As a journalist at PC World Australia:
South Australian broadband carrier Internode has launched the second generation of its VoIP service. The new service combines Internode's existing outbound-only calling capabilities with additional inbound features.
The ISP is expected to deliver the high-quality broadband voice services to residential and business customers throughout Australia.
Built on the BroadWorks application platform by VoIP software provider BroadSoft, Internode's new NodePhone2 will include features such as voicemail, speed dial, called ID, online billing and account management, and facilities for making outbound and inbound calls to and from other VoIP users, as well as users on the traditional Public Switched Telephone Network.
The service targets home users and Small-to-Medium Businesses, and is available directly from Internode either as an individual service, or as part of flexible service packages that combine voice and broadband services.
"While NodePhone2 will continue to appeal to residential customers, it will deliver most value to SME business that can reduce telecommunication costs significantly without sacrificing quality," said Internode's Managing Director, Simon Hackett.
"NodePhone is a service that provides extra value for Internode customers; some customers pay for the cost of their broadband plan through the phone call savings delivered by NodePhone," he said.
Alongside its original outbound-only calling service, NodePhone1, which came with a fee of $10 per month, Internode is now offering two NodePhone2 plans priced at $20 per month and $30 per month for Value and Premium users respectively.
The plans differ in features, although all three plans offer free calls to other NodePhone users, $0.18 flat rate calls to national landlines and $0.30 per minute calls to Australian mobile phones.
"It's about giving them [customers] a range of affordable, high-quality communication services running on Internode's first tier national network," Hackett said.
Future developments in the NodePhone service range are expected to be underpinned by the BroadWorks platform, Hackett said.
