DES MOINES, IA, December 3, 2008 – LightEdge, the leading hosted services partner dedicated to the full breadth of communications and IT needs for small and medium-sized businesses (SMB), today announced the launch of LightEdge SIP Trunking, a service that reduces the complexity and costs associated with delivering voice systems for a small to medium-sized (SMB) or multiple site business. LightEdge will offer the service as part of its Advanced Voice Solutions suite in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri and Illinois over its privately managed Cisco Powered IP network.

“LightEdge is continually developing voice alternatives which simplify administration and reduce overall costs for small and medium-sized businesses,” said Jeff Springborn, president and chief operating officer of LightEdge. “At a time when there is such turmoil and uncertainty in the market, we feel fortunate to be able to offer a service that can positively impact a company’s bottom line.”

SIP Trunking Overview
SIP Trunking is a way for a business to exchange voice traffic between an IP PBX and an Internet Telephony Service Provider (ITSP) over a dynamic broadband connection rather than physical line or PRI with the phone company. The ITSP in turn connects to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to terminate the call. A SIP Trunk can effectively save money and simplify operations in several ways:

• Traditional PRI circuits are capable of supporting 23 channels. Businesses needing 5 channels or 25 channels must purchase enough PRI circuits to satisfy their needs, leading to wasted capability and additional costs. In addition, PRI termination hardware is expensive and may not support future capabilities. In contrast, SIP Trunks can be purchased in any quantity and additional trunks may be added as the company grows. IP PBXs don’t require an additional PRI port and can leverage a low cost Ethernet port to interconnect.
• SIP Trunking is a converged technology – meaning both voice and data traffic flow over the same broadband connection. Bandwidth over an Internet connection is dynamically allocated between both voice and data using a process known as QoS (Quality of Service) to ensure that voice traffic is routed with priority. This convergence allows a business to extract full value out of its Internet investment.
• SIP Trunks, Internet service and Long Distance are delivered from a single provider for a single support contact and a unified bill covering all services.

“SIP Trunking allows businesses to leverage an existing IP PBX to reduce costs, but it is also possible to get additional features not available through their existing PBX,” remarked Mike McHenry, Director of Product Development for LightEdge, “The LightEdge Personal Mobility Pack allows users access to incredible mobility options such as Simultaneous Ring, Sequential Ring and Remote Office over their SIP Trunk.”

LightEdge SIP Trunking is compatible with select IP PBX systems from Aastra, Adtran, Asterisk, Avaya, Cisco, Digium, Microsoft Response Point, Mitel, Nortel , Panasonic, Toshiba and Vertical. For specific models and configurations please consult with LightEdge sales and voice engineering staff.

About LightEdge
LightEdge is the only hosted services partner fully dedicated to providing a full breadth of communications and IT services to small and medium-sized businesses looking for a better way to focus on their core business, not the technology that supports it. For more information, visit www.lightedge.com.

LightEdge Solutions®, the LightEdge Solutions logo and Scale-on-Demand™ are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of LightEdge Solutions, Inc.