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8x8 Rolls Out New Features and Enhanced Phone Adapter for Packet8 Residential VoIP Phone Service

Posted on: Thursday, 2 February 2006, 09:00 CST

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 8x8, Inc. , the Packet8 broadband Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and videophone communications service provider, today announced it has released several new calling features for its Packet8 voice and video residential phone service and the Packet8 BPG510, a new terminal adapter with an integrated router.

The new features provide Packet8 subscribers with greater convenience and additional account customization options that cater to their individual calling needs. They include:

-- Voicemail to Email Notification -- Packet8 subscribers can now receive an email notification each time a voicemail message is left. The email can include an attached audio file of the actual message which can be forwarded to another email address or saved for future reference. -- Find Me, Follow Me -- This combined hunting/multi-ringing feature allows subscribers to enter up to five phone numbers to ring in sequence. For example, users can specify that after a designated number of rings on their Packet8 home phone number, incoming calls move on to ringing their mobile phone and then their office number. If there's still no answer, the call is then guided to the subscriber's Packet8 voicemail box. -- Simultaneous Ringing on Multiple Phone Numbers -- The Simultaneous Ring feature permits an incoming call to ring on any number of Packet8 phone numbers as well as a standard PSTN number. This convenience helps ensure that incoming calls will not go unanswered. -- 7-Digit Local Dialing -- Packet8 subscribers no longer need to dial their area code when calling a number within the same area code as their primary Packet8 line. 11-digit dialing is still required for calling outside of the subscriber's Packet8 area code. -- Network Unavailable Forwarding -- This feature allows subscribers to automatically forward incoming calls to an alternate phone number if their Internet connection goes down. -- Call Waiting Disable -- Subscribers can disable call waiting two ways. On a per call basis, dialing *70 before making a call disables the call waiting for that call and sends all new callers to voicemail. To disable Call Waiting for all calls, subscribers can activate/deactivate this feature after signing in at their account details page.

All of the above calling features are now available with every Packet8 residential account at no additional cost to the subscriber. More information on these and other Packet8 calling features can be found at http://www.packet8.net/about/features.asp .

8x8 also announced the release of the Packet8 BPG510, a new broadband phone adapter that eliminates the need for a separate router in a subscriber's home network. The BPG510 is equipped with two Ethernet ports (LAN and WAN) and one RJ-11 phone port for connecting a standard analog telephone. The built-in router prioritizes voice packets over data and manages available bandwidth. The LAN Ethernet port can be used to connect a PC or other networked device without adding any additional equipment.

Replacing the BPA410 in the residential offering, the BPG510 adapter is available for $39.99, when purchased at retail (with a $40 mail-in rebate), and is offered free of charge to all new subscribers ordering direct from the Packet8 website, http://www.packet8.net/. Existing subscribers wishing to upgrade to the BPG510 can do so by logging into their account details page to order the new device.

About 8x8, Inc.

VoIP (voice over internet protocol) service provider 8x8, Inc. offers internet-based telephony solutions (http://www.packet8.net/) for individual residential and business users as well as small to medium sized business organizations. In addition to regular Packet8 VoIP service plans, priced as low as $19.99 per month for unlimited anytime calling to the U.S. and Canada, 8x8 offers the Packet8 VideoPhone, the industry's first stand alone broadband consumer videophone with worldwide video calling for $19.99 per month. Packet8 Virtual Office, 8x8's VoIP solution for small to medium sized businesses, is a hosted PBX service comprised of powerful business class features. For additional company information, visit 8x8's web site at http://www.8x8.com/.

NOTE: 8x8, the 8x8 logo, Packet8, the Packet8 logo and Packet8 Virtual Office are trademarks of 8x8, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

First Call Analyst: FCMN Contact: jcitelli@8x8.com

8x8, Inc.

CONTACT: Joan Citelli of 8x8, Inc., +1-408-687-4320, orJCitelli@8x8.com

Web site: http://www.8x8.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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