BroadSoft Shifts Into Web-Based Collaboration

BroadSoft is leveraging its acquisition of iLinc Communications to push its way into the burgeoning web-based collaboration space.

BroadSoft officials announced on 3 October that they have completed the purchase of iLinc, which includes the company’s web collaboration tools aimed at enterprises that touch on a wide range of sectors, as well as government agencies and educational institutions.

Unified communications

BroadSoft will incorporate iLinc’s web collaboration into its larger unified communications (UC) portfolio targeting enterprises and the company’s customer base of more than 450 global service providers. iLinc’s web communications technology is being rebranded as BroadCloud web Collaboration, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) communications offering.

“Whether it is through strategic acquisitions or in-house development, we remain committed to offering an extensive, innovative range of unified communications services that empower global service providers to meet the evolving communication needs of their enterprise and consumer customers,” BroadSoft chief executive Michael Tessler said in a statement. “With BroadCloud Web Collaboration, our global service provider customers can now offer a branded, comprehensive web collaboration service at a competitive price with the goal of earning higher margins versus reselling other services.”

The iLinc acquisition and BroadCloud Web Collaborations services will bring BroadSoft into greater competition with other UC and online communications vendors, including Cisco Systems, Avaya and Alcatel-Lucent.

Customer benefits

BroadSoft officials said their service provider customers will see a host of benefits through the company’s BroadCloud portfolio, including the ability to offer high-margin web-based communications services. It also will provide service providers with a branded web collaboration service that integrates all of the service providers’ UC capabilities, according to BroadSoft.

In addition, the officials touted the web-based service management tools from BroadSoft that the service providers can use to not only provision their UC services, but also to bill their customers.

BroadSoft officials will demonstrate the BroadCloud web Collaboration services during the BroadSoft Connections 2011 show in Phoenix from 16 to 19 October.