By Sharla Sikes

Two other VoIP providers have been named to fill the shoes of vanished VoIP company SunRocket (who still hasn’t taken down its web site).

8×8 has reached a deal with the company handling the liquidation of SunRocket’s assets. The agreement allows former SunRocket subscribers to transition to 8×8 VoIP service without startup costs and with a free month’s service.

SunRocket will contact its customers via e-mail and voice mail to notify them of 8×8’s residential VoIP phone service.

8×8 is working to speed the porting of SunRocket phone numbers into the new network.

ViaTalk is also providing phone service for former SunRocket customers. The company has announced that thousands of SunRocket refugees have transitioned.

“In the past 48 hours our U.S.-based customer service team has signed up thousands of SunRocket subscribers and has answered thousands of inquiries on the phone and via our online Live Sales Chat,” said Brendan Brader, ViaTalk CEO. “In order to meet the needs of these stranded customers, we have substantially increased our network capacity and have increased our call center staffing. Also, to assist former SunRocket customers, we are currently offering a contract buyout in the form of six months of service credit as well as free ground shipping of equipment.”

ViaTalk has shifted employees from sister company HostRocket.com in order to handle the flood of customer service needs, and plans to add more staff as needed to handle the booming subscriptions. Brader says he has spent time in VoIP forums discussing stranded SunRocket customers and answering questions, and he also has been in contact with other VoIP execs to “ensure that these customers are treated fairly and that as much is done to smooth the transition to new providers.”

 Most VoIP customers are doubtless glad to have options to transfer their phone needs to another company with a minimum of cost and hassle. But how many have lost faith in VoIP providers? SunRocket provided no warning or explanation for its cancellation. How does a VoIP subscriber know if his or her own provider will be around in five years—or five months?

There’s probably no easy answer to that question.

Additionally, the porting of SunRocket numbers to new services isn’t exactly a speedy process, leaving customers stranded without phone service.

“Why does it take so long to port a number?” Shira Goldberg, a former SunRocket user, asked. “I still have to wait up to three weeks for my phone to be back. Can you imagine the millions of dollars in lost revenue for small businesses that this will cost?”

Two other established VoIP operators, Net2Phone and Unified Communications Corp., which provides VoIP service called Teleblend, have offered former SunRocket customers the ability to switch services.

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