Broadsmart FAQs Broadsmart FAQ Can a Traditional System be Eliminated? Reduced Installation and Start-up Costs Do Pay As You Go Plans Exist?

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1 Broadsmart FAQs Broadsmart FAQ Q. Can a Traditional System be Eliminated? A. SmartFlex is a Hosted IP PBX Solution that eliminates the need for a traditional Hardware Purchase. The Phone System is a Software Solution with Services delivered over a Broadband Data Connection. Q. Reduced Installation and Start-up Costs A. The SmartFlex Hosted IP PBX Solution uses your existing Data Network Infrastructure. Not only do you eliminate the cost involved with installing and connecting a Phone Box, but wiring charges are reduced as well. Q. Do Pay As You Go Plans Exist? A. SmartFlex Leasing options will eliminate the up front cost of purchasing Handsets. Charges are paid monthly as services are used. Data and Voice Telecommunications charges are represented as a fixed monthly charge that will remain unchanged for up to (5) Years. The Hosted IP PBX System, and all Handsets, are warranted for the length of your Service Agreement. (Fixed Monthly Charges do not include Long Distance usage) Q. Is the Service Change Seamless? A. The Broadsmart SmartFlex Hosted IP PBX System is installed in parallel with your existing service, utilizing Dummy Phone Numbers and Extensions. Your new IP Phone and your existing Phone will be working at the same time. This allows you to become familiar with the new system, set up your Voic , and make test calls before your numbers are switched. The Final Activation process takes minutes and you are back in business. Q. Eliminate Traditional Maintenance Contracts? A. Your Hosted IP PBX System and Handsets (when Leased) are warranted for the length of your Service Agreement. If you experience problems simply call Broadsmart Customer Service. System programming can be verified remotely and faulty handsets are replaced within (24) Hours. Q. Eliminate On Demand Service Charges? A. Customers without Traditional Service Contracts are typically subjected to $125+ Hourly Service charges with up to (2) Hour minimums. These costs are eliminated with your Hosted IP PBX System. Telecommunications charges can be budgeted, without surprises. Q. Eliminate Traditional Upgrade Costs No Costly Expansion Cards to Buy? A. Your Hosted IP PBX System can handle as many concurrent Users as your Bandwidth will support. Additional Users can be added without costly Expansion Cards or a new Chassis. Remember, each User (Seat) carries a separate charge. Adding an additional User will result in an additional Seat Charge and require an additional Handset, but No System Equipment. Q. Can New Users and Changes be made through an Administrative Web Based Portal? A. Yes. Internal move charges are eliminated. A User can move a phone from one office to another simply by unplugging and plugging in the phone. As employees leave your company, existing phones and extensions can be reassigned to new Users by an Office Administrator through a Web Based Portal. No Vendor, No Onsite Technician, No Charge. Q. Can existing Computer Infrastructure be Shared Eliminate Wiring Costs? A. SmartFlex Phones are connected directly to a CAT5 Computer Cable running to the Broadsmart Router. An employee s computer can be connected directly to the back of the Phone with a short Patch Cable. Separate Phone Drops and Computer Drops are eliminated. This will reduce wiring costs by as much as 50% when building out a new facility.

