Gamma Partners with AQA Telecom to Offer MVNA Services

Gamma has partnered with AQA Telecom to create mutual business growth by leveraging its Mobile Virtual Network Aggregator (MVNA) services.
The partnership brings together AQA’s experience in the Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) sector and Gamma’s mobile technology portfolio.
As well as providing growth opportunities, Gamma believes the strategic alliance with the UK telecoms company, AQA, could also thrive in the under-served UK MVNO market.
Renato Andre de Andrade Reis, CEO of AQA Telecom, said: “We are really pleased to be partnering with Gamma to leverage both the advanced technology assets as well as their mobile network.
“One of the most exciting aspects of this partnership, for me, is the broad scope of capability that Gamma offers – which includes virtual mobile, SIM, and eSIM technologies, underpinned with an extensive set of commercial tariffs and options – topped off with Gamma’s scale and pedigree.
“I think this is the right relationship to really succeed in the UK market as their network operator partnership continues to benefit from Gamma’s value-adds.
“Becoming an MVNA with Gamma made a lot of sense given this existing relationship.
“They’re great people to work with, truly value the importance of partnerships and do what they say they’re going to do, which is refreshing.”
What are MVNA services?
An MVNA is an operator, like Gamma, providing wholesale mobile and data services to MVNOs and other entities, which, in turn, offer services to customers under their own, separate brands.
An MVNA is essentially a middle-man, connecting the MVNOs to the MNO (Mobile Network Operator), such as AQA, as opposed to MVNOs working directly with the MNO.
By partnering with MVNAs, MNOs can more easily manage end customers and reach entire networks of MVNOs in one fell swoop.
Déjà vu
This is not the first time that Gamma has entered into an MVNA partnership.
In 2011, the communications services supplier signed an MVNA wholesale agreement with Vodafone UK, which gave Gamma’s channel partners the possibility to become MVNOs.
Its partners were able to take control of pricing and branding and offer a broad selection of converged fixed and mobile solutions to customers.
Before that, in 2008, Gamma formed an MVNO agreement with the UK mobile operator, 3 UK.
As a result, Gamma could offer a business mobile voice and data service with its own branding and using the 3 network.
The service was targeted at Gamma’s channel of over 300 independent resellers.
Mike Mills, Director of Cloud and Infrastructure Partners at Gamma, commented: “We’re really pleased to be working with AQA Telecom, to leverage their experience and expertise in working with MVNOs.
“And whilst we’ve been in this space for nearly 15 years, I feel that this sort of partnership can really accelerate our aggressive growth strategy with mobile.
“We believe that as mobile technology evolves, an enormous market opportunity exists in the UK, which is historically under-served by MVNO’s, and we intend to take advantage of that together.”
Founded in 2014, AQA is a UK-based telecommunications company offering telecoms, fintech, and payments services.
Gamma is a communications services supplier in the UK, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands, offering a range of UCaaS, mobile, and connectivity solutions.
Last month, Gamma launched Dubber’s intelligent call recording and conversational AI solutions for Microsoft Teams to enhance its voice offering for partners and customers.
In January this year, Gamma introduced Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams to UK channel partners, making it one of only two UK providers to offer the service on a channel model.
 
 

 

Avaya CEO: ‘I Hate That Shareholders and Employees Lost Money’

Avaya CEO Alan Masarek has said it was tough to see shareholders and employees lose out through its recent bankruptcy process. 
The vendor’s financial restructuring saw lenders become shareholders in exchange for wiping our billions of dollars in debt – meaning previous shareholders’ stock became worthless. These shareholders included many Avaya employees.  

UC Today’s Editor in Chief David Dungay spoke exclusively to Masarek at Channel Partners in Las Vegas. Watch the Full interview here 

“There have been a lot of tough decisions,” he said. “You don’t go into an in-court restructuring half measure because it has a consequence. 
“The stockholders, pre-filing, were eliminated, which is very bittersweet for me. It’s great that we were able to eliminate billions of dollar of debt, but I hate that stockholders, some of whom were employees, lost their money. 
“These types of transformations have difficult decisions embedded in them.” 
Masarek also acknowledged Avaya’s recent layoffs, explaining that the vendor did it as transparently and respectfully as possible. 
He added that the healing process is now underway, with the concept of trust central to Avaya’s future. 
“I actually think trust is at a very high level,” he said. “Even though we’ve had these fairly large cost reductions in terms of the quantity of staff, I still feel that there’s a spring in everybody’s step.” 
Masarek covered a host of subjects during the in-depth interview including: 

