Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Announces New Communications Business Strategy

Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise (ALE) has a new head of its Communications Business Division, and he’s bringing a new strategy with him. Matthieu Destot has been appointed as Executive Vice President and General Manager for the aforementioned division, and will work to help ALE provide a “Personalized Connected Experience.”

Destot’s goal for ALE is to connect traditional communications solutions to the cloud, providing work-stream communications and collaboration services to employees both in and out of the company, while properly utilizing and protecting its technology investments. In order to do so, ALE will be offering new features in four areas: cloud offerings, Cloud Connect, communications platforms, and verticalized applications.

For cloud offerings, ALE is introducing Alcatel-Lucent Rainbow, a new overlay cloud service operated by Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise. It includes capabilities such as IM, presence, voice and video, and screen and file sharing. Additionally, it offers technology investment protection, no matter what existing communications systems may be in place.

Additionally, ALE will be introducing new Cloud Connect capabilities. This will allow the connection of Alcatel-Lucent OpenTouch, OmniPCX Enterprise, and OmniPCX Office communications platforms as well as communications platforms from other vendors to the ALE cloud services; it will also provide data usage information in real-time. From there, ALE Business Partners can provide new operations automation, predictive care, and service recommendations. These capabilities will be released later in the year.

According to ALE, Cloud Connect is a plug-and-play architecture that allows a frictionless integration between platform within the enterprise IT and applications in the Cloud.

ALE will build on its success in integrating its real-time communications platforms with verticalized applications. The Vertical API integration is already available for hospitality businesses, and will be expanded into healthcare and other industries. This integration extends into the OpenTouch Enterprise Cloud offering to enable Business Partners to deliver innovative subscription-based models. These models are appropriate for businesses like hospitality, healthcare and others where communications costs can be linked directly to the activity to maximize business outcomes.

Fourthly, ALE will expand its investments in communications platforms. Alcatel-Lucent OpenTouch Suite solutions will receive new technology and features, while Alcatel-Lucent Communications Servers will be fully virtualized. Additionally, the company will release new telephone models, including two new DECT phones and an IP DeskPhone.

According to Blair Pleasant, co-founder of UCStrategies, “This is a huge announcement for ALE, as it becomes a Cloud Services Provider to connect corporate telephony to the cloud, as opposed to the company’s prior strategy of being a cloud services enabler. As a cloud service enabler, ALE put most of the responsibility on the partners, but has changed its strategy so that ALE itself is the cloud service provider, handling the regulatory issues, tariffs, and other issues that will make it easier for partners to offer cloud services to their customers. As the carrier, ALE will carry the traffic and connect Rainbow OTT services to the carrier network, and will share in the recurring revenues with partners.”

ALE is building a global cloud service provider platform. The first layer is the Rainbow overlay, providing WebRTC, VoIP, Video over IP, presence, UC, and more. The second layer, available later this year, enabled by the Cloud Connect architecture provides CPE connectivity to connect ALE and third-party communications platforms to Rainbow services. Lastly, subscription-based Cloud Services connecting Rainbow users directly to the PSTN will be available in 2017.

“Hybrid capabilities are an important element of this approach, as ALE notes that most customers prefer to use on-prem equipment for mission critical capabilities. In addition, what I like about ALE’s approach is that they are being PBX agnostic, and will connect any CTI-enabled PBX to the cloud and work on competitive PBXs using XMPP to deliver services to customers.”

She adds, “ALE’s challenge will be getting customers to try out Rainbow. The company is starting with a freemium model that includes basic capabilities including contacts, IM, file transfer, screen sharing, and WebRTC. From there, the company will use analytics and data to show customers how Rainbow can help them save money, and encourage customers to move to the Connected PBX hybrid model. But the first step may be the most challenging, as there are a multitude of these types of cloud services available today. However, ALE will offer free Rainbow services to its installed base in the second quarter, and based on its large customer base, should get some good initial traction.”

For more information, visit enterprise.alcatel-lucent.com.