Penguin
Penguin is a US-based hosted VoIP PBX provider founded in 2004 and headquartered in Turlock, California, delivering cloud-hosted business phone systems, softphone applications, vFax, and VoIP equipment to small and medium businesses across the United States and Canada.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersTurlock, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Penguin does
Penguin is a US-based hosted VoIP PBX service provider founded in 2004 and headquartered in Turlock, California (with phone presence in the Modesto area). The company delivers cloud-hosted business phone systems using SIP protocol, serving small and medium businesses, managed service providers, multi-location businesses, and hybrid or remote teams across the United States and Canada.
The core product is a hosted VoIP PBX service offering unlimited local and long-distance calling within the US and Canada, anchored on a 7.2 Tbps network capacity with a reported 99% uptime sustained for over five years. The platform is supplemented by a Penguin Softphone License for mobile and desktop calling at $5 per extension per month, a vFax digital fax service, and number porting at a $20 one-time fee per number. Penguin also distributes a broad equipment catalog spanning Yealink (T-series IP desk phones, DECT cordless systems including W76P and W79P, headsets, and the CP935W conference phone), Snom (PA1+ paging), and Grandstream (HT802 V2 ATA), with hardware pricing from $75 for refurbished units to $650 for conference endpoints. Integrations cover Avaya, Poly, Grandstream, Fanvil, Yealink, Cisco, Microsoft Teams-compatible endpoints, and major UC platforms, with CCPA compliance as the formal privacy posture.
Penguin monetizes primarily through recurring monthly subscriptions, with a base plan at $125 per month covering five extensions and $25 per additional extension per month, plus transactional revenue from equipment sales and porting. Go-to-market is direct-to-SMB via the callpenguin.com website featuring transparent self-serve pricing, a pricing calculator, and a consultative 'Book a Call' sales motion, supported by US-based 24/7 support. The company has no disclosed funding, no parent entity, no subsidiaries, and no M&A history, and operates at a headcount of 11-50 employees.
Penguin firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Penguin
- Legal name
- Penguin
- Website
- https://callpenguin.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Penguin is a US-based hosted VoIP PBX provider founded in 2004 and headquartered in Turlock, California, delivering cloud-hosted business phone systems, softphone applications, vFax, and VoIP equipment to small and medium businesses across the United States and Canada.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Penguin industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hosted VoIP Business Telephony
- NAICS
- Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)
- SIC
- Services-Telephone Interconnect Systems (7385)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cloud PBX & Hosted Telephony (HDAIAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- VoIP Access & ITSP Services (HDAIAHAD)
Keywords
Where Penguin is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Turlock
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Penguin business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- VoIP Subscription Services: Monthly subscription fees for hosted VoIP phone service with unlimited calling within U.S. and Canada. Base plan starts at $125/month for 5 extensions with $25 per additional extension.
- Equipment Sales: Sale of VoIP hardware including desk phones, portable phones, headsets, and accessories from vendors like Yealink, Snom, and Grandstream. Prices range from $75 for refurbished phones to $650 for conference phones.
- Softphone License: Mobile/desktop softphone application at $5 per month per extension
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Base plan - 5 extensions |
| Per seat | Monthly | Per extension pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Equipment pricing |
| Subscription | Monthly | Softphone mobile app |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Number porting |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Penguin product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Penguin provides cloud-hosted VoIP PBX phone services for small and medium businesses, delivering unlimited local and long-distance calling within the U.S. and Canada, with 99% uptime and 24/7 US-based support. The offering is delivered through transparent monthly subscription plans starting at $125/month for 5 extensions, plus per-extension add-ons and the Penguin Softphone License for mobile/desktop calling, with vFax digital fax capability included. Penguin also sells VoIP hardware from vendors such as Yealink, Snom, and Grandstream (desk phones, portable DECT handsets, headsets, conference phones, paging systems, and ATAs) directly to customers alongside the service.
Product overview
Penguin operates as a hosted VoIP PBX phone service provider offering a unified communications platform with the core hosted VoIP service at its center, supplemented by the Penguin Softphone License for mobile/desktop use and vFax service for digital faxing. The product portfolio includes Yealink desk phones (T7X Ultra series, T5X series, T4X series, and refurbished models), Yealink portable/wireless DECT phone systems (W76P, W79P, W59R, AX86R, AX83H, W53H), Yealink headsets (WH64, WH62, WH63, Convertible DECT), Snom PA1+ paging systems, Grandstream HT802 V2 ATA, and Yealink CP935W conference phones. Penguin's pricing is transparent with a $125/month base plan (5 extensions) and $25/extension/month with no hidden fees.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hosted VoIP PBX Service Core cloud-hosted VoIP PBX phone service for businesses, providing unlimited local and long-distance calling within the U.S. and Canada, with 99% uptime, 24/7 US-based support, CRM and UC tool integration, and transparent all-in-one monthly pricing.
- Penguin Softphone License Mobile and desktop softphone application that enables Penguin VoIP customers to place and receive calls from any device, priced at $5 per month per extension.
- vFax Service Digital fax service included in Penguin VoIP plans that enables customers to port their existing fax number and receive faxes digitally through the hosted PBX platform.
