Alianza Acquires Metaswitch From Microsoft To Boost Comms Portfolio

Alianza is acquiring Metaswitch from Microsoft.

Leading cloud comms platform Alianza has announced a definitive agreement with Microsoft to acquire Metaswitch, a provider of high-performance comms software.

Alianza outlines that the acquisition will expand its customer base to include over 1,000 communications service providers, including 19 of the top 20 global operators. Additionally, it says the move will bolster Alianza’s service portfolio, paving the way for a future of cloud-orchestrated, AI-powered communications.

Brian Beutler, Founder and CEO of Alianza, commented:

The acquisition of Metaswitch is about resetting the playing field and enabling service providers to reassert their market leadership. The Alianza cloud communications platform empowers operators to monetise network investments through improved customer experiences and the delivery of modern, high-margin communications service offerings.”

Alianza says the acquisition will drive revenue growth by helping service providers close the services revenue gap and better monetise their network investments, enabling them to stay competitive. Deployment flexibility is also noted as a key advantage, as Alianza allows providers to deliver solutions via on-premises, public, private, or hybrid cloud models, tailoring services to customer needs.

Consolidating complex voice operations onto a single platform, simplifying management, and reducing overhead intends to improve operational efficiency. Finally, Alianza emphasises its focus on innovation, including AI-based capabilities, which will help service providers generate new revenue and deliver enhanced automation and insights to elevate the customer experience.

Microsoft To Supercharge Teams Comms With Native SMS Messaging

Native SMS messaging has now arrived on Microsoft Teams.

According to the Microsoft 365 roadmap, the new feature will streamline communications with individuals using alternative UCaaS platforms. Starting in February 2025, Microsoft Teams Calling Plan users in the United States and Canada will be able to access this feature on both desktop and mobile, enhancing cross-platform connectivity and collaboration.

Microsoft also announced that Teams Premium license holders will soon gain access to advanced scheduling features within Microsoft Bookings. These new capabilities aim to simplify appointment management, enhance client communication, and improve overall business efficiency.

In a recent Microsoft Teams blog post, Purva Ekatpure, Product Manager 2 at Microsoft, highlighted the importance of streamlined scheduling: “In today’s fast-paced world, efficient scheduling is key to keeping businesses running smoothly. Whether you’re a consultant, healthcare provider, or small business owner, the challenge of coordinating appointments can feel overwhelming.”

Ekatpure emphasises that Microsoft Bookings is designed to address these challenges, crafting a robust tool for scheduling and managing appointments more effectively.

Five9 Boosts Agent Comms With Bidirectional Presence For Microsoft Teams

Five9 has announced its “industry-first” Microsoft Teams UC integration with a bidirectional presence to enhance agent-expert communications.

Five9 has affirmed that its latest Microsoft Teams UC Integration with bidirectional presence bolsters agent-expert comms and accelerates resolutions for elaborate customer queries.

In what Five9 describes as being the first time, Five9 agents and Teams users can now simultaneously view each other’s presence status. This integration enables contact centre agents and back-office staff to easily click-to-call, initiate conferences, or transfer calls, encouraging smoother collaboration and more rapid resolution of customer inquiries.

“Five9’s partnership with Microsoft revolves around offering customers best-in-class solutions that integrate seamlessly,” said Jim Hickey, Senior Vice President of Products at Five9.

With this enhancement, organisations can transform the way they deliver customer experience. We’re proud to be the first in the market to deliver a pre-built bi-directional presence feature with Microsoft Teams. Our joint customers can now enjoy a complete connection between the contact centre and back-office subject matter experts.”

The Five9 and Microsoft Teams bidirectional presence feature is available now.



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