Sipgate brings Team VoIP service to the UK

Sipgate offers what it says is a flexible and low-cost VoIP system for SMEs

VoIP vendor Sipgate has launched the UK version of its Team service which it claims offers a range of functionality allowing small firms to cut costs and make workers more efficient.

Sipgate Team provides access to a variety of functions hosted through an online web portal, including phone logs, records, voicemails and faxes, and the ability to forward, label and comment on calls.

Sean Jones, a technical support agent at Sipgate, explained that the firm is targeting the new product at companies of up to 100 users owing to its potential to improve return on investment for smaller organisations.

"Times are still tight among many smaller firms, and any cost savings are vital. The Team tool allows staff to speak to one another free of charge across multiple locations worldwide simply by dialling their extension," he said.

"We are already in operation with this product in Germany and the US where we support thousands of users everyday. After some customer testing and feedback, we felt the time was right to launch in the UK."

However, Jones suggested that there is a lack of understanding about VoIP technology and what it offers, and Sipgate may consider running academies in the UK to explain its potential, as it has done in Germany.

The system also offers team collaboration so that calls can be routed to multiple employees, where they can then be tagged and noted according to the action that needs to be taken.

Staff with a set extension number can use this connection over multiple locations so that employees on the same system can talk for free over their numbers, regardless of location.

The service costs £1.50 per user per month, with no limit on how many phone numbers can be used, and a 30-day trial is available.

Domestic calls to fixed-line networks are 1p per minute and to mobile net works 9.9p per minute, and flat-rate tariffs may be introduced in the future.