Unified Communications (UC) Services

Unified communications has the potential to deliver a seamless end-user experience. With so many options around softphones, collaboration, video-conferencing, presence and other UC technologies to consider, your customers will be relying on you to guide them around this fast-growing, on-trend market sector, and provide the unified communications (UC) services needed to hold it all together.

News 27 Jul 2023
Daisy: Customers keeping a continuing eye on costs

Comms player shares research that underlines the ongoing impact the economic landscape is having on customer behaviour Continue Reading
News 26 Jul 2023
Babble buys again with more lined up for second half

Channel player seals three deals and indicates there is plenty more in the pipeline as it continues to expand the business Continue Reading

News 26 Jun 2023

Channel roundup: Who’s gone where?

Moves this week at 8x8, Consenna, Barracuda and Trustible as firms add more talent Continue Reading
News 09 Jun 2023

Exertis eyes UC opportunity with voice comms offering

Distributor Exertis looks to tap into the ongoing digital shift by customers towards cloud-based comms Continue Reading
Feature 24 May 2023

Five-minute interview: Emily Fallon, RingCentral

The latest candidate for our profile series is Emily Fallon, regional vice president, international channel marketing & partner programs’ Continue Reading
News 05 Apr 2023

BCM One to gain deeper UK footprint with Pure IP buy

NextGen comms player looks to bolster its reputation in supporting Microsoft Teams with a move for UK firm Continue Reading
News 14 Mar 2023

Midwich breaks through £1bn revenue barrier

Distributor’s numbers for the past year show growth as the audiovisual market continues to recover Continue Reading
News 23 Feb 2023

RingCentral eyeing channel growth

Comms specialist has made sure it has options for partners that want to get on board with its unified communications and contact centre options Continue Reading
News 27 Jan 2023

Mitel channel alerted to Unify cross-sell opportunities

Once the deal closes, the trigger can be pulled on taking advantage of a wider portfolio of technologies and services Continue Reading
News 25 Jan 2023

Mitel's move for Unify will bolster UC pitch for its channel

With both Mitel and Unify using the channel, the consequences of a tie-up should benefit a wide number of partners Continue Reading
E-Zine 09 Jan 2023

MicroScope: Channel themes for 2023

In this month’s ezine, we provide a guide to the main areas of focus for the channel in the year ahead, with security, sustainability and hybrid working already standing out as major themes. We also look at what makes a good partner incentive programme. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
News 31 Oct 2022

Westcoast merges with German player Komsa

The alliance between Westcoast and Komsa will create an operation that covers the UK, Ireland, France and Germany Continue Reading
News 20 Oct 2022

Canalys: Channel optimistic despite threat of challenging 2023

Channel Forum event concludes with a sense that although there are clouds on the economic horizon, the fundamentals for the channel are sound and the reasons for customers to keep spending still exist Continue Reading
News 12 Sep 2022

Babble makes another double swoop

Comms player likes to order doubles, and has made another couple of acquisitions to keep its list of deals growing further Continue Reading
News 08 Sep 2022

UCaaS player Gamma Communications enjoys strong H1

Unified communication-as-a-service specialist Gamma Communications has seen decent activity as customers continue to adopt the technology Continue Reading
News 07 Sep 2022

Focus Group extends UK coverage with Incom-CMS buy

Consolidation across the channel continues, with Focus adding to its portfolio by acquiring Incom-CMS Continue Reading
E-Zine 01 Sep 2022

MicroScope: The green agenda

Sustainability is now seen as a necessity for business to have on their agenda, so read about how the channel is turning green to capture customer attention. Also discover how the pandemic has changed sales forever and boosted the importance of relationships, as well as learn about how to handle currency fluctuations, rises and inflation Continue Reading
News 02 Aug 2022

TelcoSwitch: Now is the time for UCaaS

Firm urges the channel to grasp the opportunity to support customers as they develop their hybrid working strategies Continue Reading
News 24 Jun 2022

8x8 reaches out to Microsoft partners

Vendor adds programme tailored to gold partners that can sell Teams into enterprise customers Continue Reading
News 27 May 2022

Daisy Communications and DSP-Explorer add to consolidation trend

Firms move to add depth and skills with deals for fellow channel players Continue Reading
News 16 May 2022

Babble continues buy-and-build strategy with addition of Active

Babble is back on the acquisition trail as it looks to keep its expansive momentum going Continue Reading
E-Zine 01 Apr 2022

MicroScope: Can life ever really be simple for partners?

