Category: Communicate

Communicate covers the issues enterprises face in the selection, implementation, and management of business communication and collaboration technology, software, and services.

MWC 2025: Orange Wholesale to Enable Mobile Operators with 5G Core NaaS

by Brendan Swan, posted in Communicate, Internet of Things, IT Leader
B. Swan

Summary Bullets:

  • Orange Wholesale launched a 5G core network-as-a-service (CNaaS) solution. The service enables mobile operators to deploy 5G standalone from cloud infrastructure, redefining mobile connectivity.
  • Orange Wholesale provides operators with end-to-end support, including network and infrastructure management as well as software developments taking care of all the updates, security, and compliance issues.

Orange Wholesale launches its 5G CNaaS solution as the carrier looks to redefine next-generation mobile connectivity. The new 5G core solution is fully hosted and managed, allowing mobile operators the ability to deploy their own 5G standalone infrastructure within minutes using a cloud-based architecture without the need to invest in or maintain their own core network infrastructure. Orange Wholesale has also added a range of in-built features that include IPX connectivity, secure roaming, real-time SS7/LTE/5G standalone (5G SA) signaling, traffic visibility, and big data analytics for network optimization. Aligning with industry trends toward digitalization, Orange has integrated the solution into its digital service platform, Orange Click, making it easier for wholesale customers to order, monitor, and manage their connectivity solutions. While 5G standalone is in its infancy and has yet to bring many of these benefits, carriers should adopt this “as-a-service” model to capitalize on their 5G investment.

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European Telco Consolidation – Would It Work?

by Rob Pritchard, posted in Cloud Enable, Communicate, IT Leader
R. Pritchard

Summary Bullets:

  • There are increasing noises from European telco leaders and politicians that the market is too fragmented to succeed and needs consolidation. But consolidation won’t transform European tech.
  • Telefónica, BT, and others have divested non-core international operations as they refocus on the European market and look to grow regional strength and depth.

Marc Murtra, the new chairman at Telefónica, has been reported as wanting to pursue deals across Europe following the Spanish telco’s sale of its business in Argentina for EUR1.2 billion. Telefónica is also selling its stake in Telefónica Colombia to Millicom and has been reported to be planning to sell its Mexican operations.

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Mitel Sustains Market Momentum with Inaugural Launch of Capabilities with Zoom

by Gregg Willsky, posted in Cloud Enable, Communicate
G. Willsky

Summary Bullets:

• Mitel and Zoom have launched the first capabilities stemming from a partnership formed in September 2024.

• Mitel continues to build upon the market momentum it has generated since acquiring Unify in October 2023.

Mitel and Zoom have launched the first capabilities of a hybrid unified communications (UC) solution announced in September 2024 as part of a newly established partnership that saw Mitel name Zoom as its exclusive unified communications-as-a-service (UCaaS) provider. The solution features Zoom Workplace, Zoom’s AI-infused team collaboration platform, starring as Mitel’s sole UCaaS offering within its overall UC portfolio. The solution also incorporates Zoom AI Companion, Zoom’s personal AI assistant. Mitel customers who desire a transition path to UCaaS will be able to blend on-premises capabilities with a mix of private and public cloud.

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RingCentral Begins a New Chapter with RingCentral AI Receptionist

by Gregg Willsky, posted in Cloud Enable, Communicate
G. Willsky

Summary Bullets:

  • RingCentral AI Receptionist is noteworthy because it marks RingCentral’s entry into agentic AI.
  • With RingCentral AI Receptionist, RingCentral continues its very aggressive cadence of compiling AI-infused features in its overall portfolio.

RingCentral announced RingCentral AI Receptionist (AIR), an AI phone agent that can answer customer questions and perform basic tasks for them such as scheduling an appointment. It can also transfer callers to the appropriate person or department if needed. At the heart of the offer is the capability to understand natural language. AIR is embedded into RingCentral EX, the company’s team communication and collaboration platform. RingCentral AI Receptionist has been available to select US businesses during a controlled availability phase, with a one-month, 100-minute free trial included. A broader rollout is planned for Q2 2025.

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Telefonica Tech’s Expanded AI Portfolio Helps Enterprises Deploy GenAI for Virtual Assistants

by Rena Bhattacharyya, posted in Communicate
R. Bhattacharyya

Summary Bullets:

• A key benefit of the Telefónica Tech generative AI (GenAI) platform is that it provides access to and evaluates large language models (LLMs) from multiple sources, including hyperscale cloud providers and open source models.

