8x8, Inc. Expands VoIP and Videophone Service Offerings With CounterPath-Powered Packet8 Softalk(TM)
January 06 2006 - 7:15AM
PR Newswire (US)
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 2006 CONSUMER
ELECTRONICS SHOW -- 8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ:EGHT), the Packet8 broadband
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and videophone communications
service provider and CounterPath Solutions, Inc. (OTC:CTPS)
(BULLETIN BOARD: CTPS) today unveiled 8x8's latest VoIP service,
Packet8 Softalk(TM), a co-branded, video-enabled SIP softphone for
use with the Packet8 residential, video and Virtual Office Internet
phone services. Developed using CounterPath's software development
kit (SDK), Softalk enables subscribers to make and receive voice
and video phone calls directly on their personal computers without
the need for a regular analog phone. All that is required is a
desktop or laptop personal computer running Microsoft Windows with
built-in or external speakers and microphones or a computer
headset. Packet8 Softalk(TM) will be offered in two plans, Basic
and Premium, beginning Q1 2006. Packet8 Softalk (TM) Basic allows
unlimited IP to IP ("in- network") voice and video calling between
Softalk users and existing Packet8 voice and videophone subscribers
free of charge. There is no activation or disconnect fee for the
Basic service. Packet8 Softalk(TM) Premium and Softalk Virtual
Office will offer the same toll free in-network calling as well as
outbound calling to the PSTN (public switch telephone network)
along with all the Packet8 advanced calling features including
voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding and many more
for $5.99 per month and a one-time activation fee of $9.99. Softalk
Premium users will get 500 minutes of outgoing and incoming minutes
on calls throughout the US and Canada. Softalk Virtual Office is
priced at $5.99 per month for 200 minutes of calls to the U.S. and
Canada. Each additional minute will be billed at 1.9 cents per
minute, with outgoing international minutes billed at the current
Packet8 international rates. "With the launch of Packet8
Softalk(TM), we are not only providing potential new customers with
an opportunity to test Packet8 service, we are also giving our
existing Packet8 subscribers an easy way to access their service
even while they are away from the home or office," said 8x8 Vice
President of Sales & Marketing Huw Rees. "Packet8 Softalk (TM)
can be downloaded to a laptop so that when a subscriber travels all
they need to do is go online to make phone calls and get all the
great benefits of the Packet8 service." "8x8 has built a very
compelling value proposition for its customers," said Donovan Jones
CounterPath's Vice President Sales & Marketing. "As business
and residential customers maximize the benefits from IP
communications, softphones which allow for high quality Voice,
Video and IM, will become a critical component of a service
provider's offering. Through our licensing agreement, we are
looking forward to further augmenting 8x8's service offerings with
high quality, rich, robust applications." Both Packet8 Softalk(TM)
plans can be downloaded from the Packet8 website,
http://www.packet8.net/ , free of charge. In addition to a PC or
laptop, the equipment required to use Packet8 Softalk(TM) includes
a headset and microphone or USB phone. For video use, a standard,
off-the-shelf webcam is required to send images, though none is
required to receive video images. With a small footprint installer,
SIP standards compliant Packet8 Softalk(TM) runs on Windows
operating systems that run personal computers (PCs). Packet8
Softalk (TM) uses advanced audio and video compression algorithms.
About 8x8, Inc. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service
provider 8x8, Inc. offers internet-based telephony solutions
(http://www.packet8.net/) for individual, residential and business
users as well as small to medium sized business organizations. In
addition to regular Packet8 VoIP service plans, priced as low as
$19.99 per month for unlimited anytime calling to the U.S. and
Canada, 8x8 offers the Packet8 VideoPhone, the industry's first
stand alone broadband consumer videophone with worldwide video
calling for $19.99 per month. Packet8 Virtual Office, 8x8's VoIP
solution for small to medium sized businesses, is a hosted PBX
service comprised of powerful business class features. For
additional company information, visit 8x8's website at
http://www.8x8.com/ . About CounterPath Solutions, Inc.
CounterPath, formerly Xten Networks, Inc., is a developer of award-
winning, high-quality, carrier-grade VoIP (Voice over IP) and Video
over IP SIP softphones for service providers, cable operators,
Internet telephony service providers, IP PBX manufacturers and
OEMs. CounterPath's SIP softphones are available either
pre-configured or as a software development kit (SDK), and provide
VoIP (Voice over IP), Video over IP, IM (Instant Messaging), and
Presence functionality. CounterPath's softphones for Windows, MAC
OS X, Pocket PC and Linux are software applications which run on
devices such as personal computers (PCs) and personal digital
assistants (PDAs) or can be integrated into set-top boxes, embedded
devices and instant messenger applications. CounterPath technology
is deployed with leading service providers in more than 5,400,000
IP endpoints worldwide. For more information, visit
http://www.counterpath.com/ . DATASOURCE: 8x8, Inc. CONTACT: Joan
Citelli of 8x8, Inc., +1-408-687-4320, or ; or Todd Hanas, Investor
Relations of CounterPath, 1-866-869-8072, or ; or Tiffany Zinck,
Media Relations, +1-604-320-3344, ext. 208, or , for CounterPath
Web site: http://www.8x8.com/ http://www.counterpath.com/
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