2 Q. Does Office Voice Traffic Ever Touch the Internet? A. Your Broadsmart SmartFlex Hosted IP PBX System connects your Office to the Broadsmart Data Center via Voice Optimized Dedicated Data Lines. Your Voice Traffic is carried as a Data transmission through our proprietary network. Once the transmission reaches our Data Center, Voice Traffic is directed to the conventional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and Data Traffic is directed to the Internet. Unlike inexpensive Home-based VoIP Solutions, your Voice Traffic never touches the Internet. Remember, remote Users, connected outside the Broadsmart Network, utilize the Internet to carry their Voice Traffic, similar to a home solution. Q. Does the Broadsmart SmartFlex Support Remote and Mobile Users? A. SmartFlex Hosted IP PBX Phones can be connected to any Broadband Internet Connection, anywhere in the World. A User in California can receive calls, transfer calls, and extension dial, as if they were sitting in the Office in Florida. Quality of service is not guaranteed when connected to the Public Internet. Performance will be based on the quality of your connection. Even the most basic Broadband Connection will provide stable, quality, service. Q. Can Multiple Locations be Linked with a Single System? A. Calls can be received at a Corporate Office Location and distributed to Regional Offices by the Corporate Receptionist or Auto Attendant. Unanswered calls can overflow from any location to a centralized point anywhere on your network. Florida, California, and New York Offices can all appear as one large entity. Q. Extension Dialing Between Locations with Broadsmart SmartFlex? A. Three or four digit Extension Dialing will work across the hall, or across the country. Coworkers can be reached by dialing their unique extension, without charges. You re not calling a place; you re calling a person, wherever they are. Q. Call Transfers Between Locations? A. Calls can be transferred to any office on your network, or to any remote User, without incurring additional charges. Calls between company locations all reside on a single system, regardless of the physical location. Q. Can Intra-Company LD Charges (World-Wide) be eliminated? A. Multiple Offices, regardless of their location or area code, are considered to be part of one large company PBX System. Not only are Intra-company LD charges eliminated, but (10) Digit Dialing is no longer necessary; simply dial a three digit extension. Q. Is the System Easy to Move No Porting Required to Move your Business? A. SmartFlex Hosted IP PBX Phones will work from any Broadband Connection. To move your business across town, simply install a T1 and confirm your Internal Wiring is complete. Your employee can be working at the new location as quickly as they can plug their phone into a Computer Jack. No Porting, No Technician, No Problem. Q. Will the Hosted IP PBX Ever Become Antiquated, and are System Upgrades Automatically Applied? A. Technology is constantly changing. State of the Art Machines purchased today can become obsolete in just a few short years. Your SmartFlex Hosted IP PBX is subject to automatic updates as platform improvements and upgrades are released. Your Hosed IP PBX is State of the Art today, and will remain State of the Art, even at the end of your Service Agreement. There s never been a Phone Box like this before! Q. Can the System Play an Integral Part in Disaster Recovery? A. Rain, Sleet, Snow, or Catastrophe! Telecommunications Disaster recovery has never been so easy. Your building can be GONE, and your phone system will still be working. Call Treatments, Greetings, and Call Routing can be changed via the Administrative Web Based Portal from any Broadband Internet Connection, anywhere in the country. An Employee can take their phone and computer to an alternate location, and you re back in business.

3 Q. What if the T-1 goes down? Storms and Power Outages are a Concern. A. Of course any T1 or internet service can go down, but for Broadsmart Hosted IP PBX Customers, the system / solution is not on-site allowing the Auto Attendant & Voice mail to always be on working; even if the T-1 is down. All phones can be temporally moved to any Internet connection. Sim-Ring (Simultaneous ring) will route calls to any cell or remote phone (this can be preprogrammed or set up real time as needed). In addition, Broadsmart Soft- Phones / Lap-top Phones can be used with any wireless Internet connection to make & receive calls. Q. What is Dynamically Allocated Bandwidth Increased Data Efficiency? A. Conventional Voice Transport Lines sit unused when not making a call, while a separate Data Line is connected to the Computer Network. Both these dedicated circuits sit idle for significant portions of the day. SmartFlex utilizes a high capacity Broadband Connection to power both your Voice and Data Network. When a phone goes Off Hook, bandwidth is given priority for the Voice Network. When phones are not in use, all available bandwidth is dedicated to the Data Network. No more idle lines! Q. User DID Numbers or Extension Numbers A. Each User on the Network can be configured with a DID Number, or simply an Extension. With Extension Dialing, callers are only required to dial your Main Telephone Number. Individuals are reached by entering an Extension or Selecting the User by Name. Q. Is there Auto Attendant Functionality? A. Calls can be answered