Regional cloud VoIP providers form nationwide alliance

A new alliance of regional providers of cloud-based communications services aims to provide a nationwide solution for business users.

The alliance formalizes relationships already established on an informal basis when providers in different regions sought to address the needs of customers that had locations outside their serving area, commented Dean Parker, CEO of Callis Communications, an alliance partner.

One of the goals of the alliance is to bring a common set of standards that members can count on partners to provide in serving out-of-region customers. This is important because considerable work is involved in setting up a business customer to receive cloud services, Parker said.

“We replace AT&T or Verizon, as well as the Avaya dealer and the configuration engineer that configures the switch and the ISP that provides firewall and security services,” Parker told Connected Planet. The installation process could include everything from installing IP phones to establishing a connection to the service provider network and configuring computer networks to support communications software.

“The alliance will try to bring the benefits of best practices to the industry and to share leads,” said Louis Hayner, chief sales officer for Alteva, another alliance partner

Other alliance members include Broadcore, Consolidated Technologies, IPFone, SimpleSignal, Stage 2 Networks and Telesphere. All of the service providers use a common software platform from BroadSoft.

Another goal of the alliance is to drive innovation in cloud services. To further this goal, the alliance is developing what it calls the Cloud Communications Alliance “Sandbox”—an open-ended architecture aimed at simplifying the development of new service offerings such as services based on convergent end devices. Alliance members already offer some converged capabilities, such as the ability to extend four-digit extension dialing to a cell phone.