on a single integrated network-based VoIP platform. New enhancements to the portfolio include a Managed IP PBX service, extended European availability, local language interfaces, local ringtones and additional access methods. The full portfolio offers customers a simple and efficient way to transition their voice and data services to IP technology at their own pace, irrespective of their stage of IP implementation.

A fully Managed IP PBX service has been added to the Verizon VoIP portfolio, complementing IP Integrated Access, Hosted IP Centrex and IP Trunking services. This enables customers to outsource the implementation and management of their premises-based IP telephony systems to Verizon Business. IP Integrated Access enables customers to implement VoIP solutions whilst keeping the traditional PABX in place, whereas IP Trunking connects an IP PBX to the Verizon Business enterprise data network and public voice network using a single IP connection. Hosted IP Centrex is a robust, flexibly scalable and feature-rich VoIP service delivered from a fully hosted and managed platform. The full suite enables customers to benefit from VoIP technology no matter what their stage of IP transition.

Portfolio availability has now been extended to six European countries (adding Belgium and Luxembourg to the U.K., France, Germany and the Netherlands), with customers now also supported by local-language customer Web interfaces and local ringtones.

In addition, a greater variety of access methods, including BRI PABX connectivity for IP Integrated Access, as well as Ethernet and DSL access for all VoIP network services, has broadened the connectivity choices available to large enterprise customers with sites of varying sizes.

John Irvine, vice president of international marketing for Verizon Business, explains: "Our VoIP portfolio is recognised as an industry-leading platform for IP transition, and we're delighted that we can now offer our full portfolio to the international market. Our customers are increasingly moving toward an integrated IP environment, and our VoIP portfolio offers a perfect platform on which they can build their future communications solutions at their own pace.

"For Verizon Business, VoIP is an enabler in the move toward a single, network-hosted IP environment, where IP-based tools such as VoIP, conferencing and Instant Messaging will all work in harmony to enhance business collaboration and performance."

Peter Hall, research director at Ovum, the analyst and consulting company, states: "Enterprise VoIP is now seeing mainstream adoption as businesses of all types increasingly recognise the benefits of VoIP. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for enterprise VoIP, and we are now seeing a broad range of solutions from leading suppliers to address the needs and pace of adoption of most businesses."