Introduction to the Newsletter
Clear communication is the cornerstone to a strong, long-lasting relationship. With the speed of business today, we realized that much of what is going on with LightEdge has not been sufficiently communicated to our partners.

Starting in March and continuing monthly, we will publish a newsletter consisting of LightEdge News, Announcements and Events, product launches or upgrades, productivity hints and information regarding LightEdge support. We hope that the information provided and the quick-read format will give you something to think about each month.

So far this year...
Although the year has just begun, 2006 is already bearing fruit and several changes are underway.

• Business Tagline
  A new tagline has been created to concisely describe what we do now and our direction as a company.
  
  The tagline: Voice. Data. IT. Converged
  
  As internet bandwidth and networking becomes merely connectivity, we are leading the market in adding valuable products and services to this connection. The term "converged" in networking means that LightEdge is a single-source provider of products and services over a single connection. Simply put, LightEdge is the partner that you can rely on for all of your Voice, Data and IT needs.
  
  
• New Corporate Website
  The process is underway to update the LightEdge website. The new site will be cleaner and less cluttered, with an emphasis on providing a conceptual understanding of the products and services offered as well as the benefits that a company could derive from using them.
  
  
• Business Continuity Center
  A new business continuity center is being built in Altoona, IA in partnership with LBC Technology, LLC. This building is able to withstand 200 mph winds and has access to two separate power grids and fiber-optic networks. The BCC will include a business area (for clients displaced from their offices) as well as a data center managed by LightEdge. The building is expected to be complete in the fall.
  Read more
  
  
• Acquisition
  LightEdge has acquired Internet Express, an Internet Service Provider in the Moline, IL, which expands our market presence and client base considerably in the Quad Cities.
  
  
• Product Launches
  Converged Access for Digital Phone Systems
  Businesses with Digital phone systems are now able to converge their phone and data services to a single-line and a single-source. Converged access is perfect for most businesses as it allows immediate cost savings and prepares the company for migration to a full VoIP system in the future.
  
  Managed Backup and Recovery
  This spring, LightEdge will unveil a new product offering to help our clients with offsite back-up and storage of critical application data (such as CRM and financial data) with an incremental block-level architecture. The block-level storage allows data to be stored frequently and restored easily in the event that it is needed. Tape back-up can't compare to the easy and simplicity of incremental block-level back-up.
  

Our goal for 2006 is client satisfaction. We intend to meet this by maintaining a secure and reliable technical infrastructure with the latest technology, staffing our company with the brightest and most attentive professionals available and continuing to offer scale-on-demand products that will offer your business competitive advantages and exceptional potential for growth.

Scott Riedel
Product Marketing Manager

LightEdge Perspective
Although our business is based around technology and technical solutions, the most important thing that we develop every day is our relationship with our customers.   We realize that trust and respect are not given away freely, they are earned.  The entire staff is committed to making sure that your experience is the best possible.  We hope that this commitment leads to a long-lasting relationship that allows both of our companies to grow.

For the last two and a half years Lightedge Solutions has been aggressively executing on product development, services and support for what most pundits believe is an explosive opportunity centered on the convergence of voice, data and IT. The ubiquitous deployment of bandwidth, maturation of IT technologies, and the growth of VoIP are making for a compelling opportunity for the small and mid-size companies to gain access to Fortune 500 Enterprise solutions without the risk of owning and managing the technology.

Lightedge Solutions’ goal in a nut shell is to provide your business with competitive advantages that would otherwise be too expensive if implemented without a technology partner. Through our Cisco-powered, multi-data center redundant private network we provide secure, highly available, high-performance solutions that can truly impact your business.  Our philosophy has been to develop our network to the highest level of stability and redundancy, which is why we rely on Cisco, IBM (Blade Servers and SAN), and Network Appliance (Network Attached Storage). 

Of course wrapped around these technologies are world class engineers in both VoIP and managed IT. In the last two and a half years, Lightedge has nearly doubled our employee base to 95 employees. Most of that added headcount is in the areas of customer care, engineering, and operations. We have aggressively sought the best people possible and I am pleased to say we have been very successful in attracting outstanding skills and experience.

Time will ultimately tell the tale, but we believe that our VoIP (voice-over-IP) solution will take the market by storm.  We deployed VoIP, based on the leading platform from Broadsoft, eighteen months ago and since that time have implemented thousands of VoIP seats, including one of the five largest Broadsoft implementations - an 875 seat project in the Omaha school system.

If that wasn't enough, LightEdge is extremely well-positioned for the next big wave - Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery. Ground has been broken, and work has begun on the Edge BCC, our business continuity center in Altoona. This building houses a redundant data center and a business continuity workspace for clients that are displaced due to fire or natural disaster. This project will be the subject of further discussions as the year progresses and the building is completed.

