24 March 2008

Sometime this summer, Microsoft plans to roll out the first service pack for its Response Point small
business voice over IP system, and VoIP solution providers say it adds
key features that were missing in previous releases.

Chief among the new features is what Microsoft calls digital voice services, which is known as SIP trunking in the VoIP channel. While earlier versions of Response Point allowed only analog lines to be connected to the PSTN, small businesses will be able to connect to the PSTN over the Internet, and that'll bring the benefits of cheaper calls and easier management, according to solution providers.

Ben Brauer, Microsoft's senior product manager for Response Point, says
what sets Response Point apart is the fact that it's been designed with
the specific needs of small businesses in mind. "Small business VoIP
used to be enterprise phone systems that were cut down for small
businesses, but these systems were often too complex and difficult to
use," he said.