Avaya’s new approach to customer experience 

The Revamped partnership with RingCentral 

Future acquisitions and a potential return to the stock market 

Watch the full interview here 
 
 

 

Microsoft vs Cisco vs Zoom – Leaders Share their Market Winning Insights at Channel Partners Conference

Microsoft (Teams), Cisco (Webex), and Zoom (Phone) are three of the leading Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) vendors in the North American market. In a recent panel discussion at the Channel Partners Conference and Expo in Las Vegas, the leaders of these companies discussed the challenges and opportunities for channel partners working with their platforms.
One key theme that emerged from the discussion was the importance of market timing and having the right go-to-market model to win the market. According to DP Venkatesh, VP/GM – Digital, SMB and Global Strategic Partners at Cisco, “it’s not just about features, it’s about market timing.” He emphasized the importance of having the right go-to-market model to reach customers and win market share. Cisco has over 200 million seats across its network of providers, and there are hundreds of millions of seats available today for channel partners.
DP Venkatesh also discussed the importance of contact centers to Cisco’s Webex division. He predicted that the contact center will bring the next biggest wave of growth for the company and its partners, and that calling and contact center together is a popular buy for Webex customers. The contact center is becoming the experience center, and the market is evolving. Venkatesh emphasized that Cisco needs its partners to build and deliver solutions, and that AI is bringing intelligence to audio, video, and cameras, focusing on business outcomes that drive better experiences.
Moderators: Elka Popova, Frost & Sullivan, William Rubio, CallTower + Speakers: DP Venkatesh, Cisco, Colby Nish, Zoom, Chris Carabello, Microsoft – ‘Why are Microsoft, Zoom and Cisco Winning?’ session at Channel Partners Conference and Expo, Las Vegas 2nd May 2023
Chris Carabello, Senior Director – Product Marketing at Microsoft, emphasized that hybrid work is driving the market momentum right now. He explained that new modes of working need to be met, as users are hungry for hybrid productivity. Microsoft Teams grew from 14 million users to now 300 million users post-pandemic, and the company is continuing to add features and value with products like Microsoft Copilot. Teams Phone (and Teams Phone Mobile) is a huge area of white space for Microsoft, and cloud voice growth in the enterprise is growing tremendously, a massive area of investment and focus for the company. Operators add a lot of value, specifically consulting with end customers on where their users are and what tech they need to bring it all together. Microsoft sees a lot of opportunity and growth in its first-party and third-party contact center offerings for channel partners.
Carabello also discussed the importance of AI, stating that with ChatGPT4 and Microsoft’s Copilot integration into the Microsoft 365 suite, AI is the most transformational technology ever, and we’re going to continue to see lots of use cases unfold very quickly. How channel partners capitalize on AI is key, and there are tons of frontline use cases to help partners drive more value.
Colby Nish, Head of North America Sales at Zoom, focused on the importance of driving better experiences for users. He emphasized that making products that are simple to use is crucial for user adoption, and that easy deployment is the winning combination. There are a lot of different types of channel partners providing value-add services to end customers, and Zoom sees a lot of opportunities to grow its channel business. Zoom Contact Center is Zoom’s homegrown CCaaS solution, after a failed acquisition of Five9, Zoom has been working tirelessly to develop its own solution. Zoom is developing its Zoom Contact Center solution with conversational AI capabilities which it believes is key to contact center success.
Nish also discussed the importance of AI, stating that Zoom’s focus with AI is on time savings such as smart summaries and smart composing, making meetings more productive is a top priority. Federated AI is critical going forward, which allows customers to bring their own data into these AI models.
Overall, the speakers emphasized the importance of channel partners in delivering value to end customers. The market is evolving rapidly and solution providers like CallTower are helping channel partners win with market-leading platforms like Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Webex.