In this issue, discover whether simplifying programmes and interactions with partners is achievable, and what barriers stand in the way for vendors looking to make life easier. Also read about why reskilling in a post-pandemic world is key to boosting industry, and learn about what to expect from the manufacturing sphere over the next year Continue Reading
E-Zine 04 Mar 2022

MicroScope: Taking the steady approach to becoming an MSP

In this issue, take a closer look at the risks and pitfalls on the journey to becoming a manages services provider, read about expected ongoing change and consolidation in the year ahead, and discover what experts have to say on the skills and supply chain shortages Continue Reading
News 11 Feb 2022

Chess adds telco player TTNC to the fold

Channel player indicates this is going to be a year of activity as it makes its first acquisition since last summer Continue Reading
News 08 Feb 2022

Midwich picks up Nimans

Acquisition will boost firm’s unified comms position as well as bringing in more security and networking expertise Continue Reading
News 03 Feb 2022

Nuvias UC: Unified comms spending shows no sign of slowing down

The increase in spending on unified communications that happened over the pandemic is set to continue over the next year, according to research from Nuvias Continue Reading
News 11 Jan 2022

Midwich, Nuvias and Pax8 drive early consolidation efforts

The year is still a matter of days old and already distributors and cloud specialists have opted to add more products and geographical coverage Continue Reading
E-Zine 07 Jan 2022

MicroScope: Squaring up to ransomware

In this issue, discover how to best fend off the ever-increasing threat of ransomware, learn what the next stage of the data warehouse could be, and find out what leading channel experts believe awaits the industry in the year ahead Continue Reading
News 08 Nov 2021

Fuze builds on user demand for collaboration

Vendor is keen to build out its UK channel as it looks to tap into strong enterprise demand for collaboration tools Continue Reading
E-Zine 01 Oct 2021

MicroScope: Choosing a channel career

In this issue, we explore whether more partners equals better business, and take a closer look at how IT consumption is changing thanks to subscription services. Also read a special feature looking into whether the channel offers good prospects for school-leavers hoping to start on a career path that could make a difference Continue Reading
News 07 Sep 2021

Users say utilising technology is a major challenge

Research from Daisy Corporate Services lifts the lid on the concerns customers have around using and exploiting technology in the next 12 months Continue Reading
Opinion 10 Aug 2021

CCaaS is the role model for the contact centre of the future

Anne-Meine Gramsma, chief commercial officer at ContactCenter4All, discusses the case for shifting to cloud-based contact centre-as-a-service (CCaaS) solutions Continue Reading
News 06 Aug 2021

TelcoSwitch bolsters Scottish position with SureVoIP buy

Unified comms specialist TelcoSwitch strikes third deal of the year as it continues to expand portfolio and add expertise Continue Reading
News 15 Jul 2021

Unified comms growth slowing but still well above pre-pandemic levels

Research from Context paints a picture of a market that has seen serious increases in demand over the course of the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading
E-Zine 02 Jul 2021

MicroScope: Life on the edge

With opportunities around edge computing on the up, we ask experts to weigh in on how the channel can approach using the tech to its advantage. Also discover how to encourage employees to take cyber security lessons seriously, and how collaboration is key to growth this year Continue Reading
01 Jul 2021

Collaboration will be the key to driving innovation

Continue Reading
News 30 Jun 2021

Channel warned comms contracts not flexible enough

Comms player highlights a negative reaction from some customers to mutli-year contracts Continue Reading
News 25 Jun 2021

Nasstar swoops for KCOM national ICT services business

KCOM Deal will make Nasstar one of the largest managed services players in the UK, and will add more AWS and Azure expertise Continue Reading
News 22 Jun 2021

Channel will deliver Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise and RingCentral UCaaS

Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise looks to take the fruits of its strategic partnership with RingCentral out to market with partners Continue Reading
News 09 Jun 2021

Dell reaching out to comms channel to get to the edge

Vendor Dell cuts the ribbon on open ecosystem that is designed to attract comms service providers as it eyes the edge and 5G opportunities Continue Reading
Opinion 09 Jun 2021

Collaboration will be the key to driving innovation

Resellers looking for growth across the rest of this year would be wise to concentrate on collaboration, says Gavin Jones, channel sales director, BT Wholesale Continue Reading
Opinion 07 Jun 2021

Has Mobile World Congress been fatally disrupted by Covid-19?

