Verizon Business said it will introduce several new features in September designed to increase functionality and add choice for its SIP Gateway VoIP customers.

    Among the enhancements are features that will allow wholesale customers to pick specific functions that let them customize offerings for their subscribers. For example, wholesale customers will have the ability to order two-way telephone numbers associated with SIP Gateway Service with or without E911 service. Wholesale customers also will have the option of selecting metered or unmetered pricing for SIP Gateway Service Inbound Complete.

    Another feature is foreign telephone number assignment, the ability to assign a U.S. telephone number outside the number’s local calling area. This gives businesses the flexibility of maintaining local numbers for their customers while centrally locating all or portions of their business elsewhere, the company said.

    The new Discretionary Call Blocking feature will give wholesale customers the ability to designate blocking of eight specific types of calls (such as international long-distance) at the time the order is placed. Verizon Business said it then integrates the selected blocking into its network switch, thus freeing the wholesale customer from managing the blocking function.

    Another feature is seasonal pricing, which allows a wholesale customer to keep a telephone number but temporarily suspend the ability to make or receive calls, except 911.

    Verizon Business also is adding a fraud detection and treatment capability to improve detection of fraudulent VoIP traffic, alert the wholesale customer, then temporarily or permanently block the suspected traffic.