Hosted VoIP

A CenturyLink Hosted VoIP solution can streamline voice communications in your company with advantages
like these:

• No upfront investments to make: Our hosted end-to-end management service eliminates the need for maintaining a physical PBX on your premises.
• Connect and collaborate better: Our advanced features enable true collaboration both in and out of the office using one common PC platform for voice, email, online and file sharing.
• Easy online communications management: System administrators can easily and remotely configure new and existing users based on the shifting needs of your enterprise.
• Increased mobility: Take your office with you with find me/follow me features like Remote Office and Web Call Manager, which allow you to appear to be in the office even when you're not.
• End-to-end management: We provide proactive monitoring of your network from our IP core to your phone, actively pinpointing and resolving issues – often before you're even aware of them.
• Latest technology: With CenturyLink Hosted VoIP, we provide you with all the latest IP-based technology, so you never have to worry about upgrades.

FAQ

Q: What is VoIP?

A: VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol (IP). Traditionally, calls were made by sending analog voice signals through a direct connection to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Now with VoIP technology, voice is digitized and sent as packets of data that are transported over a data connection.

Q: What is a PBX?

A: PBX, or Private Branch Exchange, is a telephone switch located on a business' premises that serves a particular business or office. The PBX typically connects the business' internal phones to the public switched telephone network.

Q: What is CenturyLinkTM Hosted VoIP?

A: CenturyLink Hosted VoIP is a network-based, fully hosted VoIP service, meaning you do not need to purchase and maintain a PBX on your premises. Voice and data traffic travels over a single connection to the private CenturyLink network (not the open Internet) and the network-based CenturyLink platform provides all the features and functionality of an IP PBX.

Q: How do I connect to the CenturyLink network to use Hosted VoIP?

A: A data connection to the CenturyLink network is required. CenturyLink has a range of access methods and bandwidth options, and a local CenturyLink representative can help you determine which one best fits your business' needs.

Q: Do I need IP phones to use Hosted VoIP?

A: Yes. IP phones are necessary to use the Hosted VoIP product.

Q: What IP phones does CenturyLink support?

A: CenturyLink sells and supports a variety of IP phone sets including Cisco™, Aastra™ and Polycom™ brand IP phones. A CenturyLink customer service representative can advise you on which make and model phone is right for your company's needs.

Q: How do users select and change their features and settings?

A: There are three ways for users to change their CenturyLink Hosted VoIP features and settings: directly on their IP phones, through a Web-based portal and on a desktop toolbar.

• IP phone: From their IP phone, users can activate features such as call forwarding.
• Web-based portal: Users can access the Web-based portal in office or remotely to activate and change feature settings.
• Desktop toolbar: Through the user desktop toolbar, which sits in the browser or Outlook window, users can access commonly used features and remote settings.

Q: How do administrators do adds, changes and deletes to keep up with shifting workforce requirements?

A: Traditionally, system configuration changes to a network required on-site adjustments to a PBX by trained professionals, but with Hosted VoIP, configuration changes, such as adding new employees, can be made easily and remotely via the CenturyLink Web-based portal.

Q: Why choose Hosted VoIP instead of investing in a new PBX?

A: Purchasing, maintaining and managing a PBX phone system can be a complex and expensive endeavor. Considerable infrastructure space is needed for implementation, storage and digital backup. Plus, the upkeep requires retaining trained personnel and making regular updates in order to maintain the latest technology. By opting to have CenturyLink host the PBX functionality on its network, an enterprise can have a feature-rich and adaptable phone system without the cost of storage or maintenance.

Q: How much will VoIP long-distance calls cost?

A: In order to ensure quality of service, CenturyLink VoIP services are routed over the CenturyLink network (not the public Internet), therefore normal usage rates apply to long-distance calls unless they are calls from a different location of the same company on the Hosted VoIP platform (inter-company calls).

Q: Does CenturyLink provide IP faxing?

A: CenturyLink Hosted VoIP does not yet support IP faxing. If you would like faxing service, CenturyLink can install a traditional fax line.

Q: What features are available with CenturyLink Hosted VoIP?

A: CenturyLink has bundled its features into three packages: Basic, Standard and Premium. Each package has a purchase minimum of two lines, and companies can select as many of the three packages as necessary for their workforce.

• The Basic package is a set of CenturyLink's most basic calling features such as call waiting and caller ID. This package is most commonly used for lobby or conference room phones.
• The Standard package contains everything found in the Basic package, with many additional features, like Outlook Integration and Unified Messaging with voicemail to email. This package is ideal for customers who have traditional employees.
• The Premium package contains all the features from both the Basic and Standard packages, including Outlook Integration, plus more advanced features such as the ANYWHERE feature, great for mobile or remote workers. Additionally, CenturyLink has identified four user types (Mobile, Receptionist, Executive, Administrative) and developed a set of pre-configured features that correspond with these four user types. The Premium package is best for customers who have multiple locations and/or a set of mobile employees.

In addition to the packages listed above, some features can also be purchased a la carte. To determine which a la carte features are available, contact a local CenturyLink representative for details.

Q: Can Hosted VoIP handle remote workers?

A: Yes. There are a variety of productivity-enhancing features that can tie in remote workers, regardless of their location. CenturyLink also offers a Mobile user profile in its Premium package that includes features that specifically address the needs of mobile users.

Q: Can you extension dial between offices with Hosted VoIP?

A: Yes. Hosted VoIP allows site-to-site extension calling and virtual extensions can be set up for users who are 100% mobile.

Q: Is Hosted VoIP future ready?

A: Yes. Because it is a hosted service, CenturyLink handles all migration to newer technology.