Some are concerned that MWC might not be quite the same next month, but, as Nick Booth finds out, don’t say that to TelcoDR – it’s fighting talk! Continue Reading
E-Zine 04 Jun 2021

MicroScope: A hybrid working world

With hybrid working set to become the norm as the world starts to return to a more normal footing post-Covid, we look at how businesses are preparing for the new world of work. Also discover how to tackle the sustainability challenge, and have some key questions answered around handling bottlenecks caused by large volumes of data Continue Reading
News 27 May 2021

Vonage channel boss talks UK channel growth

Cloud comms player has set its sights on growing its market share here and has backed that up with more support for the channel Continue Reading
News 25 May 2021

Datatec reveals impact of coronavirus on business strategy

Westcon and Logicalis owner has seen a ‘structural shift’ as the result of the changes accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading
News 20 May 2021

Westcon extends master agent relationship with Avaya

Distributor given the opportunity to add more of the comms vendor’s portfolio to the offering it can take out across Europe Continue Reading
News 18 May 2021

Unified communications market up significantly so far in 2021

Sales across Europe through distribution are up significantly year on year as demand keeps rising Continue Reading
News 14 May 2021

Significant number of SMEs unaware of looming ISDN switch-off

The 2025 ISDN switch-off is moving closer and as local exchanges are marked out for transition, Spitfire Network Services has exposed high levels of ignorance about the changes Continue Reading
News 06 May 2021

Genesys enhances channel support with Ascend programme

Comms player is putting experience as a service at the heart of its global partner efforts Continue Reading
News 30 Apr 2021

TelcoSwitch passes 100,000-user milestone

Unified comms specialist adds a fresh milestone in a year that has already included a couple of acquisitions Continue Reading
News 29 Apr 2021

BT Wholesale and Mitel roll out fresh partner programmes

Comms players look to crank up support for partners with formal offerings that emphasise competencies and customer experience Continue Reading
News 07 Apr 2021

TelcoSwitch makes second acquisition of 2021 with PBX Hosting

Having indicated back in January that it would be expanding through acquisition, the UCaaS specialist has been true to its word, with a second deal in the space of just a few months Continue Reading
News 29 Mar 2021

Cisco: Technology will play a role in hybrid working world

Firm shares research revealing the good and bad of working from home and what customers need to do to keep their staff happy in the future Continue Reading
News 24 Mar 2021

BSL strategy accelerated by August

Private equity has given the business a chance to seal its first acquisition and look at taking more market share in an evolving market Continue Reading
News 17 Mar 2021

BSL and Sabio adding customer experience depth

Both BSL and Sabio make acquisitions to add more depth to the support they can give to users looking to improve customer experience Continue Reading
News 23 Feb 2021

Content+Cloud snaps up Sipcom

Deal will bulk out the firm’s Microsoft proposition as well as giving it a foothold in the US for the first time Continue Reading
News 17 Feb 2021

Partners join Avaya on its SaaS journey

Comms player has seen its channel embrace the opportunities that have emerged from a shift towards the cloud Continue Reading
News 16 Feb 2021

Virgin Media Business adds to picture of post-Covid boom

Comms player adds its own research into the debate about the prospects for the channel as the economy starts to recover after the pandemic Continue Reading
News 11 Feb 2021

Onecom picks up Olive Communications

Combination of two of Vodafone’s largest partners, Onecom and Olive, will create a communications powerhouse Continue Reading
News 27 Jan 2021

BT and Cisco lift lid on digital transformation acceleration

Research from BT and Cisco indicates just how much the pandemic has pushed along the digital agenda and how the channel is reacting Continue Reading
News 26 Jan 2021

TelcoSwitch and Charterhouse expanding through acquisition

Both firms have already been in the headlines this month thanks to funding rounds and acquisitions Continue Reading
News 25 Jan 2021

