Windstream Finalizes Broadview Networks Purchase, Begins Integration

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Windstream has completed its $227.5 million acquisition of Broadview Networks, the provider of cloud-based UC to SMBs.

Broadview offers a suite of cloud-based services under the OfficeSuite UC brand. The acquisition was announced in April.

Windstream’s Brian Crotty

Brian Crotty, Broadview’s chief operating officer, has been named president of Windstream’s midmarket and small business division. He tells Channel Partners that Windstream and Broadview partners will continue to work with their current channel managers to develop new opportunities. A small portion of the newly combined partner community may work with both organizations and “we will work directly with those partners to determine the best avenue for support,” he said.

“Over the next few months, as we work to fully integrate the two companies – merging products, processes, people, customers and partners – we will contact partners proactively about any changes, and provide periodic updates about how our integration work is progressing overall,” he said. “Over the next several months, the combined channel sales leadership in the new Windstream CLEC SMB business unit will be determining the best approach for expanding our strategy. This will include reviewing all aspects of the (partner) program and making sure that the combined partner community is properly positioned to take advantage of this powerful combination of Broadview’s OfficeSuite and Windstream’s SD-WAN services.”

Partners from both organizations have expressed “great interest” in the combined offering, Crotty said. Broadview partners also are looking forward to a broader footprint to help companies across the country connect disparate locations on one voice and data network, he said.

“The addition of Broadview advances our strategy to differentiate ourselves by delivering a truly superior customer experience using disruptive technologies,” said Tony Thomas, Windstream’s president and CEO. “Broadview’s innovative … unified communications solution, OfficeSuite, perfectly complements Windstream’s SD-WAN offering. Both are highly scalable, easy to customize and less expensive to deploy than traditional solutions. We will move quickly to sell the combined solution across our national footprint.”

In addition to Crotty, other senior Broadview leaders joining Windstream are: Mario Deriggi, senior vice president of sales; Stephen Farkouh, senior vice president of cloud technology and platform development; Sanjay Patel, vice president of platform development; and Tim Bell, vice president of integration management and Broadview operations. Donna Wenk, Broadview’s senior vice president, also is joining Windstream.

“We will go through a disciplined exercise to determine the optimal staffing for the combined company, but it is premature at this point to speculate on the number of positions that may be impacted,” said David Avery, Windstream’s vice president of corporate affairs.

Windstream expects to realize approximately $30 million in annual operating synergies within two years.

Windstream completed its $1.1 billion acquisition of EarthLink in February.