 

Wazo Expands Channel into North America

Wazo, a Canadian-based UCaaS provider announced this week that it will showcase its Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) platform and APIs at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo, which will take place from May 1-4, 2023, at the Venetian in Las Vegas.
As the largest independent channel event, the conference brings together partners from around the world to learn, showcase top trade solutions and stay up-to-date with the latest trends in the industry.
Wazo’s U.S. launch is a significant milestone in its international development, as it aims to serve new channel partners with its programmable UCaaS solution. Headed up by its new Vice President of Sales for North America, David Snyder the company is well-positioned to support its customers and expand its presence in the United States. Furthermore, by participating in key events such as Channel Partners Conference and Expo, the company is keen to recruit and meet new partners.
Founded in France in 2016, Wazo has helped over 100 MSPs build better communication experiences for more than 5,000 customers globally. Its all-in-one application includes telephony, video conferencing, and instant messaging, while its open and API-first platform enables MSPs to customize and tailor their offerings according to their unique needs.
“The U.S. launch is a major milestone for Wazo’s international development, adding to our 100+ partners and 5,000+ customers who are already active,” said Nicolas Marchal, CEO of Wazo. He continued to comment:
“We are increasing our U.S. presence with additional sales and technical resources to serve our new partners and will meet and recruit them through our participation in key events such as Channel Partners. In late 2022, we raised an additional round of equity financing specifically for North American business development. We are very attentive to market needs, and we’ve optimized our solutions, messaging, branding, and partner program to better serve our U.S. customers.”

 

Voss Launches PSTN Automation for Cloud Calling

Voss has introduced PSTN Automation for cloud calling to provide administration and reporting of PSTN services for Microsoft Teams, Webex by Cisco, and more.
Service providers can use PSTN Automation on cloud calling platforms to automate end-to-end billing, reporting, provisioning, and activation of telephony services.
Voss, which describes itself as the “leading provider of digital workplace management technology”, partnered with Microsoft last month to launch the Partner Pivot Program, aimed at shifting the customers of service providers and managed service providers into the Microsoft ecosystem.
Tim Jalland, Solution Manager at VOSS, said:
“This feature capability from VOSS allows service providers to tap into customer demand in the rapidly growing market for cloud calling.
“New service offers can be introduced quickly and delivered in a streamlined and highly efficient way.”
Voss PSTN Automation simplifies the delivery of PSTN services by removing costly DIY approaches to new cloud provisioning APIs.
The solution also automates manual processes and removes custom commands, scripts, portals, and technical silos.
Automation features give service providers a greater service offering, including cloud tenant and user management, fixed and mobile integration, self-service customer administration, and automatic call handling during disaster recovery.
As a result, service providers will be able to create new revenue streams and differentiate their offerings from competing service providers.
Benefits of Voss PSTN Automation
Automation features help to speed up the launch of PSTN services, increase efficiency, and provide access to new cloud calling markets, including small to medium size businesses (SMBs).
Automated onboarding of existing customers and users streamlines the process and helps to reduce time to revenue via intuitive workflows.
An end-to-end view can be gained by integrating into existing order management and billing systems, with the ability to configure the systems to the needs of each provider.
Single points of control can be accessed to view the whole customer base, as well as manage and allocate PSTN numbers.
Customers can integrate with existing PSTN infrastructure to improve investments, keep ownership of value, and realise service margins.
Reporting enables the capturing of call details to provide call analytics and performance insights.
Service providers will also gain access to Voss’ latest cloud calling features and APIs, without needing to adopt a DIY approach.
Adoption of the solution includes a means to upsell differentiation, innovation, and value-added capabilities to improve the average revenue per customer.
Vice President of Products at VOSS Solutions, Bill Dellara spoke to UC Today this month about a trend he has identified to connect remote workers.
Dellara said: “One main trend that we’re seeing folks focus on is how do they operationalize these services. A lot of times they rapidly deployed services over the last year or two to meet the need of remote workers and things like that bypassing traditional processes they might have gone through.”
“The focus to make these services operational is one trend and something that we’ve been really helping the partners with and we will see that continuing in 2023.”
In September last year, Voss took part in a UC Today round table discussion, focussing on managing teams in multi-vendor environments.
 
 

 

