8x8 Introduces Packet8 Plug-and-Play IP Phones, Hosted Key Systems

8×8 Inc. (NASDAQ:EGHT ), provider of Packet 8 business, mobile and residential communication services, announced the launch of a new line of broadband-agnostic, plug-and-play IP phones developed in conjunction with Aastra Telecom. 8×8 also announced the introduction of new Packet8 hosted key systems.

The Packet8 675xi series of IP phones incorporates 8×8’s advanced NAT traversal technologies to allow users to simply plug the phone into any public or private Internet connection and immediately make or receive calls without performing any network configuration or firewall manipulation. The Packet8 675xi IP phones also deliver enhanced equipment and service features including corporate directory display and lookup, intercom paging, shared line appearance and Power over Ethernet capability.

The Packet8 675xi IP phone series consists of three models — the 6753i entry-level phone, 6755i intermediate phone and 6757i CT advanced phone — each of which offers full duplex speakerphone functionality, programmable softkey appearances, LCD display screens, embedded XML browsers and up to nine call appearance lines.

Prices for the Packet8 675xi series range from $129.99 for the 6753i to $349.99 for the high-end 6757i CT model, which includes a DECT cordless phone as part of the bundled offer. The 6757i CT model’s built-in DECT antenna allows the user to roam up to a 300-foot radius from the 6757i CT base telephone.

In related news, 8×8 announced the introduction of new Packet8 hosted IP telephony services designed to replace traditional premise-based telephone “key systems,” typically used by companies that share multiple, common phone lines among employees, regardless of where the employees are located. Driven by the new Packet8 675xi series of IP desktop phones, the new hosted key system solution provides businesses an opportunity to migrate to VoIP without altering features, functionality and user behavior.

“Our new line of IP phones has enabled us to deploy one of the first hosted key system services in the world, enabling businesses to benefit from the lower costs associated with VoIP while maintaining the familiar key system feature set they are used to,” said 8×8 vice president of sales and marketing, Huw Rees.

The Packet8 hosted key system solution includes a searchable corporate directory, direct intercom paging from phone to phone and shared line appearance functionality which allows a group of users to accept a call, place it on hold, page a colleague and ask them to pick up the call on any one of up to nine separate lines.

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