On behalf of the entire LightEdge team I want to thank you for your support today and in the future. We are committed to our relationship with you in every way.

Sincerely,

Jim Masterson
Chairman and CEO

Internet Express Acquisition
Late in 2005, the management teams of LightEdge Solutions and Internet Express inked a deal that would bring together exceptional business and cultural synergies and expanded market potential for both. Ultimately, the merger gives Quad Cities businesses a single-source option for enterprise-level, converged voice and data solutions that was not available before.

"Internet Expresses business model, culture, location and ongoing success made it a perfect match for LightEdge. We reviewed over 50 companies and in the end were only left with one that made good business sense," reported Jim Masterson, CEO of LightEdge.

LightEdge will retain all the employees of Internet Express and anticipates that the transition will be seamless to all of IE's clients. Through this acquisition, however, Internet Express clients will now be able to take advantage of additional voice and network offerings such as: hosted PBX (VoIP), application hosting and several backup/storage options.

Everyone at LightEdge would like to formally welcome all of our new partners and let everyone know how excited we are to have such a strong representation in the Quad Cities.

For details on the products offered through the combined LightEdge/Internet Express please review the LightEdge website, or contact your account manager at Internet Express.

What is VoIP?
Voice-over-IP Simple Overview
In the simplest sense, VoIP is taking a voice transmission and routing it as data packets over a converged voice/data network. This could be either the public internet or a private data/voice network. Utilizing a converged network means that your company can eliminate nearly all of the phone lines procured from the phone company*.

VoIP comes in several flavors depending on your situation or needs:

• Converged Trunk (Analog or Digital) - Converged trunk means that your office keeps its existing PBX and existing phones. The features that are available to your users are the same features that were available through the PBX. The advantage of a converged trunk is that it reduces the number of lines necessary through the telephone company*, eliminates long distance between sites on the network and positions the company for future VoIP growth.
• Hosted PBX - When a company's PBX has reached its life cycle-end, Hosted PBX is the perfect way to assure carrier-grade voice transmissions without up-front capital costs. In a hosted PBX model, the PBX resides in the LightEdge network cloud and is constantly upgraded to the latest version. Hosted PBX offers an incredible feature set (see 12 Features section listed below) which can be configured at the user level for maximum flexibility and minimal administration.
  Click to see the Hosted PBX Comparison Chart
• Cap and Grow Hybrid - If your PBX is still functioning well but your company has outgrown it, a hybrid approach of converged trunk and Hosted PBX can be used. Essentially, the company follows the Converged Trunk model and as new users are added they are added as Hosted PBX users. Cap and Grow is a strategy used by growing companies that want to migrate to VoIP at their own pace.

Ensuring Call Quality
VoIP can either be transmitted over the Public Internet or a Private Data/Voice Network. Calls over the Public Internet are based on "best effort", while VoIP through the LightEdge Private Network includes Quality of Service (QoS) measures that ensure call quality. QoS enables the network to differentiate and prioritize packets for better routing. During high traffic times, QoS gives highest priority to voice packets and voice signaling packets which enables the network offer carrier-grade quality with no latency or interruptions.

For detailed information on VoIP and its impact on your business, contact your Territory Account Manager directly, or call 1.877.771.EDGE (3343).

*Phones lines may still be necessary for 911 and fax. Consult with your LightEdge representative regarding your specific needs.

The Power of VoIP
11 VoIP Features to Improve your Productivity
One of the biggest advantages of a VoIP (Voice-over-IP) phone is the incredible array of productivity features available at your fingertips. VoIP features are user-administered using a simple web-based application. Within just a few minutes everyone can take control of their phone functionality without the need of an administrator.

1. Unified Messaging - Voice Messaging Management gives users the option to review voice mail on their phone, on their computer as a WAV file attachment in e-mail or as a unified message available in both ways. WAV file messages are useful as they can be archived for the future or forwarded to other parties. (See image below)
   
   
2. Message Notify - By selecting the Message Notify box in the Voice Messaging center, the system will send a text message to your cell phone or other e-mail with the time and date of the message to ensure that you are aware of a message even when you are out of the office. (See image below)
   
   
   
   
3. Do Not Disturb - Allows calls to go directly to voice-mail without ringing your phone.
   
   
4. Simultaneous Ring/Sequential Ring - The Simultaneous Ring and Sequential Ring features allow you to route your calls to your location. Simultaneous ring calls all phones specified at the same time, while sequential ring will ring based on your specifications (3 rings on office phone, 2 rings on cell phone, 2 rings home phone).
   