ALE Launches Programme for 3,400 Partners

Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise has launched its ‘360 Partner Experience’ business relationship management platform to support 3,400 partners worldwide.
The 360 Partner Experience (360PX) has been designed to offer customised partner journeys for each organisation and increase their productivity and growth on ALE’s end-to-end (E2E) portfolio, which encompasses CCaaS, communications, and network over cloud, hybrid, or on-premise.
ALE has said it will assist companies in their transition to “as a service” (XaaS) and subscription-based solutions, while also supporting their capital expenditures (Capex).
Claudio Soland, SVP of Alliances and Global partner programme at ALE, said:
“Our 360 Partner Experience programme allows our partners, existing and new, to do both Capex and XaaS business with Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise within a single framework.
“The enhanced support will help them flourish, especially for those transitioning to a subscription model.
“In addition, the collaborative ecosystem we are promoting will benefit all our partners around the world.”
As well as supporting its current partners, Avaya is also seeking to gain new business partners, especially those with a vertical focus.
360PX includes a critical innovation called the “à la carte” accreditation framework that helps partners who are looking to specialise in sales or services for XaaS, Capex, and verticals, such as education, healthcare, transportation, energy, utilities, and government.
As a result, ALE believes that 360PX delivers the flexibility for partners to utilise it according to their strengths, whether they are experts in sales, services, or both.
By joining ALE’s partner network, partners can access solutions not only from ALE, but the entire network of partners can connect with one another and share their technologies.
According to ALE, a business relationship management platform improves collaboration between ALE and its partners, which increases strategic planning and effective execution, resulting in greater mutual success.
Rukmini Glanard, Executive Vice President, Global Sales, Services & Marketing at Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, adds: “Today, customers are asking for more complete and complex solutions, which requires the combined skills of diverse experts.
“By facilitating this, the 360PX partner ecosystem ensures that end-users receive optimal solutions with best-in-class service, as they migrate to increasingly integrated platforms.”
ALE offers networking, communications, and cloud solutions with customised services for each client, catering to cloud, hybrid, and on-premise business models. All of its solutions have built-in security, which it discussed with UC Today in December 2022, and a limited impact on the environment.
Formed over 100 years ago, ALE describes itself as a “trusted advisor” to over one million customers around the world.
UC Today’s David Dungay spoke to two execs at ALE, alongside an industry analyst, to discuss challenges in IT management, including the Network obstacles for IT teams relating to digital transformation, time lost through inefficient technologies, opting for both UCaaS and CPaaS, and more.
Rainbow Telephony for Microsoft Teams was also reviewed last month by UC Today, concluding that ALE’s customers could greatly increase their user reach by implementing the Teams app, which is made possible through Rainbow. As more and more companies turn to Teams for communication and collaboration, apps like Rainbow mean businesses do not need to change their telephony infrastructure to implement Teams.
 
 

 

Microsoft Offers Cloud Reforms to Prevent EU Probe

Microsoft has offered to reform its cloud computing practices in a bid to settle antitrust complaints and avoid an EU probe.
Reuters, which has reported on the latest developments, said an EU antitrust investigation could result in a fine as large as ten percent of its global turnover.
Microsoft is believed to have put together a new “concrete proposal”. It builds on the company president’s announcement last year, which promised to help cloud providers offer Windows and Office directly and revise licensing deals to give customers with greater freedom to buy and use their licenses.
A spokesperson for Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE), a trade group with members including, Amazon, the market leader of cloud computing, said:
“We’ve had an initial discussion with Microsoft but have not seen anything that suggests changes that will ensure that all European customers have the chance to run the software they want, in the cloud of their choice, free of unfair license terms or discriminatory pricing.
“As such, we will continue to pursue our complaint.”
The EU antitrust watchdog and OVHcloud have so far refused to comment. The Danish Cloud Community and Aruba have not yet responded to requests for comment.
Microsoft said it made changes to its licensing practices in October, after feedback from European cloud providers.
A spokesperson for Microsoft, commented on its licensing updates: “We are grateful for the productive conversations that led us there and appreciate the feedback that we have received since.”
OVHcloud, a French computing services provider, Aruba, an Italian cloud service provider, and the Danish Cloud Community had all complained to the European Commission about Microsoft’s cloud computing and licensing practices.
The Commission, whose job it is to ensure fair competition within the EU, has fined Microsoft around $1.7 billion over the past decade.
Nextcloud made its case against Microsoft to the European Commission in 2021, focusing on the U.S. company’s bundling OneDrive services with Windows 10 and 11, which it sees as an abuse of its market dominance. The case soon turned into a campaign as 30 European software companies joined the fight, calling themselves a ‘coalition for a level playing field’.
This week, Nextcloud announced that the German Bundeskartellamt (federal antitrust authorities) have opened an official investigation into Microsoft to assess its market dominance.
Frank Karlitschek, CEO and founder of Nextcloud GmbH, said:
“Microsoft continues to act as a gatekeeper, picking the winners and losers. And of course, its own services benefit immensely from this, getting shielded from the competition.
“This brazen effort of promoting its own services at the expense of competitors and distorting the market in their favour harms the consumer, the wider market, and European businesses and threatens the digital sovereignty of countries.
“Together with our coalition members, we call upon the German and EU authorities to enforce a level playing field, giving consumers choice and competition a fair chance.
In December 2022, Microsoft sought to settle with the EU Commission over a complaint of “crushing competition” lodged by Slack in July 2020.
 
