Optus Business to offer UC platform powered by Cisco

Optus Business will be the first Australian telecommunications firms to offer BroadCloud Calling, a platform that offers unified communication services.

The platform is expected to launch in June this year and will be underpinned by Cisco's BroadCloud platform.

In February 2018, Cisco acquired BroadSoft as part of a US$1.9 billion deal. Cisco gained access to Broadsoft's cloud calling and contact centre solutions, which complement Cisco's own calling, meetings, messaging, customer care, hardware endpoints and services portfolio.

Cisco Australia CEO Ken Boal says Optus Business is a valued strategic partner and it was the right organisation to launch Cisco's BroadCloud Offering.

Optus Cloud Calling will include a complete cloud-based collaboration experience that leverages Cisco's collaboration portfolio. That includes voice and collaboration services such as telephony, native mobility, advanced conferencing tools, and collaboration tools.

"With tight integration to Cisco's Webex solutions, organisations will gain access to advanced audio and video conferencing and Team collaboration applications. When combined with Optus Cloud Calling, customers will have access to an advanced collaboration toolset that is fast to deploy, flexible, scalable and with a predictable cost," says Boal.

Optus will also provide a complete end-to-end managed service that is bundled with its Evolve Voice SIP trunking and business mobile services.

Optus Business managing director John Paitaridis says Optus Cloud Calling makes the most of cloud computing's business efficiencies, cost benefits, and competitive advantages.

"Optus is pleased that we can bring these benefits to Australian enterprises in partnership with Cisco, the leading unified communications and collaboration vendor globally," says Paitaridis.

Optus is currently the first and only tier one telco in Australia to deploy the BroadCloud platform as a complete cloud-based solution.

In 2018, Optus Business and Cisco also worked together to create a fibre network to support the Commonwealth Games.

In the partnership, Optus developed a standalone, carrier grade network using 426 kilometres of Optus fibre. Cisco's infrastructure underpinned the integrated communications solution that Optus delivered and managed for the Games.

Cisco Live is currently happening in Melbourne this week. We're on the ground and will bring you more announcements from Cisco and its partners as they come to hand.