   
5. Priority Alert - The Priority Alert setting allows your phone to ring differently based on pre-defined criteria. This is useful if you want to know when your supervisor or an important client is calling.
   
   
6. Speed Dial 8/Speed Dial 100 - Speed Dialing can be set up to allow easy access to frequently called numbers.
   
   
7. Single-click Dial - The Call Manager of your VoIP phone can access an employee list, a personal list and a call log including missed calls. You can instantly call someone on one of these lists by scrolling to their name and clicking their number.
   
   
8. Three-way Conference - VoIP phones allow three-way conferencing without additional setup.
   
   
9. Voice-mail Management - Voice-mail management allows you to configure the system in three ways: voice-mail only on the phone, voice-mail sent to your e-mail as a WAV file or a unified message on both the phone and through e-mail. Voice messages through e-mail can be archived for future use or easily forwarded to other parties that might need access to the information.
   
   
10. Remote Office - When the Remote Office functionality is turned on, all of the calls to your office phone are routed to a designated alternate phone. Outbound calls are made from your local phone through the call manager, so the party you are calling will see your office phone in the caller ID.
    
    
11. Selective Call Forwarding - While Remote Office forwards all calls to another phone, Selective Call Forwarding enables the system to forward calls to another phone based on the specific criteria established by the user. Users set the specific phone numbers and the times of day that they are forwarded.
    

New Hosted PBX Feature Enhancements
LightEdge Hosted PBX promises that technology obsolescence is a thing of the past. In keeping with that promise, an upcoming upgrade of the system software from Broadsoft will enable some new features.

Note: This upgrade will occur in stages over the next few months. Initially the software will be updated to the new version, but with only the current feature set. Once this is in place, we will begin opening new features as they are tested and confirmed to function correctly.

Here’s a sneak peek of new services that will becoming available (please note that some services may have a fee or be limited to “Premium” seats):

1. Push to Talk - The service provides a station-to-station intercom.  By dialing a feature access code (*50) and the extension, you have created a page to another party in the group.This service is currently limited to Polycom phones. 
   
   
2. Instant Group Call - The service allows you to configure a group of 20 people (multiple groups can be created), then when you dial the group’s paging extension or DID a call is simultaneously placed to all parties. Since there is a DID applied to the group, a call can be made from outside the system to all parties in the group. When combined with the Push-to-Talk feature, the Instant Group Call becomes a group page. This service is currently limited to Polycom phones. 
   
   
3. Weighted Call Distribution for Call Centers and Hunt Groups - LightEdge has always provided four distribution options for calls coming from a Call Center or Hunt Group: Linear, Uniform, Simultaneous, and Circular. Coming soon will be a fifth option: Weighted Call Distribution. This will allow you to assign a percentage to each agent for call distribution. This can come in handy when an agent is a member of more than one call center. For example, “Joe” handles calls for both the Parts department and the Customer Service department. You would like 75% of the calls for the parts department to be routed to Joe, as well as 30% of the calls for the Customer Service department—this enhancement allows that type of configuration.
   
   
4. User-controlled Music on Hold - Have you ever been on a conference call when a participant puts the call on hold and exposes everyone on the call to the system music-on-hold? It can be very frustrating. With this enhancement, the frustration is avoided since users are able to temporarily or permanently turn off the music on hold.
   
   
5. Hoteling - Hoteling is an advanced feature that many customers have been asking for. It will allow guest users to log into a phone with an access code, and the host phone now operates exactly as the guest user’s phone. All calls to the guest user ring the host phone and voice mails are delivered to the host phone. This will be useful for companies with dispersed or work-from-home employees that occasionally visit the office. No need to pay for a phone for everyone when only a few people are in the office at a time.
   
   
6. Auto Hold/Retrieve - This service provides a streamlined way to park and retrieve calls without using star-codes. A receptionist is able to transfer calls to an extension where they become parked (with a programmable timer) then the person needing to retrieve the call just dials the extension where the call is parked. Remember, calls can be parked at one site and retrieved at another site, or even from home when the Remote Office feature is enabled.
   
   
7. Alternate Number Enhancement - There will be an increase in the number of Alternate Numbers per feature, from two to ten. Alternate numbers can be used for special marketing campaigns, or providing a virtual presence in other cities (have a Minneapolis number ring on your phone in Omaha).
   
   
8. Diversion Inhibitor - Many of our customers use the Simultaneous Ring feature to ring other people in the office for backup (or cell phones/home phones), but unless carefully programmed, it’s easy for calls to be answered by other people’s voice mail.  The Diversion Inhibitor will eliminate this problem.
   