 

 

How Intermedia is Driving Business for Channel Partners

Watch on YouTube
UC Today’s Tom Wright hosts Philippe du Fou, EMEA Sales Director, Intermedia.
In this session, we discuss the following:

The biggest challenges and opportunities for MSPs
How end customer demands of partners are changing
How Intermedia’s channel strategy will develop this year

To find out more, visit Intermedia.
Thanks for watching, if you’d like more content like this, don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel.
You can also join in the conversation on our Twitter and LinkedIn pages.

 

The Top Microsoft Teams Security Vendors for 2023 

Microsoft Teams is more than just a simple collaboration and productivity tool for many companies. As the ecosystem continues to expand and evolve, it’s quickly becoming one of the go-to solutions for businesses in search of an all-in-one digital workplace.  
Thanks to new feature sets, add-ons, and partnerships, Microsoft Teams can now serve as a UCaaS or CCaaS platform, capable of flexing to suit the needs of virtually any business. However, shifting to a Teams-focused strategy for communication and collaboration isn’t without its challenges. Companies still need to ensure their chosen platform is secure enough to keep conversations via chat, video, and text protected in the cloud.  
While Microsoft Teams offers a number of security features as standard, including access controls, two-factor authentication, and the Purview platform, organizations can expand and increase their security standing with help from certified partners. Here are just some of the companies offering security solutions for Microsoft Teams today.  

AudioCodes 

A long-standing partner of Microsoft, AudioCodes offers a variety of solutions to companies building their technology stacks in the Teams ecosystem. The company can assist businesses with migrating into Teams, offering BYOC solutions via Direct Routing for secure, enterprise-grade voice. AudioCodes also builds security into its Teams offering from the ground up, with advanced SIP trunks for companies leveraging hybrid and cloud-based solutions.  
One of the core security offerings available for Microsoft Teams customers from AudioCodes is the Mediant VE SBC, which allows brands to defend the connection between their internal communication systems and the cloud. The Mediant SBC is built on the Microsoft Azure cloud environment and promises a combination of reliability, resiliency, and scalability.  

Ribbon Communications 

Flexible communications vendor, Ribbon, supports businesses with flexible network and connectivity solutions focused on the era of cloud communications. Ribbon offers IP optical network solutions, a comprehensive carrier-grade cloud environment, and a range of SBCs (Session Border Controllers) for Microsoft Teams customers using Teams as their primary communication system. 
Alongside Session Border Controller services, Ribbon also provides businesses with secure IP calling capabilities, turn-key technologies, and end-to-end support for migration and provisioning. Users can even securely link their existing contact centre and UCaaS solutions into the Teams ecosystem using Ribbon’s scalable environment. Ribbon’s secure SBCs are also certified for use with other tools outside of Teams, such as Zoom.  

Thinktel 

Specializing in SIP trunking, dedicated internet solutions, and hosted PBX offerings, Thinktel acts as a flexible partner for Microsoft Teams customers. The company’s network spans across the world, and Thinktel services can be customised to suit a variety of use cases. Companies working with Thinktel can benefit from fully redundant hardware, multi-rate customer SIP trunks, and tailor-made deployment solutions for Microsoft Teams.  
As a Microsoft Gold Partner, ThinkTel offers SIP-based communication capabilities to companies throughout Canada, with access to powerful session border controller technology. SBC solutions from Thinktel can be configured to the specific needs of each brand, even those working in highly regulated areas. Plus, the technology on offer is compatible with a range of legacy PBX systems, making them suitable for companies using hybrid communication stacks. 

Oracle 

Building on an extensive partnership with Microsoft, Oracle introduced a range of enterprise session border controller solutions specifically built for use with Microsoft Teams Direct Routing. The Oracle E-SBC portfolio ensures business leaders can take advantage of carrier-provided SIP trunks to securely connect voice capabilities into Teams for both internal and external conversations.  
The carefully-built SBC solutions adhere to the needs of companies facing strict regulatory requirements and compliance demands in their industry. They also provide support for managing quality of service and preserving consistent connections. The secure, interoperable, and multi-tenant tools come with joint support from both Microsoft and the Oracle team.  

