Mobile Phone Reviews
 
 
Mobile convergence offered to small firms

Thu, 09 Feb 2006

BT is launching a new product which will combine mobile phone and fixed phone usage for businesses.

A consumer version called Fusion was launched last summer which tries to combine the usage of a mobile and landline phone. The service routes voice and data over a fixed line and BT broadband networks from home. However it can change over easily to the Vodafone network if they are away from home.

There is now a version for small companies which can allow them to reduce their mobile phone bills.

All a company will have to install a hub in their office to connect Fusion phones to the corporate system. So an employee, who uses a Fusion phone in the office, can have the call routed through the fixed line broadband network. BT claim that this will reduce office phone bills.

BT said, "The 27 percent of UK business mobile users on pay-as-you-use (PAYU) contracts stand to make the biggest savings."

The company were relying on research from Strategy Analytics which found that one in five mobile phone calls are made in the office.

BT added, "BT Fusion is cheaper than PAYU business mobile tariffs from all other UK mobile operators. For example, 300 minutes usage a month on BT Fusion would cost £200 less than O2 Business On-Line over 24 months."

Although Fusion is being marketed as a way of reducing phone bills, they have been criticised by consumer group Which? They claim that Fusion costs too much even though its fixed line calls are made via broadband.

Mike Briggs a senior researcher at Which? said, "We are wondering why on earth they are charging landline rates for calls made over the Internet. We would like to see BT pass on the savings from VoIP calls, but they are not doing that with Fusion."

They also claim Fusion phones defaulted to a mobile network even if the user was within range of the home hub.

The cost of Fusion’s business version will cost £12.50 per handset per month but businesses who sign up before 31 March will pay £6.25 a month per handset for the first three months.

Another problem which may put some businesses off is that the system can only support three calls simultaneously on the broadband network. Other users will have to use the mobile network regardless of being in the office.
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