Here's a press release from  Sprint announcing their hosted contact center offering. While I have some misgivings about managed IP solutions in general, that's perhaps a personal bias. For some companies, hosted solutions do make sense. Sprint's MPLS network has gained some well-deserved kudos in the past. And while they've bragged about their Cisco-powered network at times in the past, they're clearly sold on the Avaya platform for this VoIP service. It scales very well.

If Sprint manages the offering well, which remains to be seen, they could become a formidable force in managed contact center solutions

Sprint Launches Hosted Contact Center Solution; Expansion of VoIP Portfolio with Avaya Offers Versatile, Yet Affordable, Alternative
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 18, 2006--Sprint (NYSE:S) today announced the availability of the Sprint Hosted Contact Center, powered by Avaya. The fully managed, IP-based contact center solution allows enterprises to take advantage of best-in-class features with lower up-front capital costs and reduced management responsibilities over an owned or leased premises-based solution. The hosted solution provides versatility and control, as well as easy integration with existing applications and processes.

With the hosted delivery model, the secure, IP-native Sprint MPLS network connects a client's call centers and remote agents to a Sprint data center, where industry-leading Avaya MultiVantage(R) contact center applications provide advanced features and functionality that are used by some of the world's largest enterprises.

"Hosted Contact Center combines the best functionality from Avaya with Sprint's expertise in toll-free and IP networking," said Barry Tishgart, director of product marketing for Sprint. "For businesses seeking a flexible, scalable way to run their contact center operations, Sprint Hosted Contact Center is an ideal solution."

The Sprint Hosted Contact Center platform is built upon Avaya IP telephony and contact center applications running on Avaya Media Servers housed in Sprint Data Centers. Dedicated systems and software for a company ensure data integrity and security as well as maximum flexibility.

With the Sprint Hosted Contact Center solution, incoming and outgoing transactions are routed privately and securely through the Sprint Global MPLS network. The advanced contact center functionality enables a company's agents to access customer information and other essential company data over a secure, integrated data and voice access connection to improve customer service while better managing costs.

The Sprint Hosted Contact Center offers all of the features and flexibility required to support full contact center functionality. Optional features include:

-- Advanced CTI - Supports integration with company applications and data for more precise call routing and customer-specific call information and handling.

-- Multi-Channel Contact Center - Includes voice, fax and email channels, supports seamless email integration when added
to Advanced CTI.

-- Self Service (IVR) - Allows service through automated voice menus, with connections to live agents as appropriate.

-- Business Telephony Extensions and Voice Mail - Integrated support for non-agent phone extensions and features.

-- Call Recording and Quality Monitoring - Enables bulk call recording, random or selective quality monitoring, and user-initiated recording.

-- Predictive Dialers - Increases right party contacts and transactions per hour with a single, seamlessly integrated presentation of all information and options to the agent desktop.

"The end user is the ultimate winner with the Sprint Hosted Contact Center Solution," said Denzil Samuels, vice president and general manager, Avaya Global Managed Services. "Backed by Avaya's market-leading contact center applications, businesses of all sizes can now have access to sophisticated customer contact solutions, in an affordable, 'pay as you
go' utility model, moving cost of communicating with your customers from a capital expense to a predictable operational expense."

This Sprint Hosted Contact Center solution is the most recent solution for businesses offered through the partnership between Sprint and Avaya. Another solution is Sprint Hosted Messaging, which uses a secure, fully managed platform to provide advanced voice messaging functions on a per-seat, per-month basis, enabling companies of all sizes to take advantage of full-featured messaging that is normally associated with large enterprise systems.

Other features of Sprint Hosted Messaging include:

-- Full-featured messaging packages - Provides business-class voice mail or unified messaging for voice, fax and e-mail integration.

-- Wireless integration - Delivers mobility features that connect your desktop phone and mobile handset.

-- Intuitive user interfaces - Enables simpler access and greater user productivity via telephony or Internet options.

-- Managed Services support - Includes service elements for the implementation, deployment, provision, administration and management of the service.

To learn more about Sprint's IP-based solutions, please visit www.sprint.com/business.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of communications services bringing mobility to consumer, business and government customers. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two robust wireless networks offering industry leading mobile data services; instant national and international walkie-talkie capabilities; and an award-winning and global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.