Mitel has closed on its transaction to acquire Atos’s UC and collaboration business Unify to strengthen its UC and collaboration offerings.

The acquisition illustrates the combined company’s status as a global leader in UC and collaboration. Mitel says it now commands the number two position in global market share for enterprise UC. Mitel also stated that the transaction increases regional leadership with a number one position in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and more than ten individual countries.

Mitel has said Unify’s addition strengthens its position as the global market leader in multi-cell Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT), securing its market-leading position in EMEA, Latin America, and 19 countries.

Tarun Loomba, Mitel President and CEO, commented:

This is a transformative milestone for the Mitel and Unify teams and for the broader communication and collaboration industry. Unify brings a strong geographic footprint, rich portfolio, deep enterprise expertise, and talented team that perfectly complement Mitel’s strengths. I am truly excited about the future we will build together and the critical communications innovation we will deliver for our customers, partners, and employees.”

The combined company now has a collective customer base of more than 75 million users across over 100 countries. It also has an enlarged network of over 5,500 resellers, service providers, technology, and strategic alliance partners to aid organisations’ digital transformations and modernise their communications infrastructure.

Mitel says it plans to ensure continuity for customers and partners — that Mitel and Unify can expect the same solutions and services they enjoy without disruption. Resellers and strategic technology partners have also been assured of minimal disruption, with Mitel telling partners to expect “little to no” change this year.

Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

Mitel’s Enhanced Portfolio

The acquisition entails Mitel adding Unify’s voice platforms, collaboration and contact centre products, devices and endpoints, and intellectual property to their portfolio.

This expands Mitel’s holistic and flexible offerings to customers, whatever their communications needs. Mitel also said that the combined company can offer greater value for customers in core verticals such as healthcare, public sector, hospitality, and financial services because of the quality of specialised vertical solutions and integration functionalities.

The addition of Unify strengthens Mitel’s enterprise segment thanks to the former’s robust Managed Services business and experience facilitating large business customers in their digital transformation to modernise communications.

“I am very optimistic about the potential that lies ahead for customers, partners, and employees,” said Hänsel. “It has been a privilege to lead Unify to this pivotal moment as a resilient, profitable and growing business, and I am confident that the union of our two organisations will not only strengthen our market position but also drive innovation, growth, and lasting success.”

The Company Make-Up Post Transaction

Loomba will serve as President and CEO of the combined company. Marcus Hänsel, CEO at Unify, has been appointed Chief Sales Officer and will oversee Mitel’s global sales and services functions. Mitel’s executives will continue in their respective roles, with incoming Unify executives from product, operations, marketing, IT, and finance adding their expertise to Mitel’s C-Suite.

The combined company now counts over 5,000 employees worldwide, strengthening its ability to serve customers and partners and establishing a deep bench of talent to accelerate innovation in the UC space.

The Mitel and Unify Story So Far

Mitel’s acquisition of Unify from Atos has been an ongoing story in 2023.

Mitel entered negotiations with Atos to acquire Unify in January, signalling the company’s ambition to consolidate its position in the UC market after it moved away from UCaaS when it announced a tie-up with RingCentral. Mitel’s refocus on UC at the expense of UCaaS signalled a realigned strategy for the company.

Nick Riggott, Mitel’s Head of UKISA, told UC Today earlier this year why the Unify acquisition represented a “significant opportunity” for Mitel: “The Unify deal is incredibly exciting and is ultimately an acceleration of our strategy(…) Together, we’ll be able to be the prominent UC leader globally with a collective customer base of more than 75 million users in over 100 countries and a channel community of more than 5,500 global partners.”

“The immediate opportunities for growth in enterprise with existing customers are huge, and it’s going to drive significant value for all stakeholders as well.”



from UC Today https://ift.tt/Yd3tRVq