Charys Holding Company, Inc. (fka CHYSQ)

[jonesieatl]

Charys Holding Company Subsidiary Partners with ShoreTel(TM) to Bring Next-Generation VoIP Solutions to Businesses

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BusinessWire
12:20 p.m. 12/06/2006


IP Telephony Leverages Data Applications and Infrastructure; Delivers More for Less
ATLANTA, Dec 06, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Charys Holding Company, Inc.'s ("Charys") (CHYS) subsidiary Method IQ, Inc. and ShoreTel, Inc., the innovation leader in enterprise IP telephony, today announced that they are partnering to bring the benefits of next-generation voice technologies to business in the Southeast. Method IQ is now using ShoreTel's award-winning ShoreTel 6 IP PBX platform to create cost-effective business phone systems that can bring voice and data together in powerful ways, including voice-and-data conferencing and virtual contact centers.

IP voice systems reduce voice signals to standard Internet Protocol data packets, so conversations can run over data networks. This eliminates the need to build and maintain two separate networks, and enables business applications that combine voice and data. It also gives voice the routing flexibility and location independence that makes a website on another continent seem closer than the shop next door.

"Thanks to the simplicity and reliability of ShoreTel's IP voice technology, convergence is no longer restricted to the bleeding edge," said Aaron Masih, Method IQ's Vice President of Strategy and Marketing. "It is now a practical alternative for businesses of all types, sizes and geographic configurations. Voice and data are moving inexorably together, and ShoreTel's unique IP voice systems are now giving our customers a head start on the future as well as the competitive advantage today."

"We are delighted to welcome Method IQ to the ShoreTel team of channel partners," said Joe Vitalone, ShoreTel's vice president of sales and business development. "Unlike traditional phone systems, IP voice is extremely flexible and provides endless opportunities for customization and adding value. However, this requires intimate knowledge of specific customer needs, which we rely on our channel partners to possess. Method IQ is not merely installing our products, but also elevating the business phone system from a taken-for-granted utility to a productivity-boosting environment."

The applications bundled into the enterprise-class phone system include voicemail, an automated attendant, automatic call distribution, call detail recording, unified voice mail, and desktop call control. Everything is accessed from the same intuitive Windows-based interface, making the system very easy to use and manage.

Multiple Locations, One Phone System

The ShoreTel voice communication system and all of its applications operate across multiple sites, so businesses with more than one location leverage a single phone system. Calls are automatically routed among sites, enabling receptionists and assistants at one office to transparently field incoming calls for another. Interoffice calls that extend beyond the local dialing area bypass toll and long distance carriers and "ride for free" on the data network.

Users interact with the ShoreTel system through a Windows-based Personal Call Manager application and can check the presence of other employees anywhere on the enterprise network before placing or transferring calls to them. Integration with Microsoft Outlook enables automated point-and-click and dial-by-name dialing.

When calls come in for people not currently present on the network, ShoreTel Smart(TM) systems can check outlook calendar information before deciding how to handle the call. This is one of many features that makes the ShoreTel system particularly adept at support increasingly mobile workforces.

"ShoreTel's IP voice communication system is user-centric, associating phone numbers with people, not offices," said Masih. "Your calls find you whether you are at your desk, working at a branch office, or using a PC-based softphone at home, in a hotel room or some other remote location. You give out a single contact number and have a single voicemail box, eliminating a lot of redundant phones calls and duplicate messages. And you get to use a consistent voice environment, wherever you want to work."

Better Conferencing and Contact Center Options

Method IQ and ShoreTel also offer conferencing and contact center solutions that integrate with the ShoreTel system, reducing costs and improving customer service.

ShoreTel's converged conferencing combines audio conferencing with data sharing, providing a much richer communications environment for collaboration or interactions with customers. It eliminates the need to reserve time on costly conferencing services, or to engage them at all. Ad-hoc conferences can be set up as needed.

ShoreTel contact center solutions operate across multiple locations as virtual contact centers, and can do skills-based routing to match the most appropriate agent to a particular caller. When integrated with a customer database, the system can check order status and other variables before routing the call. Supervisor tools enable agent monitoring and historical reporting of agent performance, and provide real-time statistical views.

"IP telephony represents a new voice paradigm," said Masih. "Using ShoreTel's unique VoIP solutions, we can minimize the disruption of this paradigm shift while providing businesses with a powerful new communications environment."

About ShoreTel, Inc.

ShoreTel is the innovation leader in enterprise IP telephony. The company has shipped its groundbreaking intelligent phones systems since 1998 and continues to outpace the rapidly expanding Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) market with technological advances and 100% year-over-year growth. ShoreTel Smart(TM) technology and a world class channel organization bring the full promise of VoIP to the enterprise, setting new standards for usability and manageability while reducing telecommunications costs. A uniquely distributed architecture extends enterprise-class voice services to every office and outpost, keeping employees fully connected wherever they go. For more information, visit http://www.shoretel.com or call 1-877-80SHORE.

About Charys Holding Company, Inc.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Charys Holding Company, Inc. (CHYS) is a publicly traded company focusing on the Integrated Infrastructure Services Market. This market segment is fundamentally focused on environmental remediation and on upgrading the underpinning, infrastructure, and back office operations of the telecommunication, cable, electric, and Internet industries serving consumers, businesses and government entities. Charys' principal strategy is to acquire, through mergers and acquisitions, companies that support this underserved segment. Charys subsidiaries include: Viasys Services, Inc., Personnel Resources of Georgia, Inc., Method IQ, Inc., CCI Telecom, Inc., Aeon Technologies, Inc., Digital Communication Services, Inc., Ayin Holding Company, Inc., Crochet & Borel Services, Inc., Complete Tower Sources, Inc., and Mitchell Site Acq. Inc.

For more information about Charys visit http://www.charys.com and http://www.corporateevolutions.com/chys.php

About Method IQ

Method IQ focuses on enabling customer interaction excellence within some of the Southeast United States' leading firms. From healthcare institutions and major financial firms to retail and public sector enterprises, Method IQ identifies ways to reconnect Companies with their most valuable asset - their customers. Through four key areas - Next-Generation Communications, Targeted Process Improvement, Selective Business Outsourcing, and Quality Assurance - Method IQ has allowed businesses to improve productivity, reduce costs, and embrace technology and process improvements that make sense.

NOTE: The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.