automatically, or answered by a Receptionist with overflow calls going to the Automated System. Either way, big company Auto Attendant functionality is available at a reasonable monthly cost. Q. Is Music on Hold Available? A. Chose from Classical, Light Rock, or Jazz Music on Hold, or custom Music Files and Professionally prepared Announcements can be uploaded to your system. Q. Are Time of Day Call Routing Options Available? A. Auto Attendant functionality can be programmed to answer with Daytime and After Hours Greetings. Additionally, Individual Users have the ability to set custom treatments for inbound calls. Q. Unified Messaging Voic Delivered to ? A. Unified Messaging allows Voic Messages to be delivered to your as a Wave File. You can listen to and delete messages directly from your Computer. When combined with an efax Number, all incoming communications can be delivered to a single place. Q. Custom Find me Follow Me Ring Multiple Devices? A. For the Executive or Sales Person on the move, Custom Set Find Me Follow Me Options allow the user to define multiple devices that will ring simultaneously. If the call is not answered, your system Voic will capture the message. One Number, One Voic Box, multiple contact devices. Q. Can the Service Accommodate Virtual Users (No Hardware)? A. Virtual Users can be assigned a telephone number or extension and a Voic box with Unified Messaging. Incoming Calls are automatically answered by the system and messages are held or delivered based on User Selections. Users appear to be in the office and Cell Phone Numbers can remain unpublished. Q. Can an Out of Area Presence be Accomplished Using IP? A. Virtual Seats can be created in out of Market areas. Customers from these areas can call a local number that rings into your corporate location. This out of area presence eliminates the need for RCF Lines and reduces or eliminates 800 Toll Free charges. Q. What is Hosted IP PBX Communication Service? A. Broadsmart SmartFlex enables a new set of managed telephony services such as Hosted PBX and IP Centrex and other advanced services. These features are not only delivered to a customer s phone, but can be individually configured by the user through a web-based interface. The user can personalize

4 his/her business phone, according to working habits and preferences, by client or customer and by calling priorities. Q. Why Would an End User Subscribe to This? What is the End User Value Proposition? A. This service allows small and medium-sized businesses and multi-site enterprises to gain control over communications expenses and management hassles associated with PBXs and IP/PBXs by migrating to an outsourced solution hosted by the Service Provider (Broadsmart ). It has all of the same features and functions of traditional phone systems as well as advanced features found in newer systems. However, the hosted solution is easier to use, and it improves productivity for both internal and mobile employees. A Hosted IP PBX promotes capital expense savings upon install, and on-going cost savings as a result of browser-based Moves, Adds, and Changes, on-net calling between offices, and bundled applications that businesses usually purchase separately like voic , conferencing and unified messaging. Q. How does this Type of Solution Differ from other Internet-Based Call Management Solutions on the Market? A. This solution is hosted on a carrier-grade network, not the Internet. The applications were built with a browser-based model in mind, making it easy for the service provider and the customers to administer, manage and update their features (such as speed dial keys, phone templates and moves, adds and changes) as if it s their own system. Other web-based portals, such as those offered by Vonage, are simply PC-based solutions with a web-enabled front-end for making calls over the Internet. Broadsmart s Hosted IP PBX (SmartFlex) service also gives the user the same voice quality they have been accustomed to with their own PBX, unlike other Voice over IP solutions that may transport voice traffic over the public Internet. Q. Tell Me More About Microsoft Outlook Integration. Does it allow for Contact Synchronization? What if the Customer does not want to Host all of the Contact Data? How can I Stop That? A. The Microsoft Outlook option will allow users to choose which contacts should be synchronized and contacts can be characterized as Personal Contacts, or Company Contacts. Currently, the company directory will be hosted in the network. Each individual user is not required, nor do they need to, synchronize their personal contacts with the network. But remember, this data is secure, and cannot be viewed by other users because of the way the database is administered and secured. Remember, this system, including the data, looks like a PBX to your customer, but it is hosted in the network. Q. What Versions of Outlook does the Service Support? A. The Microsoft Outlook option works with both Outlook 2000 and Outlook XP. Q. What is the Difference between the Voic and Unified Messaging? A. There are two options for messaging: 1) the standard hosted voic solution accessed verbally though your phone keys as most systems work today, or 2) a Unified Messaging solution. With the Unified Messaging option, your customer can access their voice messages through their , and send voice messages through . They can see who called them and listen to their voice