Regus launch 'Connect' and 'Switch' powered by SmartNumbers, heralding new era in communication services to Virtual Office customers.

London, England. October 2005

Regus has today announced the availability of its new 'Connect' and 'Switch' communications services for its Virtual Office customers, powered by SmartNumbers.  Connect and Switch herald a new era in telephony services to support the virtual office worker, enabling web-based setup and call management for teams operating from offices, home or remote locations.

Under a far-reaching development and marketing partnership, Regus and SmartNumbers have created a unique service for 'virtual office' companies and those operating across many locations both in the UK and internationally.  These services will form the basis of a whole new suite of solutions being deployed in the UK and globally for those customers requiring 'virtual' operations within the Regus framework. With over 3,500 'virtual office' customers in the UK alone, most with between 5 - 15 employees, the Connect & Switch services will rapidly become the most widely used telephony service for companies requiring the presence and quality of a Regus managed office, with the convenience and efficiency of operating from home.

Connect and Switch are comprised of a number of integrated services, including:

The Communication Manager is a web-based portal for setting up a Virtual Office's communication processes and policies.  Companies can determine:

• Who should be taking company calls (enabling hunt-groups to span country-wide and worldwide)
• How to handle missed-calls
• Integration with Regus call-answering services
• Integration with Office and SMS for instant notification of missed calls or important messages

The Personal Web Services are used for announcing incoming calls, provide real-time presence on the location and availability of colleagues and an integrated directory service that supports virtual team-working and one-click communication services.

"We are delighted with the quality of the service that SmartNumbers have developed", say Simon Hunt, Director of Regus Virtual Offices. "The capability of the service, it's ease of use and the fact that it has been designed from first-principles around the needs of the 'virtual office worker' will enable Regus to underline our commitment to innovation and customer-service. This is a best-in-class service, and sets the Gold Standard for flexible working solutions".

"We are enormously proud to have been selected by Regus to participate in the development of this solution for this, their fastest-growing market segment", says Geoffrey Paterson, CEO of SmartNumbers. "In working closely with Regus on the design and development of these services, it has become clear the absolute focus Regus has on providing the highest-quality customer service experience. The combination of SmartNumber's advanced voice services, with Regus' commitment to quality and customer service will ensure this is a very successful product, both in the UK and globally."

"It has been a pleasure working with Regus on the design and development of this important project", say Mei-Ling Dempster, Programme Manager at SmartNumbers. "In only a few short months we have been able to bring to market a truly innovative solution that encapsulates quality and customer-service, and we look forward to adding additional capability as this service continues to evolve."

About Regus

Represented in 350 cities in more than 60 countries, Regus is the global leader in supplying fully serviced offices. Offering 96,000 workstations in more than 750 prestigious locations across the globe, including over 90 in the UK , Regus is also a market leader in providing meeting rooms, training facilities and public access videoconferencing studios. More information can be found at www.regus.com