No Jitter Roll: UCaaS, CPaaS Acquisitions, UC Headsets

This week’s announcements center around industry acquisitions, UC headsets, a vertical-specific UCaaS integration, an audio hardware certification, and a customer engagement developer toolkit.

 

The trend of industry consolidation continued this week, with announcements from enterprise network services provider Comcast Business and carrier messaging solutions provider Mavenir.

 

For enterprise networking, Comcast Business this week announced its plans to acquire Masergy, which offers UCaaS, CCaaS, and managed SD-WAN and security services. Comcast Business is bringing on Masergy for its complementary services portfolio and to amplify its growth in the global enterprise market, Bill Stemper, president of Comcast Business, said in a prepared statement.

 

Comcast Business did not disclose financial terms of the acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approval and other customary conditions.

 

For the service provider market, mobile and business messaging solutions provider Mavenir has acquired longtime communications platform-as-a-service (CPaaS) provider, Telestax. With the Telestax CPaaS, Mavenir said it will be able to deliver enhanced omnichannel messaging monetization and customer engagement offerings to its communications service provider, systems integrator, and channel partner customers. In turn, they’ll be better be able to deliver their enterprise customers the ability to optimize workflows and customize business applications using cloud-based messaging solutions, Mavenir said.

 

Mavenir did not disclose details of the acquisition.

 

With an eye on accommodating the needs of a hybrid workforce, UC headset makers have been extending their portfolios with options that provide greater flexibility in varying work environments. This trend continues this week with announcements from Poly and EPOS.

 

Poly announced the latest addition to its Voyager family of wireless Bluetooth headsets and headphones: the Voyager 4300 UC Series. With this headset, which wirelessly connects to a smartphone or computer via an included BT700 USB adapter, users can roam up to 50 meters from their device, Poly said. Besides having a mute button, the headset also supports Dynamic Mute Alert, a feature that notifies users when talking while muted, Poly added.

 

For Microsoft Teams shops, Poly offers a Teams-certified headset that allows users to press a button to launch the Teams app and receive visual alerts of Teams notifications. Likewise, Poly offers a Zoom-certified version that includes remote call control and mute sync, the company said.

 

Additional features include Poly’s acoustic fence technology for eliminating background noise, personal device support, two-year limited warranty, and access to Poly's standard support services. The Voyager office base and Voyager 4300 UC charging stand are optional accessories sold separately.

 

The Voyager 4300 UC Series is available worldwide in two-ear stereo or single-ear mono wearing styles. Pricing starts at $209.

 

Separately, EPOS announced that it has extended availability of the plug-and-play Impact SDW D1 USB dongle, for its Impact 5000 Series of digital enhanced cordless telecommunications (DECT) headsets, to the U.S. and Canada.

 

Following the trend among UCaaS providers to deliver vertical-tailored offerings, Dialpad this week announced an integration with Clio, a cloud-based legal technology company. From within the Clio platform, lawyers will now be able to make voice calls and send SMS messages, as well as access detailed call analytics real-time transcriptions, and unlimited audio recordings, Dialpad said.

 

As a result of the pandemic, Dialpad has seen a greater need for attorneys to be flexible and mobile while maintaining seamless communications with clients, Craig Walker, Dialpad CEO, said in a prepared statement. When it comes to implementing new technology, law firms need a single point of contact to manage interactions, keep accurate time records, and send invoices, he added. (For more on this topic, join Elka Popova, VP and senior fellow at Frost & Sullivan, at Enterprise Connect 2021, in Orlando, Fla., this Sept. 27-29, for her session: “UCaaS with a Vertical Focus Can Deliver Greater ROI.” Use the No Jitter promo code NJAL200 to save $200 off your registration!

 

Separately, Dialpad this week announced that shared workspace provider WeWork will use its UCaaS platform to deliver communication services to all team members in over 800 global locations. The services, which Dialpad said WeWork will use exclusively, are accessible via a softphone or mobile phone app, Dialpad said.

 

Audio device maker QSC this week announced that its Q-SYS Core processors, including the Core Nano, Core 8 Flex, Core 110f, Core 510i, and Core 5200, are now certified for Google Meet hardware kits. With this certification, integrators and IT end users can select any Q-SYS Core processor or USB audio bridging endpoint for integration with Google Meet hardware, regardless of processing or input/output requirements, QSC said.

 

API platform provider Twilio last week revealed a developer toolkit that allows businesses to customize their customer data stack using Twilio Segment's customer data platform (CDP). With this customization, businesses should be able to create differentiated customer experiences, Twilio added.

 

The Developer Toolkit includes: