Sprint and Cingular launch special features for Businesses

Sprint and Cingular have separately announced the availabiltity of new special features for their business customers.

Sprint has introduced a new pricing plan, called Business Essentials, which allows companies to purchase a bucket of minutes and to distribute them among their employees no matter what rate plan they use. The plan also includes free of charge mobile-to-mobile calling for employees on Sprint or nationwide walkie-talkie service to those on Nextel. In addition, Sprint user can add nationwide walkie-talkie service, respectively Nextel users can add free mobile-to-mobile calling to their rate plans for $5 a month.

Cingular has launched OfficeReach, which is a voice-based Virtual Private Network (VPN), including One Number Service, Customizable Call Management, Private Numbering Plan, and Zone Billing. It is integrated directly into a company's existing telephone network and uses a database-driven, intelligent platform. It allows companies to establish a single number to reach an employee at up to three separate telephones (e.g. desk, mobile, home phone, etc.), which are tried to be reached in a pre-defined order. The application also allows companies to set up an abbreviated dialing feature so that workers can be reached at their desk or mobile phone via the same two-to-five digit extension number; to establish single or multiple calling zones with special rating on both fixed and wireless service as well as to customize call restrictions to reduce or eliminate unauthorized calls on company-owned wireless devices.

Source: Sprint; Cingular