Intermedia, which already sells Unified Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS) solutions to MSPs, said this week it’s buying Telax in a move that will expand the company’s portfolio to include Contact Center-as-a-Service (CCaaS) software, a fast-growing segment of the cloud communications market.
The Lowdown: The product and development teams at Intermedia and Telax already are integrating the CCaaS software into Intermedia’s UCaaS solution, which will enable partners and customers to access it through Intermedia’s control panels.
The Details: Telax brings to the deal such capabilities as interactive voice response, dynamic real-time dashboards, and skills-based call routing. Through the integrated solution, the UCaaS and CCaaS services will share the same administrative point of control, sales, marketing, billing, training, and technical assistance.
No financial details of the sale were released, but Intermedia officials said the transaction will bring annualized revenue to about $250 million. Telax’s 40 employees are moving to Intermedia.
The Impact: For partners, the integration will mean new and significant recurring revenue streams through either an integrated solution or stand-alone CCaaS.
Background: The cloud contact center space is booming. Analysts at Frost and Sullivan say the North America market will grow to $4.2 billion by 2002, with adoption growing exponentially. A report released on MarketWatch late last year said the global CCaaS market will hit $24.11 billion by 2023, growing at 25% a year.
The Buzz: “As Intermedia continues to accelerate its intent of being a single provider of highly reliable, highly supported, and exceptional cloud-based unified communications, collaboration, and contact center solutions, Telax is a natural next step to advance that service model,” said Intermedia CEO Michael Gold. “Customers and partners will now have all of their business communication needs provided through one common, highly reliable UCaaS and CCaaS platform.”
Elka Popova, vice president of information and communications technologies at Frost and Sullivan, called the acquisition “a very savvy move for Intermedia.
“Businesses continue moving their communications, customer care, and other software workloads to the cloud at a rapid pace, and they look for providers that can offer a one-stop shop for a broader scope of their needs,” she added.
Channelnomics Point of View: Giving MSPs and other partners a single place for their cloud communications solutions will mean greater sales and service opportunities. Customers will get a single cloud communications platform with a common set of communications and collaboration tools for their employees, which will mean increased productivity and efficiency.