Cincinnati Bell (NYSE: CBB) today announced in a press release the expansion of its portfolio of telecommunications and IT services for businesses with the addition of cloud-based Microsoft® Communication and Collaboration Solutions powered by hosted business services provider Apptix® (OSE: APP) and Parallels, the leading provider of cloud service delivery software. These new solutions will allow Cincinnati Bell to more effectively serve small & medium businesses, as well as key industries including healthcare, government, and education.

According to the 2012 Parallels SMB Cloud Insights™ report, businesses are increasingly turning to cloud solutions such as hosted communications and collaboration services. In the past year, it is estimated that more than one million SMBs in the United States have started using some form of cloud services.

“Purchasing and maintaining software and hardware can be daunting and expensive for many SMB customers,” said Stuart Levinsky, General Manager of Cloud Computing at Cincinnati Bell. “Cloud Solutions from Cincinnati Bell allow businesses to focus on what’s important to them – their customers – while letting us do the heavy lifting to provide a proven, reliable communications network and the top cloud-based services available anywhere.”

Cincinnati Bell’s new Cloud Solutions – including hosted Microsoft Exchange email with mobile synchronization and hosted Microsoft SharePoint – keep employees connected on the go, enhance productivity, and reduce the cost of IT services. Optional archiving and compliance features help businesses meet stringent regulatory requirements, such as HIPAA, PCI, FRCP, and SOX.

“We’re pleased that Cincinnati Bell selected Apptix to support their strategic move into the cloud,” said David Ehrhardt, president and chief executive officer of Apptix. “Our partner program reflects Apptix’s extensive experience in the hosted services market, providing everything our partners need to successfully transition into the cloud market. Apptix offers our channel partners flexible business models, diversified solution offerings, and dedicated sales, marketing, and support resources and staff to fast-track their revenue growth from cloud-based solutions. ”

“Cloud services represent a significant growth opportunity for communication service providers such as Cincinnati Bell,” said Birger Steen, CEO of Parallels. “We are pleased to join with our valued partners Cincinnati Bell and Apptix and as they use Parallels Automation to rapidly syndicate and deliver cloud services.”

For more information about Cincinnati Bell’s new Cloud Solutions for business customers, visit www.cincinnatibell.com/cloud.