TE-SYSTEMS (Anynode) 

Capitalising on the rising demand for flexible Microsoft Teams Direct Routing services, TE-SYSTEMS produced the Anynode Session Border Controller (SBC). This software-based solution works as an interface for a variety of SIP solutions, providers, and PBX tools, converting port and directory information and routing session traffic.  
The versatile system can connect to almost any telephony trunk available and can be collocated on existing hardware investments (such as data centre environments). The technology also comes with a comprehensive configuration wizard to assist businesses in setting up secure connections as quickly as possible. The solution is fully certified for Microsoft Teams direct routing. 

Metaswitch (Microsoft) 

Now owned by Microsoft, Metaswitch provides companies all over the world with simple ways to upgrade their Teams ecosystem. The company also assists partners and vendors in taking advantage of Microsoft’s Operator Connect program. Metaswitch’s portfolio of offerings for Microsoft Teams includes solutions for direct routing, complete with access to the Perimeta SBC technology.  
The Perimeta SBC from MetaSwitch can be leveraged by both enterprises and resellers alike, looking to take advantage of Microsoft Teams for comprehensive communication. The solution allows anyone to link Microsoft Teams securely to their operator’s network without compromising privacy or data encryption. Perimeta can be deployed either in an operator’s network or in the Azure cloud. 

Cisco 

Previously acting as a competitor to Microsoft and the Teams platform, Cisco has begun increasing its partnership with Microsoft in recent years. Starting in 2023, customers can now run Microsoft Teams natively on Cisco Room and Desk devices, and Cisco has become a certified partner in the Teams program for the first time.  
The CUBE router, certified for use with Microsoft Teams, also allows companies to take advantage of direct routing through Cisco technologies. Cisco’s Session Border Controller solutions ensure companies can bridge the gap between the Cisco Network and Microsoft Teams technology, securing conversations on a global scale.  

Avaya 

Offering a variety of contact centre and unified communications technologies to companies around the globe, Avaya serves brands from virtually every industry. Like many communication organizations, Avaya has built on its partnership with Microsoft Teams in recent years and now acts as a direct routing provider for customers who want to embed voice technologies into the Teams landscape. Avaya Calling for Microsoft Teams even comes with built-in access control capabilities.  
With Avaya, companies can leverage enterprise-level communication capabilities within Teams with just a simple application. Avaya also offers the SBCE solution for Microsoft Teams for business leaders searching to securely connect their PSTN or Avaya Aura networks to the Teams landscape.  

Nokia 

Communications vendor Nokia is best known for its network services and hardware solutions both in the consumer and business landscape. In recent years, the company has developed a partnership with Microsoft to assist its clients in taking advantage of Direct Routing to link carrier-grade voice to the Teams ecosystem. The Nokia SBC solution for Microsoft Teams sits at the edge of access networks, securing all kinds of IMS services and IP access.  
Nokia’s SBC technology protects a range of IMS services from cyberattacks at both peering and access edges, with encryption and decryption for bearer traffic, firewalls and topology hiding. The solution also supports NAT traversal, SIP interworking, media handling and transcoding.  

Italtel 

Cloud security, process automation, and digital transformation vendor, Italtel, assists companies in developing sustainable and secure strategies for growth. Italtel works with Microsoft as a certified partner, providing direct routing through session border controllers. The Intelligent Business Communication Solution from Italtel includes NetMatch-S Intaltel SBC solutions in both media and non-media bypass use cases.  
Italtel’s solution enables PSTN connectivity through a range of SIP trunking connections. It also provides flexible service logic for smart call routing, admission control, call barring and other services. The customisable dashboard for the technology also allows business leaders to monitor VoIP video and audio calls for end-to-end visibility.  

Ericsson 

Ericsson is a well-known telecommunications and technology company with a long-standing partnership with Microsoft. The company offers a range of SIP trunking services to connect enterprise communication systems such as UC tools and PBX solutions, to public telecom networks. SIP Trunking from Ericsson comes with regulatory, connection and control, and supplementary services, to support a range of routing systems. 
Ericsson is a certified SBC vendor for Microsoft Teams, offering businesses a consolidated infrastructure environment where they can manage, monitor, and adjust their communication solutions within Microsoft Teams. Ericsson also offers global scalability across multiple geographical locations, as well as convenient one-click deployment options.  

