IP-based communications services provider Broadsoft announced the release of BroadCloud, a cloud-based, hosted infrastructure that will serve as the foundation for the company’s software-as-a-service communications capabilities. The platform will feature a set of UC (Unified Communications) services, including corporate instant messaging and presence, which integrates a subscriber’s phone status (desktop and mobile).
Other UC services include a high-definition videoconferencing application, a suite of Web-based collaboration options, including screen sharing, a document library, chat, audio and video support and whiteboarding, PacketSmart, a network assessment and monitoring service and Casabi, a consumer focused solution that enables the delivery of group SMS, personalized content and tools. BroadCloud also enables BroadSoft to extend its online marketplace distribution platform, Xtended. In addition to a traditional direct sales model, service providers can offer their customers the option to access, purchase and start using their communications services within a carrier branded marketplace.
“Rather than following the market and attempting to dictate which services should comprise a UC offering, we have focused our product development efforts on what services enterprises say they want,” said Michael Tessler, CEO of BroadSoft. “With the addition of our BroadCloud hosted platform, we are offering a service delivery model that we believe accelerates time-to-market for our service provider customers, enables them to brand and customize a UC solution and allows them to quickly capitalize on the growing demand of these communications services.”
BroadCloud’s infrastructure, which the company said would be strengthened by the acquisition of cloud-based services specialist Casabi, is expected to allow carriers to shrink time-to-market for delivering UC services from years to months or even weeks, and enable them to offer a comprehensive portfolio of UC services when combined with their existing BroadSoft application server platform. Casabi helps cable, fixed-line and mobile telecommunications service providers to expand their consumer offerings to include fixed-line SMS and customized information services. Through this hosted application, users can send text message blasts to any phone number (fixed-line or mobile), access voicemail and share a network address book.
“Another compelling capability of our BroadCloud platform is the ability for carriers to leverage the growing acceptance and adoption of app stores,” added Leslie Ferry, vice president of marketing for BroadSoft. “We are enabling our service provider customers to complement their existing distribution channels for Unified Communication services with an online marketplace, which is a growing, preferred purchase option by end-users and offers higher service margins.”