Windstream Releases Unified Communications as a Service Solution

Unified Communications will be made available as a service through Windstream soon, with the announcement of nationwide availability of its enterprise-class Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) offering. This is a fully managed cloud-based solution, using Windstream's Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) networking and offered at a flat monthly rate.

The MPLS network from Windstream offers secure private networking, leveraging Windstream's Quality of Service (QoS). The network is scalable, so that it can be adjusted according to the changing needs of businesses, and is operated out of Windstream's network of data centers.

The UCaaS solution integrates with existing customer tools, including social media platforms and call centers, so that it can be added without compromising any existing tools. It offers a single interface for easy application integration and customization, as well as 24x7 remote and onsite monitoring and support.

"The Windstream announcement introducing a UCaaS solution that is built in-house for their customers is both important industry news, but also another indication of the coming potential ground shift that cloud-based offers will introduce into the market," says Phil Edholm, UC Expert at UCStrategies. "As traditional Value Added Resellers/Integrators like Windstream are asked by their customers and prospects to provide cloud-based solutions, the challenge of maintaining value with a pass-through vendor offer is significant. If the entire offer is a vendor offer, the value add of the channel is potentially dramatically reduced. This has an impacts multiple areas, including revenue, margin, profitability, staff size, and customer loyalty/retention."

He added, "Obviously, Windstream has chosen a private offer, consisting of multiple component assembled to deliver a specific value proposition that the company believes will enable it to capture a share of the market. In this path it has chosen to complete more directly with cloud players like RingCentral and 8x8, rather than leveraging a direct vendor labeled offer. This trend of moving towards being a value-added partner of a traditional vendor to developing a bespoke unique channel branded solution seems to be a major transformation in the market coming from the cloud evolution."

Windstream has partnered up with a variety of market leaders in order to help create this solution. It was developed in 2013, with the goal to meet the technology needs of mid-sized businesses and enterprises alike no matter how they changed and grew, and was released following a successful beta testing period.

For more information, visit www.windstream.com.