Cataleya 

With a wide portfolio of enterprise and carrier-grade session border controllers, Voice QoS, and fraud analytics solutions, Cataleya serves numerous brands in the Microsoft ecosystem. The brand’s extensive “Orchid” portfolio includes a global cloud platform with its own hosted border controller, as well as the Orchid Link solution, specially designed to connect communication networks to solutions like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Webex.  
Cataleya’s Orchid SBC has been fully certified for Microsoft Teams direct routing and can adapt to a range of use cases and deployment options. Existing SIP trunk services can easily be connected to Teams through the Orchid SBC, which is also available as a hosted service throughout 30 countries.  

Ultatel 

Committed to helping businesses transform their communications stack in the cloud, Ultatel offers a range of solutions, from a dedicated cloud-based contact centre and phone system to VoIP phones and SIP Trunking services. The Ultatel Microsoft Teams Direct Routing solution leverages Ultatel’s experience and technologies to facilitate secure connections between communication systems.  
As a certified SBC provider for Microsoft Teams, Ultatel can assist companies in configuring the right ecosystem for their cloud solutions. Ultatel can work with companies on choosing the right solution for SIP, SBC, and media bypass capabilities. As well as being a certified SBC solution provider for Microsoft Teams, Ultatel is also certified for contact centre connectivity.  

Atos 

Communication vendors Atos provide companies with a secure pathway into the Teams ecosystem through the Atos Unify Openscape solution. Atos can work with brands on connecting their hardware and carrier solutions to the Microsoft Teams environment through SBC connections and SIP trunking. The company also offers a plugin for Microsoft Teams where users can configure and manage their communication tools.  
With a variety of solutions to suit different business requirements, Atos gives companies the freedom to choose exactly how they want to build their custom communications platform. Openscape even allows clients to add new features to Teams, such as contact centre capabilities, attendant consoles, and more.  

Sansay Inc 

Providing software-based infrastructure for VoIP networks Sansay offers a comprehensive range of services to business leaders worldwide. The company can even help companies with the STIR/SHAKEN framework. The Sansay VSXi SBC is certified for use with Microsoft Teams Direct Routing strategies, allowing seamless PTSN call delivery to the Teams ecosystem. 
The product promises secure high availability architecture on both the media and signalling plane, with support for media and non-media bypass. What’s more, Sansay’s technology is certified for emergency calling and can work with a range of existing SIP trunking solutions. Sansay also offers 24/7 support to its Microsoft Teams customers.  

M5 Technologies 

Otherwise known as the Media5 Corporation, M5 Technologies delivers a broad portfolio of CPEs and mobile applications to companies investing in unified communications. In recent years, the company expanded its investment in IP-based multimedia solutions with the Sentinel SBC solutions, offering a flexible architecture for various use cases.  
M5 Technologies and PortSIP have also partnered to create a range of interoperable and compatible solutions for Microsoft Teams direct routing. M5 Technologies empowers companies taking advantage of the Microsoft Teams ecosystem to secure their communication and media connections when working in the cloud environment.  

Enghouse Networks 

Delivering solutions for digital transformation, network infrastructure, and business support systems, Enghouse Networks supports a variety of tech buyers in the modern world. The company’s range of solutions for Microsoft Teams includes a certified Session Border Controller, which allows companies to connect any voice provider to the Teams ecosystem.  
The Enghouse Dialogic BorderNet SBC secures reliable connections between communication solutions and Microsoft Teams, with end-to-end control and configuration support for business leaders. Enghouse also offers its own secured contact centre solution for Microsoft Teams, with built-in access controls, encryption, and privacy protection. 

Patton Electronics 

UC, cloud, and IoT-enabling solutions provider Patton Electronics serves Microsoft Teams customers with VoIP and SIP gateways and connectivity solutions. Patton creates and provisions SIP trunking technologies and certified devices for Microsoft Teams and Office 365. The Teams Service Border Controller offered by the brand is built on Patton’s SmartNode technologies.  
Regardless of the business environment, Patton’s solutions offer easy integration between SIP and TDM technologies, with end-to-end management and control capabilities. The solution also comes with quality monitoring, networking management, and QoS capabilities built-in, allowing companies to rapidly connect legacy platforms with Microsoft investments. 

Ekinops  

Based in France, Ekinops produces a range of tools for business buyers, including optical transport tools, voice and data access solutions, and software-defined networking packages. To facilitate direct routing for Microsoft Teams, Ekinops offers a scalable session border controller solution certified by Microsoft and hosted in the cloud.  
Ekinops promises a powerful and complete SBC solution designed to support multiple SIP trunks with minimal setup and configuration complexity. Users can leverage enterprise session border controllers embedded in OneOS6, or virtual session border controls designed for the NFV environment for both enterprises and operators.  