messages through a headset on their PC, right from Outlook. Q. What About Conferencing? A. The base service has up to 4-way ad-hoc conferencing from the phone itself. With a display phone, the conference can be set up with the soft keys on the display, and parties can be easily added (or dropped) from a conference. For conference bridging, Broadsmart has FlexMeet Reservationless Conferencing which allows a user to invite attendees to a conference line (set up by the administrator) for ad-hoc conference calls. Q. Who Manages the Hosted IP PBX Service? A. Once the service is ordered, the technical and/or office contact designated within the company will be sent details (via ) to set up the service for the company. The Administrator s Portal was designed so anyone in a company could be responsible for making moves, adds and changes. Training requirements are minimal compared to the traditional certified training courses required for premises-based solutions. Administrators will have their own Management Web Portal, separate from their own Personalized Web Portal (for their own phone), which will allow them to perform moves, adds, changes to any user, update their company directory, administer hunt groups and even optional ACD groups, and

5 more. You get all the features and functionality of an in-house PBX or Key System without the hassles of managing a physical piece of equipment. The web-based Administrator s Portal allows the administrator to manage a remote office, or work on changes from any location where they have access to an Internet connection. This remote administration capability is easier and more intuitive to use than that of any PBX (or IP-PBX) on the market. Q. What About Redundancy and Fail-Over Capabilities? A. The service is engineered to be as reliable as any other carrier-grade network product. Since all of the data is stored in the network, the data itself is secured. The system has been tested to meet a % (5-9 s) reliability requirement. Broadsmart takes great pride in the redundancy plan to offer its most valuable asset, the customer, reliability, safety, and piece of mind. Q. What Happens to the Voice Quality when Several Users are Using their Phones, and Several Other Users are Uploading/Downloading Large Data Transfers? A. The customer and service provider should determine the correct bandwidth requirements of each location based on the number of employees, as well as an evaluation of the customer s LAN. Based on the assessment and customer requirements, the system will be provisioned and installed to ensure voice quality, and the number of users and/or data being transmitted shouldn t have an effect on voice quality. Q. So what about QoS? Is a Service Provider able to guarantee that a User s Voice Quality won t degrade when the Network or Internet is Busy? A. With voice quality, traffic is managed on a per-customer basis. In addition, the service is transmitted over a managed IP network, not the Internet. This network is engineered for voice traffic only. If the Internet is busy, it will affect only the response time of user portals, which are not needed in order to use phones and make calls. Q. What do Customers Need? A. Customers complete a qualification / provisioning checklist to determine what specifically is needed, including selecting the most appropriate service packages for the business. Once this is done, the customer may simply need new phones, -or may require additional cabling, a router and/or an expanded access circuit and phones. Q. What Phones are supported? Is any Additional Equipment Necessary to Attach those Phones to the Service? A. The service will work with a host of IP phones including Cisco, LG and Polycom. If the customer has a Toshiba DK Key system, their phones may also work with the solution, as well as Nortel system. Any analog phone can be converted to an IP phones by means of an adapter. Q. What about E-911, Local Numbering Plans (LNP) and well, just all the Stuff that Goes Along with Offering a Complete Solution? A. Broadsmart currently offers the most sophisticated E-911 capabilities on the line-side and works with the Class 5 to support the trunk-side, network-facing functions of E-911, LNP and 800 services. The E911 solution has unique capabilities that address the needs of a business with multiple locations and a requirement to move a phone number from one location to another. Since 911 requires the call to be routed to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) associated with the physical location, Broadsmart utilizes a technique that allows service providers to ensure the 911 call is routed to the correct PSAP with the correct phone number. As far as a local numbering plan, each phone will have a specific Direct Inward Dialing (DID) number that does not need to be published in a public directory. In other words, only the customer s main number needs to be published. A 2, 3, 4 or 7 digit-dialing plan is available for internal extension dialing, depending on the needs of the customer. Q. What about Security? Couldn t someone Hack Into my Customer s Network? A. The hosted communications servers are fully secured in the network ensuring that only authorized end users and network servers can access the system. Third party products, when integrated with the service, offer extensive security on the network side ensuring that customers or third-party IP networks are managed accordingly.