• Telefónica’s advantage comes from its existing customer relationships and its ability to promote a vendor-agnostic environment.

On January 28, 2025, Telefónica Tech announced its GenAI platform to help enterprise customers create virtual assistants. The platform is designed to be easy to use while at the same time allowing access to multiple LLMs. It provides tools for evaluating models based on cost, performance, and latency. Use cases include virtual assistants for customer services, enhanced data analysis, and improved efficiency in departments such as human resources and finance.

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Sale of BT’s Irish Business Unit Underlines End of 20th Century Telco Global Domination Aspirations

by Rob Pritchard, posted in Cloud Enable, Communicate, IT Leader
R. Pritchard

Summary Bullets:

  • BT is selling Irish wholesale and enterprise operations, including about 3,400 km of managed fiber, 400 customers, and revenues of EUR57.6 million to challenger Speed Fibre Group.
  • BT’s move typifies many telcos as they scale back and restructure their global ambitions to refocus on fewer markets, presenting opportunities for challenger service providers.

BT has entered an agreement with Speed Fibre Group for the sale of its wholesale and enterprise business unit in Ireland. BT states it will “retain a strong presence to deliver connectivity, cloud, and security services to MNCs and large organizations.” The transaction is expected to be completed in 2025.

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The Price is Right – Or is It?

by Gregg Willsky, posted in Cloud Enable, Communicate
G. Willsky

Summary Bullets:

• While rivals are aligned in stuffing their platforms full of GenAI features, they diverge when it comes to pricing those features.

• There is no easy answer as to whether GenAI features should cost extra — and not necessarily a right or wrong one.

When GenAI first arrived on team collaboration platforms, widespread fear was generated that hard-earned skills – and the employees that cultivated them – would be displaced. Those fears are softening as GenAI increasingly earns recognition as a tool that makes workers more productive. Mundane and time-absorbing tasks (such as generating meeting recaps, composing emails, and scheduling meetings) are outsourced to GenAI, allowing workers to focus on high-priority activities and increase their value to their organizations. Productivity enhancements have been delivered largely through a proliferation of virtual assistants involving every major competitor (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, Cisco AI Assistant in Webex Suite, and Zoom AI Companion).

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RingCentral AI Assistant is New Again and Still Compelling

by Gregg Willsky, posted in Cloud Enable, Communicate
G. Willsky

Summary Bullets:

  • RingCentral has labeled RingCentral AI Assistant as ‘new’ but it has merely exited an early access preview.
  • The creative spin RingCentral has put on the introduction of AI Assistant by no means diminishes the company’s standing among competitors.

RingCentral recently introduced RingCentral AI Assistant, a component of RingEX, the company’s team communication and collaboration platform. RingCentral AI Assistant can generate real-time call notes and summaries; draft, refine, and translate text messages across six languages; catch up users on group chats; define meeting action items; and create real-time live transcriptions and closed captioning for calls and video meetings. Currently, AI Assistant is available only in the US. An international debut is planned for early 2025, as is the rollout of more features.

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Small Business Saturday – An Opportunity for UK Telcos

by Rob Pritchard, posted in Cloud Enable, Communicate, IT Leader, Network, Secure
R. Pritchard

Summary Bullets:

  • Held on the first Saturday in December, ‘Small Business Saturday’ in the UK encourages small businesses to promote themselves and attract customer attention.
  • Following Black Friday offers, UK telcos should use this event to target SMBs and SOHOs – acquiring customers is more profitable than slashing margins.

Having started in the US in 2010, ‘Small Business Saturday’ has found its way to the UK and celebrated its 12th anniversary this side of the Atlantic on December 7, 2024 – an estimated GBP669 million was spent on Small Business Saturday in the UK in 2023.

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Microsoft Ignite 2024: There is Much More than Meets the Eye

by Gregg Willsky, posted in Cloud Enable, Communicate
G. Willsky

Summary Bullets:

  • By marrying team collaboration and productivity tools, Microsoft has achieved a degree of differentiation that is largely unmatched.
  • Microsoft would be wise to integrate its team collaboration and contact center capabilities.

Last week, Microsoft held its annual ‘Ignite’ event, a showcase for enhancements across the entire Microsoft portfolio. Not surprisingly artificial intelligence (AI) occupied center stage. A portion of the enhancements unveiled impacted team collaboration/hybrid work.

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