46 Labs LLC  

46 Labs serves both enterprises and service providers in the communication and technology landscape. Working with brands across 131 countries worldwide, 46 Labs has developed a range of solutions for the Microsoft Teams landscape. The company was one of the first to be certified for Microsoft Teams as a Connectivity Orchestration platform.  
With 46 Labs technology, companies can manage connections throughout their communication landscape, reducing the risk of fraudulent and dangerous interactions. 46 Labs provides a highly scalable environment, which can be used to monitor and control all forms of connectivity, from voice and data processing to device management.  

Frafos 

Providing companies with a reliable way to protect against fraud and denial of service, Frafos offers the ABC SBC for Microsoft Teams users. The scalable session border controller technology runs on top of appliances, virtual machines, and hardware alike, allowing VoIP providers to scale their infrastructure and address the needs of various end users.  
The ABC Session border controller not only offers security but also assists with signalling mediation, call routing, and advanced media server applications. Within the SBC platform, companies can leverage and manage multiple SBCs from a central location, access instant notifications and alarms, and even balance VoIP loads.  
  

 

Kurmi Supports Latest Microsoft and Cisco Cloud Technologies

The Kurmi Provisioning Suite has been updated to support the latest Microsoft and Cisco cloud technologies.
Both Kurmi Provisioning Suite solutions, Kurmi-as-a-service (KaaS) and on-premise, now support the Microsoft Graph API and Webex Calling Multi-Tenant (MT).
The company believes that enabling workers to use these technologies is “crucial” as companies and service providers transition to the cloud.
Bruno Guirardel, VP of Products at Kurmi, said: “Today, enterprises are facing a multitude of administration challenges when it comes to managing digital workers, which include on-premises to cloud migration, multiple vendors, new security challenges, multiple system, and hybrid management.
“Kurmi simplifies this complexity and allows automation of recurring tasks.
“With the addition of support for Webex Calling MT and the Microsoft Graph API, we are now able to support enterprise customers in the challenges they are facing in 2023 and into the cloud future.”
The Microsoft Graph API was designed to complement its PowerShell interface. The updates to the Kurmi Provisioning Suite allow for integration with both of these tools.
All aspects of provisioning, from user creation to more complex management issues, can now be managed via Kurmi’s solutions. As well as reading, updating, and deleting users and groups in Azure AD, it can also manage user profiles, password resets, and group memberships.
The suite lets enterprises optimise Microsoft License Management to take better control of their consumption and save money with smart audits.
Enabling Azure Graph API adds a powerful and scalable toolkit for companies to manage Azure AD authentication services with Kurmi.
Cisco is growing its cloud delivery model with Webex Calling Dedicated Instance, Cisco Unified Call Manager with Platform-as-a-Service delivery, and Webex Calling Mult-Tenant as a Software-as-a-Service model.
As the Kurmi Provisioning Suite supports both on-premises and cloud delivery options, its integrates well with Cisco’s native tools, such as its Control Hub for managing user bases through staged migrations across various Cisco technologies.
While Control Hub deal specifically with monitoring and alerting on Webex Calling MT, Kurmi provides provisioning, management, and automation capabilities for all Cisco platforms, including cloud, hybrid, and on-premises. It also offers tools for data protection, audits, and security.
Kurmi will be exhibiting its products and providing free migration consultations to discuss challenges in unified communications at Enterprise Connect from 27-28 March 2023 in Orlando Florida.
Founded in 2011, Kurmi Software designs products for businesses and managed service providers to automate and manage unified communications and contact centre solutions, including video conferencing, telephony, email, messaging, endpoints, licenses, and more.
Kurmi’s solutions are compatible with popular unified communications platforms, such as Microsoft, Cisco, Zoom, and Avaya.
In December last year, Kurmi expanded its partnership with Microsoft, entering into a global go-to-market co-selling agreement to increase the uptake of Kurmi’s Unified Communications Administration solution.
The previous month, November 2022, Kurmi released Kurmi Provisioning Suite Version 7.8 to make it easier to deploy and manage unified communications technologies from Microsoft, Cisco, and Avaya.
Micah Singer took the reins as CEO at Kurmi in October 2022, in a move that signaled the company’s intent to expand internationally.