Maintel, Six Degrees and Apalo extending managed service options

As-a-service offerings are growing in importance as customers look for greater flexibility Continue Reading
News 20 Jan 2021

Midwich weathers Covid-19 storm

Distributor issues end-of-year trading update indicating that its second half was strong and its pipeline is looking healthy going forward Continue Reading
News 12 Jan 2021

August Equity backs fourth MSP

Firm continues its strategy to invest in managed service players it believes can become significant in the market Continue Reading
E-Zine 08 Jan 2021

MicroScope – January 2021: Looking to the future

In this issue of MicroScope, take a look at what the year ahead holds for the channel after a largely positive 2020. Also discover why IAM technology is so important for post-pandemic cloud computing, and what approaches are fundamental to finding business success Continue Reading
News 07 Jan 2021

Sapphire, Charterhouse and Pax8 strike deals

Appetite for acquisitions across the channel shows no sign of abating, with a few deals struck already this week Continue Reading
News 07 Jan 2021

DWS demerges from Daisy with Inflexion investment

Channel comms player starts a fresh chapter with private equity player taking a significant minority stake in the business Continue Reading
News 05 Jan 2021

TelcoSwitch plans to use funding to boost channel

Unified communications specialist TelcoSwitch gains access to a few million pounds in a funding round that should provide more support for its partners Continue Reading
Feature 21 Dec 2020

2021 predictions: Cloud, comms and remote working

There are reasons for the channel to feel optimistic about the year ahead on numerous technology fronts Continue Reading
Podcast 01 Dec 2020

The channel in the pandemic, datacentres for investors – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

In this episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Simon Quicke joins Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna to discuss how the IT channel has fared in the pandemic, how datacentres have evolved as investment assets, STEM education for children, and data strategy at Guide Dogs Continue Reading
News 23 Nov 2020

BT Wholesale and IDNet move to beat PSTN switch-off

Comms player reminds channel partners of the need to talk about IP solutions ahead of changes coming in just a few years Continue Reading
Opinion 18 Nov 2020

Why consultation helps IT service providers keep customers for longer

Managed service providers need to focus on the ‘partner’ aspect of their role, says Mav Turner, group vice-president of products for SolarWinds MSP Continue Reading
News 09 Nov 2020

Softcat: Coronavirus impacting customer tech priorities

Firm’s research shines a light on where enterprise users are looking to shore up their IT capabilities Continue Reading
E-Zine 06 Nov 2020

MicroScope: Simplify the path to partner programmes

In this issue, discover how to navigate the complexity of channel partner programmes to best foster relationships, how business intelligence software is helping companies look beyond Covid-19, and why leaders are looking forward to 2021 Continue Reading
News 06 Oct 2020

Sabio adds more CX muscle with Anana

Customer experience specialist Sabio makes its fourth acquisition this year as it continues to back its ambition to become a major European player in the CX market Continue Reading
Feature 06 Oct 2020

Five-minute interview: Todd Carothers, CounterPath

This time around, our probing questions are posed to Todd Carothers, chief revenue officer at CounterPath Continue Reading
News 05 Oct 2020

Virgin Media Wholesale shows commitment to the channel

The decision by Virgin to establish its wholesale business shows positive signs of its belief that it can grow with partners Continue Reading
News 02 Oct 2020

Pandemic sparks revenue climbs in unified comms and collaboration

IDC has shared its views of what happened in the market in the second quarter, with the shift to home working having a clear impact on demand Continue Reading
News 15 Sep 2020

Maintel progresses with cloud and managed services transformation

Channel player releases H1 numbers that show impact of Covid-19 but also reveal progress made in changing revenue sources Continue Reading
News 08 Sep 2020

Avaya extends channel coverage with Telarus

Comms player builds on existing relationship with North American master agent to work with the channel player to reach resellers in the UK Continue Reading
E-Zine 04 Sep 2020

MicroScope: Reach out to resellers

In this issue, discover how the channel is making sure the human touch is maintained during the pandemic, with insight into how closer bonds can be developed and on how to maintain productivity. Also read about how 'hybrid working' is set to shape the future of the workplace Continue Reading
News 03 Sep 2020

