Avaya Rolls Out New UCaaS on Google Cloud Platform

Avaya on Thursday unveiled its new cloud-native UCaaS solution running on Google Cloud Platform that provides opportunities for partners to pursue new customers in all industries and verticals.

Initially available in 24 markets around the world, Powered by Avaya IX provides a customizable cloud communications infrastructure. Avaya also has adopted Kubernetes to empower its solutions with microservices and containerization. This advances multiple cloud deployment options for businesses, delivering the benefits of cloud solutions while avoiding the one-size-fits-all limitation offered by other providers, the company said.

Scott Hanwell, Avaya’s senior manager of UC solutions marketing, tells Channel Partners that partners can access a complete cloud UC solution without turning up their own data center. This allows a much broader set of Avaya partners to access and resell this solution, he said.

“The underlying containerization architecture that supports Powered By IX allows partners to reach into the low end of the SMB market – below 50 users – cost effectively, providing partners with access to startups and the enormous opportunity small business provides,” he said. “The offer carries forward the complete UC feature set of IP Office including Avaya IX Workplace (formerly Avaya Equinox), giving even the smallest businesses access to a complete solution set including mobility, remote access, and sophisticated features users expect from an Avaya solution.”

Requests from the field drove this development from start to finish and included an extensive controlled introduction period where Avaya worked hand in hand with its partners to optimize the solution before general release, Hanwell said.

“Our partner community [was] keenly interested in expanding their market reach to smaller-size business opportunities while still providing a complete and flexible solution set for demanding customers, many of whom have experience with ‘big business’ capabilities at previous jobs,” he said. “In addition, many partners were interested in having Avaya take a lead role in solution hosting, allowing the partner to focus on their core competencies of developing and managing the customer relationship.”

Last month, Avaya announced it is furthering its integration with Google Cloud to fully leverage the AI and cloud capabilities of both companies, providing Avaya clients with new capabilities to enhance their customer experience and achieve desired business outcomes.

Avaya has about 3.7 million cloud seats between its public and private offerings, and continues to add new cloud customers.

Olitel is an IT systems integrator based in Brazil and a key Avaya partner in Latin America.

“Avaya’s approach to cloud communications deployment options and containerization helps further extend our competitive edge in the market,” said Mario Mendez, Olitel’s CEO. “By providing just-in-time infrastructure, we minimize our costs while allowing us to offer the benefits of a complete cloud unified communications solution to our customers. The new architecture also allows us to cost-effectively reach the smallest businesses and scale from there, making any size organizations an opportunity for us.”