On July 27th 2017, we learned that Mitel submitted a bid to acquire ShoreTel for 450mil, and ShoreTel accepted. Mitel has had their eye on ShoreTel for a while now and we were not all that surprised of the news considering that Mitel previously attempted to buy them out in 2014.
It was never a matter of if, but a question of when it would happen. Now we know!
We believe this merger makes logical and strategic sense, and we view this as a positive and powerful way of being able to offer the best of both worlds for the channel and our customers. The merger will bring with it the advancement of innovative services and products – all built on a very strong foundation. If you want to read the official press release from Mitel, you can read it here.
Mitel is a good company and so is ShoreTel. Although they have been viewed as rivals within the industry, the two of them together is a win-win for everyone as the two businesses complement each other well. It is very exciting times we are witnessing, and as a top 10 ShoreTel partner, we see this as a way of improving upon the best for both ourselves and our customers.
One of the benefits of the merger is the ability to bring to market new technologies with greater acceleration. Specifically Summit, ShoreTel’s CPaaS product which we believe to be a huge win for everyone on all sides, meaning Mitel, you, and us.
Summit is a CPaaS (Communications Platform as a Service) that provides advanced voice, IVR and text messaging (SMS) applications designed to extend functionality of existing communication systems with greater ease and flexibility.
By acquiring Summit and it’s assets, Mitel will be able to penetrate the enterprise space with greater influence through both their customer base and the channel. Since ShoreTel’s CPaaS is not dependent on a particular phone system or unified communications solution, this is a massive opportunity not only for the channel, but in regards to moving the cloud enterprise market forward substantially.
CRN recently wrote an article featuring Joe Rittenhouse, our President of Business Development on the topic of UCaaS, CPaaS, and changes to the enterprise as a result of the merger. You can read the full interview here.
This merger undoubtedly puts Mitel in a strong leadership position within the UC and CPaaS industry, and we look forward to being an active part of engaging and contributing to the innovation of new communications technologies that will we will be able to provide to our customers.
If you’d like to speak with us directly about the merger, or have any questions, please contact us at pr@voipswami.com.
Converged Technology Professionals, Inc.
