Linksys and Worldxchange to Market Voice-Over-Ip Products to Consumers and Small Businesses in New Zealand
WorldxChange to Offer Linksys VoIP Equipment to its Customers
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – 30 August 2006 –Linksys®, a Division of Cisco Systems, Inc., and the recognised leading provider
of voice, wireless and networking hardware for the consumer, Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) and small business
customers, and WorldxChange, New Zealand’s first fully convergent IP carrier today announced that it has entered into a
marketing relationship to promote voice-over-IP (VoIP) products and services to consumers and small businesses.
“Linksys has achieved a high level of success in VoIP markets globally. Our relationship with WorldxChange will help
accelerate Linksys’ entry into New Zealand’s VoIP market for consumers and small businesses,” Said Graeme Reardon,
regional director of Linksys Australia and New Zealand. “Working with WorldxChange will allow us to redefine a
consumer’s Internet experience. Besides having a high-speed internet connection, they will also have access to low-cost
voice calls and added home networking features from a single device. For small businesses, the Linksys Voice System
(LVS) offers the value of a full-featured, private branch exchange (PBX) solution which is easy to install, simple to
use and affordably priced.”
“We are pleased to work with Linksys. Their heritage and success in the VoIP space will ensure that WorldxChange
customers have access to the advanced technology available in this market,” said Cecil Alexander, chief executive
officer of WorldxChange. “No matter how well a carrier designs and implements an IP network of this scale, it is only of
value to the consumer if the equipment is reliable and supports our interoperability standards. We are confident that
Linksys will stimulate the demand for VoIP services among consumers and small businesses.”
Consumers can connect to the WorldxChange service using the Linksys Wireless-G ADSL Gateway with Two Phone Ports
(WAG54GP2). Small Businesses will have access to the WorldxChange service through a complete IP / PBX communication
solution, the Linksys Voice System comprising of the Linksys Voice System IP PBX (SPA9000), Linksys Phone Adapter
(SPA3000) and a range of IP desktop telephones.
VoIP for Consumers
The WAG54GP2 is an all-in-one solution for Internet connectivity and telephony. It offers a high-speed modem connection
to ADSL / ADSL2+ services, a 4-port switch that allows up to four directly connected PCs or cascaded switches to share
your Internet connection and a built-in Wireless-G (802.11g) Access Point which allows up to 32 wireless b or g devices
to be connected at any time. The device has two standard phone ports and this offers a high-quality feature-rich
telephone service over an Internet connection. For data protection and security, the WAG54GP2 has an advanced SPI
firewall and wireless transmissions are protected with WPA encryption.
VoIP for Small Businesses
Small businesses in New Zealand will have access to large business telephony features at a small business budget with
the Linksys Voice System. The central component is the SPA9000, which is an IP PBX which delivers advanced, multi-line
features usually found in expensive enterprise telephone networks.
Small businesses with up to 16 extensions can customise their voice network to direct calls to the right person or
department and program the system to allow on and off business hour greetings with the Auto Attendant feature,. A
promotional message can be created to greet or provide information to callers placed on hold, or pipe in the music of
choice. The system also allows users to park calls, fax over the Internet and use the intercom for paging. Out of the
box, the Linksys IPX SPA9000 supports up to four extensions and through a software license key upgrade, up to sixteen
extensions can be supported.
For added reliability, the Linksys Voice System also supports an Analog Gateway (SPA3000) for connecting calls over a
PSTN network during a service disruption or to make emergency calls.
The Linksys Voice System offers five affordable IP desktop telephones. These phones have one or two Ethernet ports, 1,
2, or 4 extensions, optional Power over Ethernet functionality and a no-display model.
Model Ethernet Ports # of Extensions Display
SPA901 1 1 None
SPA921 1 1 Monochrome
SPA922 2 with PoE 1 Monochrome
SPA941 1 2, upgradeable to 4 Monochrome
SPA942 2 with PoE 2, upgradeable to 4 Monochrome
These telephones work with all SIP-based IP Telephony solutions, but when used with the SPA9000, the phones install
easily and automatically configure themselves with business class telephony services offered by WorldxChange.
Pricing and Availability
The WAG54GP2 is available now through all authorised retailers, resellers and wholesale channels at a recommended retail
price (RRP) of NZ$289.95. WorldxChange’s VoIP products can be viewed at www.xnet.co.nz/vfx
The Linksys Voice System is available now through WorldxChange resellers only. The RRPs are as follows:
- SPA9000 Linksys Voice System IP PBX: NZ$599.95
- SPA3000 Linksys Phone Adapter with 1 FXS and 1 FXO Port ATA Solution with PSTN Gateway: NZ$179.95
- SPA901 Linksys Single Line IP Phone with 1 Ethernet Port: NZ$159.95
- SPA921 Linksys Single Line Business IP Phone with 1 Ethernet Port: NZ$229.95
- SPA922 Linksys Single Line Power over Ethernet (PoE) Business IP Phone with 2 Ethernet Ports: NZ$289.95
- SPA941 Linksys 2-4 Line Business IP Phone with 1 Ethernet Port: NZ$269.95
- SPA942 Linksys 2-4 Line Power over Ethernet (PoE) Business IP Phone with 2 Ethernet Ports: NZ$299.95
About Linksys
Founded in 1988, Linksys, a Division of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the recognised leader in Voice, Wireless
and Ethernet networking hardware for consumer, SOHO and small business users. Linksys is dedicated to making networking
easy and affordable for its customers, offering innovative, award-winning products that seamlessly integrate with a
variety of devices and applications. Linksys provides award-winning product support to its customers. For more
information, visit www.linksys.co.nz.
About WorldxChange Communications Limited
WorldxChange Communications Limited is a 100 per cent NZ-owned, privately-held company that is the third largest
provider of tolls services in New Zealand (behind Telecom NZ and Telstra/Clear). The company has more than 40,000 active
tolls customers that generated around NZD$22 million in the last financial year. The company is located in Auckland and
currently employs 34 full-time staff. WorldxChange has recently invested heavily in carrier-grade IP core hardware and
systems that will allow it to become the first true fully-convergant IP carrier in New Zealand. The network utilises
vendor offerings from both Broadworks and Cisco that have been combined to allow for a full service offering of voice,
Internet and video services via IP over alternative last mile networks around New Zealand. For more information, please
see: www.wxc.co.nz
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other countries. Other brands and products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
Copyright © 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
ENDS