PanTerra Networks Brings Additional Enterprise Features to the Mid-Market by Integrating Single Sign-On and Advanced Billing Capabilities With Its SmartBox and CloudUC Platform

SANTA CLARA, CA--(Marketwired - Mar 31, 2015) - PanTerra Networks, the leading provider of unified cloud services for mid-market enterprises, today announced new enterprise-grade functionality for the mid-market with the integration of single sign-on (SSO) and advanced billing capabilities for its SmartBox and CloudUC platform. The company's SSO capabilities support Active Directory (AD) and third-party identity providers Onelogin and Okta. SSO allows a user to log into an identity portal system once and access SmartBox, CloudUC and admin portals without using separate login credentials. This prevents the use of a single password across multiple services, a key requirement for enterprise-grade security.

PanTerra's advanced billing capabilities provide a flexible solution that supports multiple billing types (different credit cards or invoices) and multiple tiered billing statements and invoices to fit the financial infrastructure of companies of any size and distribution. Other file-sync-and-share (FSS) providers support SSO and limited billing systems; PanTerra Networks is the first unified cloud service provider to deliver SSO interoperability with advanced billing features across the Enterprise File Sync and Share (EFSS) and Unified Communications (UC) markets.

"PanTerra's SSO and advanced billing features further differentiate their solution from others in two areas that are critical for our migration to the cloud. SSO allows us to seamlessly integrate PanTerra's services into our existing authentication infrastructure, and their advanced billing allows all SaaS costs to be accurately and correctly reported and invoiced to all our locations," said Mark T. Evans, CEO of Share Tech Solutions LLC. "This eases the selling process and also addresses security concerns that are top of mind for our customers."

SSO and Active Directory Support

Customers frequently have existing authentication systems -- either AD or third-party identity service providers -- that authenticate users and authorize access to company services. Until now, however, unified cloud service providers have required login through their own authentication systems, thus eliminating the benefit of SSO services and increasing the risk of employees using the same login credentials for all services. PanTerra Networks addresses this challenge by allowing SSO integration into third-party identity service providers like Onelogin and Okta, thus providing increased end-user efficiency and IT authentication management savings.

Advanced Billing Support

Accurately and correctly assigning, tracking and invoicing financial infrastructure costs are critical capabilities in today's workplace. In addition, many "franchised" or distributed companies often need multiple billing-method support across multiple locations (different credit cards or manual invoicing per location). Many service providers force their customers to receive a single invoice for their account and to extract each location's billing model or any other subtotaling manually. Moving to the PanTerra cloud provides the flexibility and customization mid-market enterprises need for concise, exact billing that fits their financial infrastructure.

PanTerra Networks tackles this need head on with flexible billing options that companies can customize to fit their needs. For example, a fully distributed franchise model can be configured so each location (or group of locations) receives a separate invoice and can pay with different credit cards, while corporate headquarters receives a single statement with subtotals of all invoices. Companies can alternatively configure a centralized headquarter model that subtotals each location on a single invoice that is sent to corporate, while each location receives an individual location billing statement. Finally, a hybrid model -- some locations receive individual invoices and corporate receives a single invoice for all other locations -- is also supported. The ability to accurately and correctly assign, track and invoice IT infrastructure costs in a SaaS model is critical, as it allows specific charges to be appropriately assigned to the correct groups and locations within the enterprise.

Availability and Pricing

PanTerra Networks' SSO and advanced billing capabilities are included in SmartBox and CloudUC licensing. Products with the new features are available now from PanTerra Networks or through participating PanTerra partners. To try a free version of SmartBox or to start a free 14-day trial, click here.

About PanTerra Networks

PanTerra Networks is a unified cloud service provider, delivering WorldSmart, its family of secure, ultra-reliable, future-proof unified cloud services. WorldSmart includes SmartBox, the world's first communications-enabled file sync & share service. It also includes CloudUC, a complete unified communications service that can upgrade and replace an enterprise's existing communications infrastructure with a next‐generation cloud‐based communications service. With PanTerra's unified cloud service solution, enterprises gain the highest levels of security, scalability, reliability, availability, quality of service, service level agreement and support available while significantly lowering their total cost of operations and IT administration complexities. PanTerra Networks solutions are available through a global network of channel partners. For more information, call us at 1.800.805.0558 or visit www.panterranetworks.com.