Portugal Telecom uses edgeBOX networking device to provide value added voice and data networking services to broadband SME customers 

Lisbon, Portugal, June 6^th, 2007 – Critical Links, an international networking technology company, today announced that it has been selected by PT Prime, a part of the Portugal Telecom Group (PT) and the leading business communications provider in Portugal, to supply edgeBOX Business Gateways to PT broadband SME customers.  

The combination of the edgeBOX “all-in-one” customer premises equipment, along with iTEMS remote mangement capabilities, will enable PT Prime to offer its SME customers a complete converged voice and data managed network service by deploying a single and reliable network device at the customer’s site.

Portugal Telecom believes that managed voice and data services deployed on a single IP platform will allow Portuguese businesses to increase productivity and competitiveness while reducing their operational costs. In providing SMEs with a fully integrated, remotely managed service with low Total Cost of Ownership, Portugal Telecom maintains its commitment to quality and innovation by allowing customers to benefit from the latest networking technologies at prices they can afford, without the need for on-site technical staff to support and maintain their systems. This will also enable PT Prime to expand and integrate its “on-site” service management offering, to include WAN, LAN, desktop and server management, along with comprehensive security cover. 

Portugal Telecom Group is listed on the Lisbon and New York Stock Exchanges. It has approximately 22,000 employees serving about 35 million domestic and international clients in territories including Brazil, Morocco, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Timor, Angola, Kenya, China, and São Tomé & Principe. As a multinational telecommunications group, Portugal Telecom has a vast portfolio of services that extends from fixed local, long distance, international telephone services and leased lines to mobile services, data and internet communications, security and information technologies solutions and services, “high grade” corporate solutions, specialised satellite services, information systems, cable television and general media and entertainment.

“Portugal Telecom is now ready to profit from a growing market opportunity for Telco’s and ISPs to deliver value-added managed services to their business broadband customers, increasing per subscriber revenues and providing customer retention” stated Mr. João Carreira, Critical Links’ CEO. “An edgeBOX based solution enables service providers such as Portugal Telecom to automate every phase of the business life cycle, from mass subscriber device deployment and provisioning, to broadcasting software upgrades, proactive alarm management, subscriber tracking and inventory management, significantly reducing the time, effort, and cost of deploying and managing Customer Premises Equipment”. 

edgeBOX is an innovative and cost-effective networking device providing complete converged voice and data network services for SMEs and Branch Offices. edgeBOX provides the all-in-one, remotely manageable networking device that SMEs are looking for and incorporates all the latest in-demand technologies such as VoIP, IP-PBX, WiFi, VPNs, security and QoS. It also provides network access control, has an integrated router and ADSL modem, can be used as a web server, email server and storage device. edgeBOX is available in a wide range of scalable hardware platforms, including standard servers.

edgeBOX has been identified as a key player in the emerging “Business Gateway” market by leading analyst house InStat and won the INTERNET TELEPHONY Magazine’s 2006 Product of the Year Award..