edgeBOX™ technology helps Validation Partners reduce costs and improve productivity

FAIRFIELD, NJ, July 15th, 2009 - Critical Links, a global provider of unified voice, data and IT solutions for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs), has announced that Validation Partners, a leading health care software consulting firm has deployed the Critical Links’ edgeBOX™ system at their headquarters in Ronkonkoma, NY. Validation Partners, a software consulting firm that provides data validation services to labs and blood banks, wanted to replace their disparate and outdated IT systems with a simpler integrated solution. By leveraging edgeBOX™’s unique integrated communications and network features, Validation Partners has realized ongoing savings and increases in productivity worth thousands of dollars annually.

“We were paying Verizon $500/month for four Centrex phone lines. We are now paying $40/month to a SIP provider for a 2000 minutes/month plan with unlimited simultaneous incoming and outgoing calls. We retained a single basic service POTS line for the alarm system and fax,” commented Adam Molny, the IT Director at Validation Partners. The challenge faced by Validation Partners was how to leverage the latest in communication and data technologies with a cost-saving solution that provided a high level of security. Key goals included saving on long distance costs, replacing an old PBX system and gaining a flexible path for future expansions, both in terms of personnel and geography. In addition, Validation Partners needed to increase the productivity of consultants working remotely with limited access to information on the network. They turned to Critical Links and the edgeBOX™ to meet their needs. edgeBOX™ integrated a fully featured IP-PBX with networking, collaboration and security features, increasing remote worker productivity. Validation Partners reduced their monthly telephone line and service charges by over 85% with a very scalable solution using the edgeBOX™. Validation Partners’ consultants can now remotely access voice and data lines via a highly secure VPN.

The Critical Links’ edgeBOX™ product is a multi-service business gateway appliance that provides a fully-fledged VOIP/ IP-PBX and a host of data and IT services such as routing, security, Wireless LAN, NAC, web/email/print server and storage into a single device, while dramatically reducing complexity and deployment costs. It replaces between four to eight specialized products with a single integrated platform that is simple to install and configure, easy to maintain and upgrade and can be managed remotely. It is available on a range of scalable platforms that optimally support from fewer than 10 users up to 300 users.

More details on the edgeBOX™, the ‘Pay-as-you-go’ and other business programs and details of the new EMEA sales offices are available by contacting Critical Links at sales@critical-links.com or through the Critical Links website at http://www.critical-links.com/PR.

About Critical Links
Critical Links is a global provider of converged voice, data and IT solutions for small and medium businesses (SMBs) that dramatically simplify and cost-reduce by consolidating over a single scalable and fault-tolerant platform.

Critical Links’ flagship product, the edgeBOX™, is an award-winning multi-function gateway appliance that includes VoIP/IP-PBX, VPNs, security, NAC, QoS and a WiFi access point as well as a fax server, web server, e-mail server, print server and data storage. It is available on a range of hardware platforms that support up to 300 users, with different form factors and a host of broadband interfaces such as BRI/PRI(T1/E1), FX0/FXS, Ethernet, etc. Critical Links typically serves SMBs through a global network of VARs, System Integrators, OEMs and Service Providers. For more information: www.critical-links.com or info@critical-links.com.

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