MONROE, La. and DES MOINES, Iowa, July 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) and Iowa Communications Network (ICN) today announced that ICN added CenturyLink's unified communications-as-a-service (UCaaS) solutions to its product portfolio. ICN is the State of Iowa government agency that operates a fiber optic broadband network for Iowa's government, healthcare, education and public safety sectors.

ICN's statewide fiber optic network offers public Internet connectivity, private data networking, video over Internet Protocol and voice service to its authorized users.

With UCaaS from CenturyLink now available from ICN, the agency's education, public safety, and government users can purchase a managed services package that includes managed data networking; feature-rich, managed Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone service; and collaboration applications such as instant messaging and presence, which provides real-time availability information about co-workers.

"The timing was right for ICN to collaborate with a managed service provider that incorporates a modernized phone system bundled with the additional voice efficiency and productivity services of unified communications," said Ric Lumbard, ICN's executive director. "By working with CenturyLink to offer voice capabilities as a managed service, we are helping our education, public safety and government users avoid the substantial capital outlay and the ongoing, unpredictable operating costs of operating a unified communications system on their own."

"CenturyLink's fully managed UCaaS solution for ICN enables authorized users to reduce and even eliminate the ownership costs of a premises-based communication system," said Kenny Wyatt, senior vice president of business solutions, CenturyLink. "The monthly rate includes updating all IP phones and equipment, and we make it easy to add, move and change employee seats and calling features using CenturyLink's user-friendly online portal."

By making the switch to VoIP service from CenturyLink, users realize the following benefits:

• Making calls from a remote location and accessing the same features as any office user.
• Being reached anywhere by setting multiple devices to ring at the same time or in a desired order.
• Adjusting administrative settings and configuring employee calling features with a user-friendly online portal.
• Retrieving and managing voicemail messages by phone, email or online.

Learn more about ICN's technology solutions at www.icn.iowa.gov. 

Learn more about managed services from CenturyLink at http://www.centurylink.com/business/managed-services.

About CenturyLink
CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is a global communications, hosting, cloud and IT services company enabling millions of customers to transform their businesses and their lives through innovative technology solutions. CenturyLink offers network and data systems management, Big Data analytics and IT consulting, and operates more than 55 data centers in North America, Europe and Asia. The company provides broadband, voice, video, data and managed services over a robust 250,000-route-mile U.S. fiber network and a 300,000-route-mile international transport network. Visit CenturyLink for more information.

About Iowa Communications Network
The Iowa Communications Network (ICN) is BROADBAND STRONG, delivering FLEXIBLE broadband and FAST experiences to meet the growing broadband needs of education, government, public safety, and healthcare in Iowa. The ICN provides high-speed flexible broadband Internet, data, IP video, and voice services. The ICN transport network is 100% fiber, which is the leading technology for telecommunications networks. Visit Iowa Communications Network for more information.

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SOURCE CenturyLink, Inc.