CLEAR is set to launch a new Professional Voice service that his powered by RingCentral: (Voted: "Best for Toll Free Numbers" by Inc. Magazine). Currently, CLEAR sells consumer VOIP service but is limited to one single line per modem. This was always a huge drawback to using the CLEAR Voice service. Many consumers that use other services like Vonage have the option to add more than one line. This new service and partnership takes it to the next level and plans to offer true business voice services by leveraging a leader in the space already, RingCentral. Details are just now starting to come in but here are some info we already know:

• Still waiting on price, but we do know that there will be a discount if ordered with CLEAR WiMAX service.
  
• Hardware will be Linksys SPA-941, or SPA-942, maybe softphone???
  
• Complete Business Phone and Fax System
• Unlimited Local & Long-Distance Calling Included on Every Line
• Unlimited Electronic Fax Included on Every Line
• Full Basic Feature Set & Voicemail Included on Every Line
• Auto-Receptionist & Company Directory Included
• 100 Extensions & Voicemail Boxes Included
• Toll-Free (800) Number & 100 Free Minutes per month Included
• Select Local Phone Numbers from All Over the U.S.
• Extensions Can be Located Anywhere in U.S.
• Advanced Call Management & Routing on Every Line & Extension
• Advanced Features (Screening, Blocking, Click-to-Dial, Message Alerts)
• Music & Messages on Hold Included
• Real-Time Software Call Controller and Soft-phone Included
• Microsoft Office™ and Outlook™ Integration Included
• Pre-configured Professional Cisco IP Phones
• Call Queues & ACD (Automatic Call Distribution) for small Call Centers
• Web Based Access to All Your Features & Call Logs

I will update this post as I get more details. I hear a lot of good things about RingCentral so this partnership should work our well for both.


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The 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is going to be held this week, January 7th - 10th, in Las Vegas. CLEAR (or Clearwire to be exact) will have a booth #30779 at the show and I am eager to see what they may be showing off. I would expect that we are going to hear about a few new WiMAX devices and possibly a sneak peak of what is to come in 2010. I don't expect CLEAR to be doing all the announcing, but look for specific manufactures to be doing most of the show and tell.

The biggest WiMAX-related rumor that I have come across that may impact CLEAR is a possible WiMAX-enabled phone by Sprint, LG and Microsoft. Sprint is hosting a "must-attend" event on January 6th, the day before CES starts with Brooke Shields as the host. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer are both said to be speaking at the event, so you can imagine that that this is a major announcement. The fact that this could be WiMAX-related is great news for CLEAR and Sprint.

• Sprint, LG, Microsoft To Intro WinMo WiMax Phone? by Eric Zeman
  

I am still holding out hope for some sort of Android-based WiMAX device at CES, but that may not be very likely. The Google Nexus One phone will be released this week and so far there is no report that it will support WiMAX. Google is still an investor in Clearwire (and WiMAX) so I hope the Nexus One phone is a preview of possible future WiMAX handsets. I know for a fact that there are efforts to provide WiMAX support in the Android OS, but as for a hardware device, nothing has materialized as of yet.

Check back here for updates this week as we get closer to the show!

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