Mitel sets out UC strategy

Mitel has outlined its portfolio strategy and the impact its acquisition of Unify has had on its channel position.

The comms player has seen its ecosystem expand to include more than 500 strategic technology partners, and has settled on a three-pronged strategy to drive the business forward.

Mitel has highlighted hybrid cloud, vertical integrations and increased support for frontline workers as the areas where it can stand above the general hubbub in the unified communications (UC) market.

“Unified communications is a mature market where we continue to see consolidation and vendors exiting the space, giving Mitel a greater opportunity to do what we do best,” said Martin Bitzinger, senior vice-president of product management at Mitel. 

“Our portfolio strategy is rooted in the goal of helping each customer get the right communications solution for their needs today, with the confidence that Mitel’s solutions can flex to support whatever their future may hold. It’s about delivering a foundation of security and reliability paired with practical innovations that add real value for partners, customers and workers, from the front line to the back office,” he added.

Mitel is keen to stand out from the competition and agrees with market watchers that have highlighted hybrid cloud taking up the largest slice of the UC market going forward.

The vendor also views the opportunity to combine comms with emerging generative AI (GenAI) capabilities within specific vertical markets, including healthcare and hospitality, as another area where its channel can benefit. 

The expansion of a base of 500-plus technology partners has been developed to support that vertical focus, with the addition of more specialised applications bulking out the Mitel proposition.

The final plank of the strategy focuses on ensuring remote workers have the hardware needed to keep them connected in environments where handsets and links to the front office are often stretched, including hospitals and construction sites.

Elka Popova, vice-president of connected work research at Frost and Sullivan, said Mitel was reacting to changing market conditions and the need to stand out in a crowded UC market.

“IT decision-makers have, by and large, reverted to pre-pandemic priorities, putting security, solution integration and aligning technology investments with business strategies as the most pressing issues,” she said.

“With the breadth and depth of its revamped portfolio, Mitel is well positioned to take advantage of the UC market’s hybrid and vertical opportunities by delivering the solutions and services that will help organisations achieve their goals in their demanding and evolving communications environments,” she added. 

From the very start of the process to pick up Unify, which emerged as a prospect early last year, Mitel was clear it viewed the deal as a positive for the channel.

The vendor told partners last October that it was looking to become the major unified comms provider across EMEA with the completion of its deal for Unify, and that would put them in a stronger position. 

Mitel will use events on both sides of the Atlantic over the next few weeks to tell partners more about the strategy and the firm’s ambitions.