   
9. Custom Ringback - This feature might have many unique uses. This feature replaces the traditional “ring” that a caller hears with an audio recording, however the phone is still ringing and can be answered. It can also be applied “granularly”---to specific users and at specific times. Here’s one example: You’ve arranged a golf outing for some important customers. If one of the foursome calls you, you have a special recording that picks up immediately letting them know the T-time. But if the boss or anyone else calls you can have a different recording saying you are at a seminar, or no recording at all, just the traditional ring. This does not interfere with or take the place of voice mail.
   
   
10. Access Code Chaining - This feature allows star-codes to be chained with telephone numbers for programming features.  Using the example above for Diversion Inhibitor; if *80 is placed in the programming string for forwarding calls or for Simultaneous Ring, the Diversion Inhibitor is used on all calls.  This can also be used with Selective Call Forwarding to selectively (who and when) send callers direct to voice mail. 
    
    
11. Multiple Call Arrangement -We have many customers that have shared call appearances on their phones, where a person’s number appears on multiple phones.  Previously if a shared line was in use, it was not accessible for inbound or outbound calls from other line appearances on other phones (much like a traditional extension phone).  With this new feature however, if one instance of a line is in use, the other instances of the line are still able to make/receive calls.  This service is currently limited to Polycom phones.
    
    
12. Selective Services Enhancement - Selective services like Selective Call Forwarding and Sequential Ring will have a programming enhancement that allows you to select “Private” and or “Unavailable” numbers.  Since many telemarketers/sales organizations block their caller ID, and those calls might be lower priority for you, you can now create a profile to route all private/unavailable numbers to another person (receptionist) for answering, or direct to your voice mail.
    
    
13. New Ring Cycle for Voice Mail - Users have always had control over how many times their phone rings before it goes to voice mail.  A new ring setting of “0” is being added for stand-alone voice mailboxes or any application where voice mail should pick up immediately
    
    
14. Maximum message length - The voice mail maximum message length is being increased from 5 to 10 minutes.
    
    
15. Mailbox storage - Individual mailbox storage can now be configured for as high as 900 minute.
    
    
16. Voice Mail Distribution List increase - The number of distribution lists per mailbox is being increased from 10 to 15.
    
    
17. Auto login to voice portal - Users can provision themselves to be automatically connected to the voice portal without a password for speed of message retrieval. 
    
    

Industry News

Hurricane drives interest in online backups

Dell'Oro sees measured growth in VoIP gear

IP PBX (VoIP) Sales to reach $2 Billion by 2010

Electronic medical records provide invaluable DR features

Local News

Cedar Rapids - Open for Business Expo 2006
March 23rd - Booth 133
Join us on at the U.S. Cellular Center in Downtown Cedar Rapids March 23rd for the 14th annual Open for Business Expo. This is the largest business to business convention in Eastern Iowa and is a perfect way to see B2B offerings that could help your business grow.

Stop by our booth and talk to our professional staff to determine how upsourced voice, data and IT solutions could help your business grow in 2006. As more and more businesses are turning to remote or home offices its sales force, hosted applications such as Microsoft CRM and Microsoft Exchange can help to keep everyone in synch.

If you are able to attend the conference, stop by booth 133. If you are not able to attend the conference, contact Todd Ritchie form more information on LightEdge Solutions.

Events

Continuing Education
Monthly Lunch and Learn Sessions
In February LightEdge Solutions began a monthly continuing education "Lunch and Learn" initiative to ensure that our clients have a solid understanding of key concepts in Networking and Information Technology. Sessions will cover topics from overview of the business case through details of a solution.

Lunch and learn sessions are open to clients and prospective clients interested in learning more about options available to their business without any sales pressure or obligations. We hope to see you at one of the upcoming sessions.

For more information on Lunch and Learn topics, locations and dates, refer to the LightEdge Events Page or contact your Territory Account Manager.

My LightEdge Support News
Although the data centers and the integrated components of our network are the most tangible pieces of our vendor-client relationship, once the implementation is complete the customer service becomes the ambassador for all customer needs.  All questions relating to service and change requests from all 3,500 clients funnel through the service department. 

In the interest of ensuring quality customer service with short wait times, we have increased our support staff including several Customer Advocates, who as the initial point of contact collect information and then triage the call to the most appropriate available customer service representative. We will continue to add members to the service department as our customer-base grows to fulfill our Service Level Agreements and keep phone waiting to an absolute minimum.

In the following months, we will use this column to explore and explain how our support department operates.  Future columns include the following:

• Service Level Agreements (SLA)
• Functionality of My.LightEdge.com
• Expectations and Escalation Procedures
• Statistical comparisons with other customer service call centers
• Comments from clients regarding their level of service

Tune in next month for our continuing series on the inner workings of the LightEdge Customer Service department.

John Herman
Customer Service Manager