Covad Makes New Integrated Phone and Internet Service Available to Channel Partners

Covad Communications Company, a leading national provider of voice and data communications, today launched into its indirect sales channel the new Covad Integrated Access service with an innovative online quote and order system that streamlines pre-qualifications and speeds the sales process.

“Covad Integrated Access service combines affordability and reliability with a new simplified ordering and provisioning process that lets our sales partners concentrate on selling, not paperwork,” said Jake Heinz, vice president and general manager, Covad VoIP. “Covad’s focus on flexibility means our sales partners can build offerings that work for even the smallest businesses, while our nationwide network means they can count on Covad to be wherever they — and their customers — may be.”

Covad Integrated Access service is an affordable, all-in-one phone and Internet service that allows businesses with up to 35 employees per location to simplify their operations by dealing with one vendor, one bill and one contact for support. Covad delivers the service over a powerful voice-optimized T1 line, and the service works with customers’ existing phone systems so businesses can leverage their investment in their equipment and its features.

This new offering represents the culmination of an intense process of evaluation and network improvements to better meet the combined phone and Internet needs of small and medium businesses. Customers can start with as few as four phone lines. New lines can also be added one by one, rather than in the more typical “blocks” offered by many competitors, making it easier to grow the product with their companies.

Covad completely overhauled its ordering process for this service. The new online ordering system handles quotes, pre-qualification and contracts all in one place and all in real time. Partners can store and manage quotes and orders through the website, and can check potential deal-killers — such as number portability — at the beginning of the process, rather than at the end.

“This is the voice and data service we’ve been asking for. The new online ordering system is easy to use and lets us know right up front that we can make a deal work,” said Dan Keane, Director of Partner Sales with Keane Telecom Consulting, LLC, in Atco, New Jersey.

Covad Integrated Access now also utilizes SIP trunking and supports a wide range of IP, digital and analog PBXs. Pricing starts as low as $435 per month with no installation fees, depending upon contract length and services ordered.

Integrated Access service uses Covad’s voice-optimized technology to dynamically allocate bandwidth between voice and data. By always prioritizing voice traffic and automatically allocating remaining bandwidth to data traffic, it provides maximum call quality and data throughput.

Covad is the ‘easy to do business with’ choice for partners who benefit from the company’s streamlined provisioning and ordering systems, scalable, cost-efficient support infrastructure, and nationwide, facilities-based network. Covad has the nation’s largest ADSL2+ network and offers partners a broad portfolio of DSL and T1 services, including bonded T1. For more information on becoming a Covad partner, visit www.covadalliance.com.

About Covad

Covad is a leading nationwide provider of integrated voice and data communications. The company offers DSL, Voice Over IP, T1, broadband wireless, Web hosting, managed security, IP and dial-up, and bundled voice and data services directly through Covad's network and through Internet Service Providers, value-added resellers, telecommunications carriers and affinity groups to small and medium-sized businesses and home users. Covad broadband services are currently available across the nation in 44 states and 235 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and can be purchased by more than 57 million homes and businesses, which represent over 50 percent of all US homes and businesses. Corporate headquarters is located at 110 Rio Robles, San Jose, CA 95134. Telephone: 1-888-GO-COVAD. Web Site: www.covad.com.