Critical Links Showcases New Line of Dedicated Appliances Loaded with Its Award-Winning edgeBOX Business Gateway Software

Critical Links’ edgeBOX Positioned at the Forefront of an Estimated $2.6 Billion Market in Converged Voice+Data+IT Appliances

Singapore, June 14th, 2007 – Critical Links, an international networking technology company, will be launching the award-winning edgeBOX 4.5 appliance into the Asia Pacific market at ComunicASIA (Hall 4, stand 4F2-03, Singapore Expo, 19-22 June). 

“Multi-Service Business Gateways” or “Office-in-a-Box” devices are, according to high tech market research firm In-Stat, a fast-growth market that is set to reach $2.6 billion in 2011 worldwide (Multi-Service Business Gateways: Cisco under Attack, April 2007).

Critical Links will be showcasing edgeBOX dedicated network appliances being made available worldwide at the end of the second quarter. “edgeBOX is the first multi-function device or “Office-in-a-Box” that consolidates Voice, Data, and IT at a price point accessible to the booming SMB market” points out Mr. João Carreira, Critical Links’ CEO. “edgeBOX combines the latest in-demand networking technologies with an easy-to-use management interface making it the ideal choice for prospective partners wanting to enter an emerging market in converged voice+data+IT appliances”.  

The new dedicated devices will boost the edgeBOX value proposition for channel partners around the world, building on the success of the existing partnership model, where the edgeBOX software solution is provided to partners for installation on branded servers.

 “This development positions Critical Links at the forefront of the business gateway market” said Mr. João Carreira,. “Critical Links has simplified the end-to-end procurement process for partners. edgeBOX dedicated appliances enable resellers to shorten the go-to-market lifecycle, with a “ready to market” single integrated platform that allows resellers and service providers to quickly deploy edgeBOX at their SMB customer sites to provide managed voice and data networking services”.  

As a multi-function business gateway that consolidates data, voice and IT services for small and medium sized businesses, edgeBOX effectively replaces an average of 4 to 6 devices, by providing a fully featured IP-PBX, router (wired and wireless LAN), security platform (VPN, Firewall, anti-spam/virus, etc.), and file/print/email/web servers along with full network access control. The result is a dramatically simplified deployment and management environment for all networking services, with significantly lower total cost of ownership.

The new network appliances preloaded with the award winning edgeBOX Business Gateway software will become available in three versions for small offices, medium sized businesses and larger enterprises with competitive pricing in each segment.

They provide all the ports a small business or branch office needs to connect their LAN, broadband connection and analogue and digital phone lines (FXS/FXO, BRI and PRI) along with a built-in wireless access point.  

edgeBOX is distributed through channel partners (VARs, Systems Integrators, Service providers and OEMs) worldwide in the UK, Spain, Brazil, Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa and Thailand among others. edgeBOX has been identified as a key player in the emerging “Business Gateway” market by leading analyst house InStat and won the Best Broadband Appliance award at the World Broadband Forum. It was selected as a finalist by IDG Communications’ Techworld for its 2006 “Small Business Product of the Year”, and recently won the INTERNET TELEPHONY Magazine’s 2006 Product of the Year Award.

Further information can be found on the edgeBOX website www.edgebox.net