Datamation content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
When you need of 48 rolls of toilet paper in one handy package, the place to go is the local Costco warehouse. Now it’s also the place where small and medium sized enterprises can get hosted wireless communications, thanks to a unique partnership between the wholesaler and Sotto Wireless.
Called Sotto@SOHO, the service is an all-in-one wireless and office communications service that supports up to 10 virtual employees. It uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to provide voice and data capabilities via a WiFi gateway that lets users seamlessly move from an office network to a GSM cellular service without dropping a call or data packet. Sotto back-end hosting provides the needed PBX-like functionality.
The recently-launched service is the latest vendor pitch to offer SMBs wireless and unified messaging services at prices they can afford. For SMBs that may not have access to major carrier business-oriented plans or in-house tech knowledge, unified messaging for smaller players has to come at the right price point.
Sotto is trying. It offers the services with a monthly plan starting under $50, considered lower than some similar offerings, which may also get the attention of competitors.
Vendors are responding to spiking mobility technology adoption in this sector. In 2005, 68.8 million U.S. enterprise users had mobile wireless services, with 25 percent using a mobile wireless broadband solution, according to a CTIA study. By 2016, it expects the U.S. alone to count 81.9 million mobile enterprise users, with 83 percent using wireless broadband.
Costco will sell Sotto@SOHO starter kits, featuring two smart phones and the gateway, for $399. A $699 kit kicks in a Polycom IP320 desk phone with Office Attendant features built in.
Plans start at $49.95 per month for unlimited nationwide VoIP calling, and cellular bundles start at $49.95 for 1,000 voice minutes. A special introductory offer features 90 days of free wireless VoIP service, 1,000 cellular voice minutes, 20 MB of data, 100 text messages and a 60-day money-back guarantee.
As one pundit noted, most SMB have wireless contracts. But unified messaging and communications still remain out of reach for many, who would love the big company feel the services provide.
This article was first published on InternetNews.com. To read the full article, click here.
RELATED NEWS AND ANALYSIS
-
Ethics and Artificial Intelligence: Driving Greater Equality
FEATURE |  By James Maguire,
December 16, 2020
-
AI vs. Machine Learning vs. Deep Learning
FEATURE |  By Cynthia Harvey,
December 11, 2020
-
Huawei’s AI Update: Things Are Moving Faster Than We Think
FEATURE |  By Rob Enderle,
December 04, 2020
-
Keeping Machine Learning Algorithms Honest in the ‘Ethics-First’ Era
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Guest Author,
November 18, 2020
-
Key Trends in Chatbots and RPA
FEATURE |  By Guest Author,
November 10, 2020
-
Top 10 AIOps Companies
FEATURE |  By Samuel Greengard,
November 05, 2020
-
What is Text Analysis?
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Guest Author,
November 02, 2020
-
How Intel’s Work With Autonomous Cars Could Redefine General Purpose AI
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Rob Enderle,
October 29, 2020
-
Dell Technologies World: Weaving Together Human And Machine Interaction For AI And Robotics
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Rob Enderle,
October 23, 2020
-
The Super Moderator, or How IBM Project Debater Could Save Social Media
FEATURE |  By Rob Enderle,
October 16, 2020
-
Top 10 Chatbot Platforms
FEATURE |  By Cynthia Harvey,
October 07, 2020
-
Finding a Career Path in AI
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Guest Author,
October 05, 2020
-
CIOs Discuss the Promise of AI and Data Science
FEATURE |  By Guest Author,
September 25, 2020
-
Microsoft Is Building An AI Product That Could Predict The Future
FEATURE |  By Rob Enderle,
September 25, 2020
-
Top 10 Machine Learning Companies 2021
FEATURE |  By Cynthia Harvey,
September 22, 2020
-
NVIDIA and ARM: Massively Changing The AI Landscape
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Rob Enderle,
September 18, 2020
-
Continuous Intelligence: Expert Discussion [Video and Podcast]
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By James Maguire,
September 14, 2020
-
Artificial Intelligence: Governance and Ethics [Video]
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By James Maguire,
September 13, 2020
-
IBM Watson At The US Open: Showcasing The Power Of A Mature Enterprise-Class AI
FEATURE |  By Rob Enderle,
September 11, 2020
-
Artificial Intelligence: Perception vs. Reality
FEATURE |  By James Maguire,
September 09, 2020