OfficeMax, one of the nation's largest office supply retailers and distributors, is offering small businesses and consumers a cost-saving alternative to land-line telephone service. OfficeMax stores nationwide now offer starter kits from Vonage Marketing, a subsidiary of Vonage Holdings Corp., a leading broadband telephony provider in North America. These kits allow broadband users to sign up for Internet-based phone service and save up to hundreds of dollars a year compared to landline phone bills.

To help customers access the cost-saving benefits of VoIP, OfficeMax is offering the Linksys PAP2 Phone Adapter or the WRTP54G Wireless Router, configured with Vonage's service. These products connect to a customer's broadband connection and standard touchtone phone. After purchasing the hardware at OfficeMax, customers can sign up for the phone service at http://www.vonage.com/activate . Customers can begin using the service the same day they register. The adapter and router can be purchased at any one of OfficeMax's approximately 900 stores nationwide.

With this service, customers may be able to discontinue their local phone service and never pay for long distance calls again, in some cases cutting phone bills in half.

"Cost cutting is important to the success of any business, but especially small businesses," said Ryan Vero, OfficeMax executive vice president and chief merchandising officer. "OfficeMax has teamed up with Vonage and Linksys to help our small business customers maximize their broadband Internet connections to save money on a necessary expense -- their phone bills."

With Vonage's $49.99 per month Small Business Unlimited plan, OfficeMax business customers can make unlimited calls anywhere in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico; and have a dedicated, separate fax line and low per- minute rates on international calls. Residential customers can make unlimited calls anywhere in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico for as little as $24.99 per month for Vonage monthly service. All packages include additional benefits at no cost, including personalized voicemail, three-way calling, and caller ID.

"The rollout of Vonage's broadband telephony products at OfficeMax is a great opportunity for us, as it will allow us to further develop our retail sales base," said Matthew Deatrick, senior vice president of Sales for Vonage Marketing. "We are looking forward to a successful sales relationship with the one of the nation's largest office supply chains."