Thus plc today announced the launch of its "Calls and Lines" service, using Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) to provide businesses with a single bill for both calls and line rental. With more than 90,000 lines already installed, Thus say they can provide a fully managed voice solution to both large SMEs and corporates across the UK, building upon its existing telephony services. Without needing to replace most existing lines, and regardless of location, Thus say businesses using the service will enjoy the ease of management and cost saving benefits of working with a single service provider for their voice communications, giving the option to upgrade to converged next-generation services as they become available.
Changes within the UK regulatory framework mean enterprises now have greater choice when selecting service providers. Previously businesses would receive two separate bills, one from their voice service provider and one from BT for the line rental. With the launch of "Calls and Lines" Thus now provides the complete package.
Based on Thus' rental rates, the service is competitively priced and enables businesses to more effectively manage the cost of communications using one simple bill. This allows enterprises to control and reduce operational costs and deliver improved customer services in a fully scalable and future-proof network.
The transparency of working with a single service provider allows customers to analyse costs in more detail and understand what is happening in the network. An e-billing system also provides customers with reports covering line rental as well as calls, all managed through a single point of contact at Thus which simplifies the entire management process.
Nigel Stevens, product director at Thus added: "Businesses are spending considerable amounts of time liaising with a variety of service providers for new services, billing or problem solving. The need for a single solution from one provider has never been greater." He continued, "Unifying an entire portfolio of communications services into one bill from one supplier providing significant savings in terms of both financial and time management, freeing businesses to get on with what they are good at."
Thus' line rental can be used for all voice lines as well as PSTN lines supporting broadband as part of a data network. In addition, a range of network and calling features are available including Caller Display or Call Waiting on PSTN lines and Calling Line Identification Presentation or Direct Dialling In on ISDN lines.