6 Q. What if a Company has a Firewall? How would it work? What about other Security Aspects of your Solution? A. There are multiple approaches to delivering IP telephony while keeping your firewall intact. The solution operates outside of the firewall, and/or can utilize a Network Address Translation device (NAT), which only allows voice calls to the specific IP addresses through the firewall. Q. In case of failure of any component, is there any impact on service? A. In the event of a failure, the impact on service is very limited if at all perceptible. The system was designed to isolate failures from the users, so any calls in progress will remain up in the event of a failure. There is extensive network monitoring to ensure that any local failures (phones, LANs, etc.) are minimized when failures occur. If there is a power outage at the customer site, calls can be instantly re directed by accessing the Administrator s Portal and re-routing calls to another telephone number. The Broadsmart failure plan is listed in detail on the website at broadsmart.com. Q. How long does it take to turn Up the Customer on this Service? A. Customers can generally expect that the service, from the time the order is placed to the time the customer has dial tone and training, to be between 30 and 45 days. However, this depends on the customer s current bandwidth delivered, whether LNP is required (from another service provider), whether cabling upgrades are required, and/or a number of other factors. Q. How and where will the Service be billed in Relation to the Existing bill? A. The customer invoice cuts on the 4 th of each month, and is normally received on or around the 10th. Broadsmart takes over where the previous provider leaves off. Q. What Types of Reports are available to the Business to manage this Service? A. The Administrator s Portal provides the users with a report that allows them to view each phone number and the services assigned and provisioned to that phone number. Every time a change is made to an account, adding or deleting numbers and features, the report is automatically updated and can be viewed from any Internet connection. Additional reports are also available. Q. Is a Local Numbering Plan (LNP) required? A. LNP is required in most cases. If the customer is a new customer, then LNP will be required, as with any service. The DIDs must be ported to the hosted system. If the customer is an existing customer, then LNP will not be required Q. What Type of Access Products are Sold in Conjunction with this Service? A. From 1.5Mbps T-1 s to 100Mbps Metro-Ethernet, all products are offered by Broadsmart. Q. Who do I Call for Service Issues? A. Broadsmart s Customer has access to live Technical Support during normal business hours (Monday through Friday from 8AM 8PM EST), and on call support 24 X 7. Billing Support during normal business hours (Monday through Friday from 8AM 8PM EST). In the event of any interruption in service on a broadband access link, Broadsmart is notified immediately through its proactive network monitoring system. Customers must assign a local tenant administrator (Customer administrator) as the primary point of contact. This administrator has an assigned Login ID and Password for the Office Administrator portal). Technical Support and Service are always available using the Broadsmart User Web Portal. Q. What kind of Savings can I expect for my Customer? A. Amount of savings depends on the size of the business, the type of service they currently have, and other solutions currently under evaluation. A Total Cost of Ownership calculator is available with the product that will assist customers in determining this, relative to other available solutions, such as a Nortel Meridian PBX, Cisco Call Manager or traditional service. Generally, since the customer does not have to purchase any premises-based hardware, the savings will be dramatic and compelling.

7 Q. How does Toll-Free 800 Service Work? A. Customers will be able to keep their existing 800 services. Q. What about Customers who need Call Accounting Codes and Billing Codes? A. The Service has the ability for customers to assign as many codes as they like, based on users, projects, clients, etc. At the end of the billing cycle, these calls can be separated out by account/billing code, so customers know where these calls are to be charged. Q. How do you deliver the Service? Broadsmart uses a best in breed partner overlay. Our voice optimized broadband access component solution in and around T1, SDSL, and recently even ADSL for the very small business (VSB) is available. Level 3 provides local numbers and ILEC interconnection. Broadsmart provides install and truck roll trouble ticket support Nationwide, and this triple overlay allows Broadsmart to provide service to 30+ Tier1/Tier2 markets with a fully managed QoS. Q. What about Service Level Agreements (SLA) on Hosted IP PBX New Service? A. SLA s are a major part of delivering this new service, and will be part of the customer contract. The SLA s cover Service Availability, Quality of Voice Service, Latency and Packet Loss. Q. Does Broadsmart offer Sip Trunking? A. Yes. SIP Trunking allows Broadsmart to run trunks directly into the customers premise based IP PBX. In addition, the customer can peer with multiple long distance carriers to least cost rout traffic to a pre-selected carrier. If needed, the number of simultaneous calls can be increased (42 at one time) on a T1. Q. What is Voice Over Internet Protocol? A. Telephone service that uses your high speed internet access to provide low cost reliable service. Q. Is Broadsmart Service the same as Vonage? A. No. Broadsmart utilizes a secure, dedicated network that routes customers calls at the most efficient speeds in the industry. This practice delivers crystal clear voice calls very much like the quality of traditional voice service. The majority of companies offering VOIP today utilize what is known as Best Effort, which means that from your phone to the carriers switch, the call is being routed via public access internet. This practice produces slower transmission speeds resulting in poor voice quality and sometimes dropped calls. Q. Where is Broadsmart Service Available? A. Broadsmart SmartFlex is available in the U.S. 48 States and pricing is uniform throughout. Q. How do I Open an Account with Broadsmart? A. Contact our sales office at or sales@broadsmart.com