The Million Dollar SMB Give Away from Vertical Communications

by Robbi Peele

Imagine what a difference one million dollars in telecommunications equipment and services could make to the bottom line of a small business. Several  businesses are about to get the opportunity to find out. That's because Vertical Communications, the leading provider of IP-phone systems, is giving away a total of one million dollars in goods and services to eight small enterprises (SMBs), businesses with one to fifty employees, as part of an innovative program known as the Vertical Challenge.

Here's how it works. Vertical will choose the eight SMBs and work with them to design and implement next-generation integrated communications solutions that are tailored to each business' individual needs. Vertical and each company will agree on the improvements they expect at the end of nine months. Vertical is so confident that it can achieve the predicted results that Vertical is pledging to write out a check for $25,000 if it fails. Prospective business customers can enter the Challenge on the Vertical website at challenge.vertical.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VerticalCommunications between now and September 30th. 

Full Press Release

Vertical Announces 'The Vertical Challenge'

Global Leader in Next-Generation IP-Phone Systems to Give $1,000,000 in Products and Services to SMBs to Transform Business Operations

Santa Clara, CA - August 9, 2011 -Vertical, the leading provider of IP-phone systems, today announced the launch of The Vertical Challenge, an innovative program targeting SMBs with fifty to five hundred employees.  In all, Vertical will choose eight companies and work with them to design and implement next-generation integrated communications solutions.  These solutions will drive business process changes with measurable positive return on investment within nine months of deployment.  Prospective business customers who want to take advantage of this unique opportunity can enter the Challenge on the Vertical website at challenge.vertical.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VerticalCommunicationsbetween now and September 30th.

Qualified entrants will receive a free half-day needs assessment consultation on how to best leverage unified communications in their enterprise. Organizations that complete the assessment will be entitled to a 25% discount on Vertical equipment and software. From the qualified entries submitted, Vertical will select eight companies - the Challengers - to become finalists in the Challenge.  Each of the eight Challengers will receive an award-winning Wave IP System from Vertical configured to achieve maximum business results.  The communications package includes free installation, endpoints, applications and optimization. According to the Challenge rules, Vertical has nine months to produce results agreed upon ahead-of-time by Vertical and the Challenger. Vertical is so confident it can meet the Challenge that it is pledging to write a $25,000 check to the company if it fails. Progress reports on each Challenger's deployment will be posted regularly on the Vertical corporate website and on Facebook.

Vertical designs communication systems with business process and operations in mind. Rather than "one size fits all", Vertical systems can be tailored to each businesses' operational needs to maximize their bottom line.  In the Retail industry, Vertical provides store managers and employees with the tools they need to effectively answer customer calls, fulfill orders automatically through voice-based ordering systems and manage inventory through POS system integration.  In the Healthcare industry, Vertical helps streamline internal communications between nurses and doctors, enable providers to deliver better care, and automate appointment and scheduling functions for increased patient satisfaction and operational efficiency.  Vertical bolsters business operations by providing tailored solutions that target business process optimization and that are easy to deploy and manage.

"Our biggest differentiator is that we actually take the time to listen to our customers," said Vertical CEO, Peter Bailey.  "We understand where they are headed and we are able to integrate our technology with their enterprise IT infrastructure to improve operational efficiency across their organizations."

Challengers in the Vertical Challenge will have direct access to Vertical's products, services and counsel that are designed with their needs in mind.

About Vertical Communications, Inc.

Vertical Communications is the US and global leader in next-generation IP-based business communications systems and applications, with a current installed base of over 200,000 customers. From retail to financial services to healthcare, Vertical uniquely provides medium-sized businesses with the enterprise-class functionality they need to deliver improved connectivity and collaboration that allows for faster decision-making, improved productivity and the ability to quickly drive new business opportunities. For more information, please visit www.vertical.com