- Yealink Desk Phones IP desk phones (Yealink T7X Ultra series including T73W/T74W/T85W/T87W, T5X series, T4X series, and refurbished T4X models) resold by Penguin for use with its hosted VoIP service, priced from $75 (refurbished) to $650.
- Yealink DECT Wireless Phones DECT cordless and portable/wireless handset systems (W76P, W79P, W59R, AX86R, AX83H, W53H) resold by Penguin for mobile staff using its hosted VoIP service, priced from $89 to $295.
- Yealink Headsets DECT and Bluetooth wireless headsets (WH64 Mono UC, WH62 Mono, WH63 Portable UC, and a Convertible DECT Wireless Headset Teams-compatible variant) resold by Penguin for use with its VoIP service, priced from $175 to $249.
- Yealink CP935W Wireless Conference Phone Wireless touch-sensitive HD conference phone with a 6-microphone array for small to medium conference rooms, sold by Penguin for $650.
- Snom PA1+ Broadcast-over-IP Paging System SIP-enabled paging and announcement system that broadcasts HD audio from Snom SIP phones, sold by Penguin for $149.
- Grandstream HT802 V2 2-Port ATA Two-port analog telephone adapter (ATA) that converts legacy analog phones/fax machines to IP telephony, with Grandstream UCM Zero Configuration provisioning, sold by Penguin for $100.
Quantifiable outcome
- Customers report saving over 50% compared to legacy providers like AT&T
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Penguin
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Penguin technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature6 records
Penguin partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Penguin competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GoTo (formerly Jive Communications): Unified communications and hosted VoIP provider with strong SMB heritage (Jive). Closely mirrors Penguin's target customer profile and per-extension subscription model with comparable feature set.
- Vonage: Cloud communications platform (now part of Ericsson) offering hosted voice, SIP trunking, and UCaaS APIs. Competes with Penguin on hosted PBX functionality for SMBs, with additional strength in API/CPaaS.
- RingCentral: Public market leader in cloud UCaaS/hosted PBX for SMBs and mid-market. Competes head-on with Penguin on subscription VoIP with unlimited calling plans, softphone apps, and 24/7 support, but at significantly greater scale and broader feature set.
- Nextiva: SMB-focused hosted VoIP/UCaaS competitor with transparent pricing, CRM integrations, and U.S.-based support positioning — nearly identical value proposition to Penguin's transparency-and-reliability messaging.
- 8x8: Cloud communications provider offering hosted PBX and UCaaS for SMB and enterprise. Directly comparable business model with monthly per-extension subscription pricing and similar feature parity around auto-attendant, integrations, and mobility.
- Ooma: Cloud PBX and VoIP provider for small businesses and consumers with subscription pricing and equipment sales. Comparable hardware-plus-service revenue model and direct overlap with Penguin's target SMB segment.
Broad incumbents
- Zoom (Zoom Phone): Zoom Phone is a cloud PBX offering bundled with the broader Zoom Workplace platform. Represents a major competitive threat to standalone PBX providers like Penguin, especially for SMBs already using Zoom Meetings.
- AT&T (Business Voice / Cloud Voice): Incumbent telecom whose legacy SMB voice services are Penguin's primary displacement target. Cited directly in customer testimonials as the legacy provider Penguin wins against on price.
Emerging players
- Aircall: Cloud-based phone system built for SMB sales and support teams with deep CRM integrations. Overlaps Penguin's CRM-integration story while emphasizing workflow automation and modern UX.
- Dialpad: AI-native UCaaS/contact center provider targeting SMBs and mid-market with hosted voice. Direct competitive overlap on PBX replacement, differentiated by AI transcription and real-time analytics that Penguin does not currently advertise.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Penguin social profiles
Digital presencePenguin compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Penguin financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Penguin leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Penguin funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Penguin M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Penguin
What does Penguin do?
Penguin provides cloud-hosted VoIP PBX phone services for small and medium businesses, delivering unlimited local and long-distance calling within the U.S. and Canada, with 99% uptime and 24/7 US-based support. The offering is delivered through transparent monthly subscription plans starting at $125/month for 5 extensions, plus per-extension add-ons and the Penguin Softphone License for mobile/desktop calling, with vFax digital fax capability included. Penguin also sells VoIP hardware from vendors such as Yealink, Snom, and Grandstream (desk phones, portable DECT handsets, headsets, conference phones, paging systems, and ATAs) directly to customers alongside the service.
Is Penguin a public or private company?
Penguin is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Penguin founded?
Penguin was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Penguin based?
Penguin is headquartered in Turlock, United States, in the North America region.
How does Penguin make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. VoIP Subscription Services are the primary driver. The others are equipment Sales and softphone License.
Who are Penguin's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GoTo (formerly Jive Communications), Vonage, RingCentral, Nextiva, 8x8 and Ooma. Broad incumbents are Zoom (Zoom Phone) and AT&T (Business Voice / Cloud Voice). Emerging players are Aircall and Dialpad.
Does Penguin have an API?
No public API is recorded for Penguin.
What industry is Penguin in?
Penguin's product category is Hosted VoIP Business Telephony. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIAHAB, Cloud PBX & Hosted Telephony, with a secondary code of HDAIAHAD, VoIP Access & ITSP Services. Its NAICS code is 51711 and its SIC code is 7385.