Corporate Fact Sheet

USA Datanet

Headquarters:
318 South Clinton Street
Syracuse, NY 13202
315-579-7000
www.usadatanet.com

Founded: 1998

Ownership: Privately-held

Management:
David Montanaro, Chairman of the Board, President & CEO
John Turner, EVP & Chief Strategy Officer
Jay Mercer, Chief Technology Officer

Overview

USA Datanet is a leading provider of IP-enabled voice, Internet access and enhanced communications services for consumer, carrier and commercial customers. Founded in 1998, the Syracuse, NY-based company is at the forefront of the development and commercial application of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and softswitch network technology, a powerful convergence of voice and data that is rapidly transforming the communications industry across the United States and around the world. Initially used to reduce the cost of long haul transport of voice signals, VoIP networks are now expanding into virtually every aspect of personal and business communications.

USA Datanet is driving this expansion of VoIP technology and the wealth of opportunity it brings to consumers, businesses and carriers alike. The company has developed an advanced, next-generation VoIP network with the capacity, scalability and flexibility required to meet the rigorous demands of the highly competitive and rapidly evolving telecommunications market. Over the past seven years, USA Datanet has leveraged this network to build a successful and consistently profitable multi-million dollar telecommunications business serving hundreds of thousands of customers.

History

From the start, USA Datanet focused on developing a state-of-the-art, software-based VoIP network and platform for deploying enhanced communications services with the potential to dramatically alter virtually all segments of the telecommunications industry. Recognizing that the adoption of VoIP technology and the development of enhanced applications would progress gradually at first, the company designed a highly scalable VoIP network that would immediately support the delivery of traditional voice and data services, while building in the capability and flexibility to add innovative new applications and enhanced services as demand for these services materialized.

USA Datanet began by offering Central and Upstate New York residents and local business owners a low-cost, high-quality alternative to the high-priced long distance phone services available from the established incumbent phone companies. The success of these initial services enabled USA Datanet to build a strong presence in its home territory in the Northeastern United States, where the company’s reputation for high quality of service, excellent customer service and affordable pricing has established a loyal following. This original base of customers fueled the company’s expansion into new products and services, including international calling, Internet access, calling cards and personal 800 numbers for consumers, teleconferencing and other services for small business customers as well as wholesale and IP network services for the carrier market.

VoIP Network

The success of these products and early market strategy also enabled USA Datanet to grow its VoIP network and customer service operations - building a first class infrastructure carrying over four billion minutes of voice and data traffic annually across an extensive network footprint covering all 50 states. Through partnerships with leading service providers nationally and internationally and a local presence in over 5,000 U.S. rate centers, USA Datanet reaches customers across the nation and around the world.

USA Datanet’s VoIP network is based on Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), a flexible and highly efficient technology that enables the company to provide a wide range of enhanced communications services in a cost-efficient manner over a single network. USA Datanet was one of the first service providers in the US to deploy SIP, now recognized as the industry standard for harnessing the power of IP Enabled Services

USA Datanet has constantly expanded, enhanced and upgraded various hardware and software components of this VoIP network, incorporating the latest technologies and quality-of-service enhancements to ensure the higher performance, reliability and network security that consumers and business customers alike have come to expect. The company recently upgraded it network management capability with the opening of a new Network Operations Center in its downtown Syracuse Data Center, adding significant improvements in software monitoring, remote monitoring and broadband diagnostics.

Products and Services

USA Datanet provides a wide range of IP-enabled communications services to customers in three separate markets - consumer, commercial and carrier. While each of these markets has its own unique characteristics, distinct customer needs and widely different service requirements, they all draw upon the performance, flexibility and scalability of the same advanced VoIP network.

Consumer

USA Datanet’s primary service to date has been its long distance product, which its customers access by dialing one of the local numbers that the company controls in 26 states. Historically, USA Datanet has been highly effective in leveraging the capabilities and efficiencies of its VoIP network to provide unique and competitive pricing strategies for long distance voice and other consumer services, including the pioneering “talk as long as you like for 99 cents” offer. This product development and consumer marketing strategy continues to generate strong customer response, as new subscribers are attracted to the quality and value-based pricing of USA Datanet’s traditional voice services.

Business

While the growth of VoIP phone service for consumers has been well publicized in recent years, businesses have the most to gain from the power and performance of VoIP network technology, particularly small and medium sized business (SMB) customers. To date, most smaller companies have been unable to take advantage of the benefits of VoIP networks as easily or as quickly as larger enterprises, since these companies typically cannot afford their own communications network nor justify the internal technical support personnel required to operate one.

USA Datanet recently began offering Hosted IP Communication service designed specifically for the SMB market, a cost-effective solution that incorporates all the benefits and control provided by VoIP technology without the costs of owning and operating their own network. USA Datanet’s Hosted IP Communication Service combines all of the SMB customer’s voice and data needs onto a single high-speed bandwidth platform, simplifying and reducing the cost of their communications requirements. There are no costly service changes to order - users are added, deleted and features changed by the customer directly from their own premises, without the need to hire dedicated technical support.

Wholesale

Compelling market and economic factors are also driving growth in carrier markets, as traditional service providers large and small are faced with increasingly difficult decisions concerning the inevitable migration of their own network infrastructures. Customer demand for enhanced services, increased competition from new VoIP telephony providers and the eroding economies of narrowband network delivery create opportunities for operators of advanced VoIP networks.

USA Datanet’s IP Network Solutions (IPNS) Group provides VoIP telephony and customized IP network services to ILECs, CLECs, ISPs, value-added channel partners and other enterprises on a wholesale basis. IPNS offers carrier customers a number of tailored services including Nationwide Integrated VoIP PRI, Hosted IP Centrex Service, IP Termination/Origination, Dedicated Internet and a variety of Co-Location options. In addition, the Company’s consumer broadband telephony service is also available as both a private label resale and a wholesale service.

Facilities

Network Operations

USA Datanet’s legacy switching, network management systems and new network operations center reside in the company’s 7,000 square foot Data Center. This efficient and scalable center provides support for the company’ commercial and carrier customers from an expanded team of service and technical support professionals, delivering service that includes proactive notification of service-affecting events prior to customer awareness.

Customer Care

Since its inception, USA Datanet made superior customer service one of its primary goals, and the company has invested significantly in developing its own call center and customer support operations. Located in the company’s headquarters, this call center is able to handle up to 40,000 in-bound calls per month.

Commercial Services - Sales Contact:
Jeff Gage
Director of Sales
315-579-7020
jgage@usadatanet.com

Carrier Services - Sales Contact:
Kari Goodspeed - Sales Operations
Call Toll Free - 888-579-7650
wholesale@usadatanet.com

Media Contact:
Bill Doolittle
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
315-579-7005
bdoolittle@usadatanet.com