Allstream Announces Expansion of SIP Trunking Service

More Canadian businesses can reduce telecom costs while improving productivity

Stock Symbol:  MBT    

TORONTO, May 3, 2013 /CNW/ - Allstream, Canada's all-business communications provider, today announced an expansion of its Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Trunking service that will enable it to reach an additional 10,000 mid-size and large enterprises across Canada. This means that more companies in more cities can benefit from being able to run data and voice traffic over a single IP backbone, eliminating the need for separate voice and data networks.

"Customers can see costs savings of up to 40 per cent by converging voice and data," said Jim DeMerlis, Vice President, Marketing, Allstream. "We look forward to bringing these cost savings, as well as productivity improvements associated with SIP Trunking, to more Canadian businesses."

Allstream SIP Trunking leverages the advances in IP and Internet technologies to offer a better way to deploy voice and data communications. The service allows businesses to converge their outbound and inbound voice traffic onto the same connection that transfers data between their offices or to customers and suppliers' sites. Using a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) data network or the Internet to deliver voice services, Allstream SIP Trunking supports a rich set of telephony features. SIP Trunking can also enable other enhanced collaboration and communication through Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) including integrated voice, video, presence and mobility applications.

Now more Canadian businesses can take advantage of the benefits provided by SIP Trunking including:

• Cost savings - reducing monthly telecom costs without compromising calling features or quality
  
• Reduced operating expenses - eliminating the need to manage and maintain separate voice and data networks
  
• Improved productivity - increased efficiencies in network management through simplified and converged network operations
  
• Greater flexibility - businesses can increase or decrease SIP Trunking bandwidth as required to meet the specific and changing needs of their business
  
• Increased geographical scope with local numbers - organizations can have a national presence without a physical office space, so that customers and suppliers can call a local number and be connected to an office that may be in another city, at no cost to the caller

Some of the customers that recently signed contracts to take advantage of Allstream's SIP Trunking service include: Ardencom Ltd., Barantas Inc., Bellisio Foods Inc., Butler Mortgage Inc., Fieldturf Inc., First Lion Holdings Inc., Markit Group Ltd., MPI Group, Regional Maple Leaf Communications Inc. and Webster & Sons Ltd.

About Allstream

Allstream is a Canadian leader in IP communications and the only national communications provider that works exclusively with business customers of all sizes. With nearly 600,000 customer connections, Allstream's momentum is fuelled by the knowledge, skills and entrepreneurial spirit of its 2,500 employees across the country who collaborate with customers to determine their unique communications solutions needs. Supported by its more than 30,000-kilometre nationwide high-performance fibre-optic network, Allstream's broad portfolio of business solutions are built from an array of advanced communications technologies and services including a wide range of innovative, highly-scalable IP-based solutions to help organizations communicate more efficiently and profitably. Allstream takes pride in its commitment to delivering an exceptional customer experience, and has long been recognized by its technology partners for the contributions made to their businesses. Allstream is wholly-owned by Manitoba Telecom Services Inc., which is listed on the TSX (trading symbol: MBT). For information on Allstream's products and solutions, please visit www.allstream.com.

Forward-looking Statements Disclaimer

This news release includes forward-looking statements and information (collectively, the "statements") about the Company's corporate direction, business opportunities, operations, financial objectives and future financial results and performance that are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. As a consequence, actual results in the future may differ materially from any conclusion, forecast or projection in such forward-looking statements. Therefore, forward-looking statements should be considered carefully and undue reliance should not be placed on them. Examples of statements that constitute forward-looking information may be identified by words such as "believe", "expect", "project", "should", "anticipate", "could", "target", "forecast", "intend", "plan", "outlook", "see", "set", "pending", and other similar terms.

Factors that could cause anticipated opportunities and actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, matters identified in the "Material assumptions" section below, the "Risks and uncertainties" section, elsewhere in the Company's 2012 Annual MD&A and 2012 Annual Information Form, all of which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Please note that forward-looking statements reflect Management's expectations as at the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE: MTS Allstream

Media:
Alexandra Walsh
Corporate Communications
416-642-4030
[email protected]