For years now, we analysts have been fed a steady diet of “UCaaS and CCaaS must come together.” Conceptually, it makes sense, as the communications channels are across both product areas are the same, thus enabling companies to create seamless workflows that span both customer and employee interactions.
Today, Mitel announced it has entered exclusive negotiations to acquire the Unify Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) and Communications and Collaboration Services (CCS) businesses from France-based system integrator Atos.
The wording (“entered exclusive negotiations”) may seem strange but that’s consistent with the terminology typically used in French business announcements. If Atos had been a US company, it would have been stated “entered a definitive agreement…”, which is what people in the US are more accustomed to. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2023 following the customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
The end of the year is near, and that means it’s time to deck the halls, jingle some bells, and start counting down the days until the start of the new year. For those in communications tech, it’s time to think about the year ahead and look back at one of the most tumultuous years ever for the industry.
It’s the week after Thanksgiving in the U.S., which means we now head to Las Vegas for the annual Amazon Web Services (AWS) Re:Invent show. This event is the company’s largest conference and is typically filled with news of product innovation from the largest player in cloud computing. While there were certainly lots of cloud computing announcements, the company did provide a significant update to its sustainability initiatives, stating that it will return more water to communities than it uses in its direct operations by 2030.
This week, Investing.com reported that RingCentral is exploring a take-over of 8×8. I’ve heard this rumor before and with increasing frequency, as the valuation in 8×8 and its peers have fallen through the floor. Of all the publicly traded cloud communications providers, 8×8 is the most appealing from an acquisition standpoint, as it has a good product, a decent customer base, and an absurdly low valuation. At the time of writing, the market cap is only $474 million, which includes a 7% bump from the RingCentral rumors.