Arrangement Allows NextStep to Combine its Diverse Telecom Services with Samsung’s Affordable OfficeServ™ Solutions to Create Revenue Opportunities for Carriers

Richardson, TX -- (SBWire) -- 11/24/2010 -- Samsung Business Communication Systems (BCS), a leading supplier of OfficeServ™ Series converged solutions and customer premise equipment (CPE), today announced an exclusive master distribution agreement with newly formed NextStep Technology Solutions, LLC, which provides VoIP and Unified Communications (UC) solutions as well as a range of related services to carriers and business end-users.

As part of the agreement, NextStep Technology Solutions will offer Samsung’s suite of affordable OfficeServ™ Series systems, Ubigate Series of gateways, switches, routers, as well as SIP Phones to a North American customer base of local exchange carriers (LECs). For carriers, this means they can tie together the feature-rich Samsung converged platforms and VoIP-enabled systems with existing network offerings to create new revenue streams. NextStep offers carriers the resources and necessary expertise to deliver this bundled solution.

Led by three telecommunications industry veterans – David Lyons (CEO), Franklin Kisberg (COO) and Phillip Sherman (President) – NextStep Technology Solutions was founded to provide carriers and business end-users a single source for design and engineering solutions, CPE and service, support and training. The company plans to leverage its vast experience and relationship with Samsung to capitalize on the predicted surge in demand for VoIP solutions and network-based hosted communications services.

“The agreement with Samsung aligns NextStep with a powerful brand and better positions us and our customers to capitalize on the expected widespread migration of businesses from legacy phone systems into VoIP solutions,” said David Lyons, CEO, NextStep Technology Solutions.

A study from market research firm In-Stat indicates that 42 percent of U.S. businesses had a VoIP solution in at least one location by the end of 2009. The number is expected to increase to 79 percent by 2013.

NextStep’s plan to facilitate the adoption of VoIP solutions includes an aggressive multi-level strategy to acquire, and partner with carriers, network resellers and related businesses. This provides a significant opportunity for Samsung BCS to rapidly deploy the BCS Product Portfolio of business communications systems.

“We are excited about the agreement with NextStep Technology Solutions and look forward to working with its team of respected industry veterans,” says Doug Wonson, Vice President and General Manager, Samsung BCS. “The agreement will broaden the reach of Samsung OfficeServ™ and Ubigate solutions and help Samsung gain greater visibility in the carrier and small-business markets.”

About Samsung Telecommunications America
Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC, a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops, and markets wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America.

About Samsung Business Communication Systems
Samsung Business Communication Systems (BCS), (http://www.samsungbcs.com) a Dallas-based division of Samsung Telecommunications America (STA), is the distribution arm for the company’s line of business communications solutions. Targeting small- to medium-sized businesses, Samsung BCS offers an elite line of telephony-based customer premise equipment (CPE) with dynamic architecture that can accommodate tremendous growth at low incremental costs to meet a variety of communications needs. As an innovator in convergence technology, Samsung's business communications systems combine traditional voice and data capabilities with wireline and wireless technologies providing fully integrated, converged communications platforms and applications. In addition to CPE, Samsung BCS also offers a comprehensive line of voice processing equipment, CTI applications, and wireless solutions.

About NextStep Technology Solutions
Headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, NextStep Technology Solutions, LLC, (http://www.nextstepts.com), was founded on the premise that local exchange carriers and network providers are the critical link to providing business end-users a single source for network design and engineering solutions, customer premise equipment (CPE) and service, support and training in the deployment of VoIP and Unified Communications (UC) solutions to SMB’s. NextStep distributes the Samsung Total Telecommunications Product Portfolio to the LECs and resellers in North America under a defined Exclusive Master Distribution Agreement between Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC and the Company.