Packet8 has joined national efforts to relieve cash-flow burdens on small businesses by reducing monthly service charges for its Virtual Office Business Phone Service by 50% for new subscribers.

Normally priced at $49.99 per month/extension, Virtual Office hosted PBX phone service, an all inclusive Internet-based telecommunications solution which combines unlimited local and long distance calling with advanced PBX features, is now available to companies who subscribe by December 31, 2008 for a monthly fee of $24.99/extension or a one-time annual fee of $250/extension for the first year of service. New customers must purchase 8x8's new Internet protocol phones and agree to keep service for a minimum of one year in order to be eligible for the promotion.

Internet telephony technology, otherwise known as VoIP, lets companies deploy a full-featured business phone system over their existing broadband network for a fraction of the cost of traditional alternatives. For a small business, this can result in significant cost savings as there is no expensive equipment to buy or maintain. Additionally, monthly service fees covering unlimited calling and business- class features are fixed, facilitating a predictable and worry-free budgeting process.

8x8's Virtual Office enables businesses to do away with their expensive PBX systems and the costs that come along with it -- costs that include paying for more lines and services than a company needs and the mounting service charges tacked on each time a technician is called to the site.

Existing 8x8 Virtual Office subscribers are saving 50% and more off their legacy monthly telecommunications costs by making the switch from traditional phone services to the VoIP platform and, with more cash reserves, are better prepared to wait out today's deteriorating financial conditions.