According to a InPhonex and Ringio representative, "More than 90 percent of U.S. companies are small and medium-size businesses (SMBs), and forward-thinking service providers are recognizing the limitless opportunities in the SMB market. Meanwhile, telecommunications services consistently rank in the top 3 biggest expenses for SMBs. In light of these factors, InPhonex and Ringio have joined forces to create a service – Ringio On InPhonex (ROI) – that brings SMBs intelligent, virtual PBX features and functionality along with lower telecom costs." They claim Ringio On InPhonex has an average cost per user of about $40 per month for unlimited calling and an end-to-end solution. Not a bad pricepoint for full PBX features and unlimited voice, though at a certain user threshold, an unlimited voice PRI circuit or unlimited SIP trunk with CPE-based PBX might make sense. Goes back to the hosted vs. CPE argument, as well as the TCO. Oh, and if you're wondering if unlimited calling over a PRI exists - it does. TMC has a bundled data + voice plan through Optimum Lightpath that includes unlimited voice calls over the PRI circuit that is actually converted to data that then travels over the data fiber line. Ironically, the voice starts as IP packets from the IP phones, goes to the IP-PBX and is converted to a digital PRI voice circuit, and then is converted back to IP packets to travel across the fiber. (IP-PBX -> PRI -> Fiber)


The partnership between InPhonex and Ringio gives small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) access to PBX features and functionality previously only available for large enterprises. Both companies will introduce the new service at ITEXPO, which runs Oct. 4-6 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The official announcement of Ringio On InPhonex will be made tomorrow.

Ringio On InPhonex (ROI) incorporates features from Ringio, a cloud-based Rich Calling Service, and InPhonex, a telephony platform service provider, to create a unique offering for SMBs, including:

• Server-free advanced call center functions designed for SMB users, including personalized greetings; the ability to intelligently route and forward calls based on the caller’s history; a learning knowledge base about callers and other advanced collaboration features, such as presence, notes and contact sharing.
• A fully featured mobile application.
• Intelligent screen-pop capability, which presents CRM data in the context of calls.
• The ability to use existing soft phones and VoIP phones with Ringio.
• Local number portability (LNP) in 15 countries.
• Integrating all PBX and telephony services from one provider, eliminating the need for multiple vendors and lowering costs.
• Designing customized managed calling plans, including bulk calling, worldwide calling and personalized calling plans.
• A global telecommunications footprint that includes 75 countries.

“Unlike most hosted PBX providers, which take existing on-premise PBX platforms and move them to the cloud, Ringio was developed from the beginning as an intelligent, cloud-based PBX to address the unique needs of SMBs,” said Ringio Co-Founder and Chairman Michael Zirngibl. “Ringio On InPhonex builds upon that goal by giving SMB customers a single provider for their telephony, call center and PBX needs.”

InPhonex is recruiting and selling ROI through channel partners, which can white-label the service and resell it to SMBs, while Ringio is selling the service directly to SMB customers.

“ROI is an attractive addition to the offerings we provide our thousands of value-added reseller partners,” said InPhonex Chief Marketing Officer Matt Bramson. “Not only does ROI enrich resellers’ opportunity to target SMBs – the largest segment of the enterprise market – but it also gives them a set of features unlike any other in the market.”

Now in beta release, Ringio On InPhonex is expected to become generally available by the end of 2010.