NEW YORK -- Affiniti, the communications integrator created from the merger of Kingston Communications and Omnetica, announced today that it is launching a Voice over IP service for its channel partners to resell. The business class service is one of the most comprehensive and advanced available in the UK.

Voice over IP, also commonly known as Voice over Broadband or Internet Telephony, enables people to make calls via a broadband connection instead of using a separate phone line.

Affiniti's flexible service is an end-to-end, business grade solution, which allows Affiniti's channel partners to pick and choose the elements they need to deliver VoIP to their customers. These elements comprise network services including broadband connections (supplied by Affiniti's sister company and award winning ISP, Eclipse) and PSTN breakout via Affiniti's national network, the supply of the specialist VoIP phones and, an advanced VoIP telephony application in partnership with Inclarity plc. Provisioning of the service is seamless via Engage, Affiniti's Partner Portal.

By adopting VoIP, businesses can reduce their costs and increase productivity by allowing employees to work remotely. Affiniti's service works by creating a private IP network for customers which allows them to make calls to anywhere in the world, whilst enjoying advanced features at a fraction of their usual price, and with free inter-site calls.

It has all the functionality of a business class phone system, such as advanced call routing, voicemail, a unified dial plan across multiple sites, hunt groups, fax to e-mail and call divert/forward services. The service puts customers in control as it is fully manageable via a secure web interface enabling users to turn features on and off with the click of a mouse.

Andrew Tapley, Managing Director of Affiniti - Partner Services and Regions explains, "This VoIP service brings expensive PBX functionality within reach of small businesses and home offices. Our channel partners have been asking us for a VoIP service with increasing regularity, but it was clear that we had to develop a service that would suit their differing needs. For example, many of our ISP partners already have their own broadband capability, but the telephony resellers do not. Through our unique extranet, Engage, partners can provision the elements of the VoIP service that they need, simply and quickly".