Ricoh adds AV expertise with German partner acquisition

Vendor continues with its policy of buying expertise in a bid to enhance its AV and collaboration offering across Europe Continue Reading
News 13 Aug 2020

Jackson marks anniversary at 8x8 with solid channel progress

8x8’s EMEA channel boss, Keith Jackson, has spent his first 12 months building a channel base to use as a platform for future growth Continue Reading
News 30 Jul 2020

RingCentral sings praises of master agency model

Cloud comms player is the latest to voice support of an approach that is starting to gain more ground in the UK Continue Reading
News 29 Jul 2020

Channel eyes opportunities around hybrid working

There is a fresh two-word contender to challenge digital transformation for dominance in every channel conversation Continue Reading
News 07 Jul 2020

Nuvias ushers in XaaS division Konekt

Distributor Nuvias develops standalone unit focusing on cloud and anything-as-a-service options Continue Reading
News 02 Jul 2020

Resellers overcoming resistance to agent model

Avaya has seen its channel partners change their position on the master agent model as the vendor has led more of them through the process Continue Reading
News 02 Jul 2020

Channel key to driving Avaya’s UCaaS offering

Comms player cuts the ribbon on its unified comms-as-a-service product with the channel front and centre of its plans Continue Reading
News 29 Jun 2020

Nuvias adds collaboration options with Zoom

Distributor Nuvia is given master agent status by video comms platform player Zoom as both look to grow the business via the channel Continue Reading
News 26 Jun 2020

ISDN switch-off and 5G are clear opportunities for BT channel

Comms specialist has seen a response from customers to the lockdown, with many reaching out for higher-speed digital solutions Continue Reading
News 17 Jun 2020

Westcon named ‘master agent’ for Avaya UCaaS offering

Westcon will help take Avaya’s first joint offering with RingCentral to the channel in Europe Continue Reading
News 08 Jun 2020

Avaya readying channel for latest UCaaS offering

Comms player is working towards an end-of-month launch of its Cloud Office product, with current efforts focused on readying the channel for its release Continue Reading
E-Zine 01 May 2020

MicroScope: Staying connected

In this issue, read about how the channel is helping customers stay connected during the pandemic, with Covid-19 raising hardware demand as businesses aim to provide technology for home workers. Also discover the benefits of SD-WAN and learn about the top compliance concerns for the coming year Continue Reading
News 30 Apr 2020

Olive Communications steps up support for Teams

Comms specialist is making its suite of services available to firms looking for help in adding more flexibility to their existing infrastructure Continue Reading
Opinion 20 Apr 2020

What will the next phase of working look like due to Covid-19?

Andy Jane, CTO at Olive Communications, looks back at the past couple of weeks as the UK has been on lockdown to see how businesses have coped during the initial stage of the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis Continue Reading
News 02 Apr 2020

Vonage EMEA channel boss on a growth mission

The recently appointed channel leader for EMEA at cloud communications specialist Vonage shares his plans for the rest of 2020 Continue Reading
Opinion 13 Feb 2020

Voice is never going away, says Natterbox CEO

Neil Hammerton at Natterbox tells Nick Booth how some of the issues he experienced with the NHS recently might have been eased with technology Continue Reading
News 11 Feb 2020

Avaya ‘all-in’ with growth plans

Avaya CEO outlines investment plans in cloud and says it “won’t be shaken easily” Continue Reading
News 10 Feb 2020

Maintel boss confident of transforming the business

After a few months in the hot seat, Ioan MacRae believes channel player Maintel has the weapons in its armoury to drive future growth Continue Reading
News 06 Feb 2020

Avaya kicks off partner recruitment for UCaaS launch

Avaya previews first unified communications-as-a-service product Cloud Office following partnership with RingCentral Continue Reading
News 22 Jan 2020

Avaya appoints former channel boss to UK&I MD role

The comms specialist has turned to its former European channel chief to help continue its drive into the cloud Continue Reading
News 13 Jan 2020

Ingram Micro Cloud and Cloud Distribution both enjoy strong 2019

Distributors Ingram Micro Cloud and Cloud Distribution share details on how they fared on the revenue front in 2019, with it proving to be a positive time for the big players Continue Reading