BroadSoft, Verticals Fulton Make Key Acquisitions

**Editor’s Note: Please click here for a recap of the biggest channel-impacting mergers in Q4 2014.**

BroadSoft says it has beefed up its unified communications business with the purchase of Virginia-based Leonid Systems, one of its business partners.

Leonid developed a Web portal for BroadSoft’s BroadWorks platform that helps IT pros and end users simplify how they configure and manage their Broadworks-based UC services. The portal is designed to improve navigation, accessibility, presentation and performance of BroadSoft’s UC-One application, which offers instant messaging, presence, voice and video calling through just about any device.

“BroadSoft recently unveiled a new corporate identity built around enhancing the user experience at each phase of the Unified Communications customer lifecycle – from upfront service messaging, to the sales and service implementation process, to service adoption and usage,” said Michael Tessler, BroadSoft CEO. “As service providers increasingly demand a superior front-end UC services experience that is intuitive and modern, we recognized that Leonid had the expertise and experience to help BroadSoft better meet the evolving service delivery needs of our customers.”

The company’s channel program promises access to technical, marketing and branding materials, as well as sales support. Partners can resell Broadworks or the company’s BroadCloud platform, be a distributor or sell a combination of products. They can either sell the products “as is” or add value through their own products and complementary services.

Fulton Communications, a Vertical Communications subsidiary, has acquired Voice Systems, a voice and data communications provider based in Boston.

Voice Systems, a Vertical partner for 10 years, was the company’s top partner in terms of revenue generated in 2013. The deal gives Fulton an important presence in a major U.S. market.

Voice Systems is best known for its Wave IP unified communications system which it has sold to a number of high-profile customers in New England. Fulton plans to retain Voice Systems’ management and sales staff.

“The addition of a direct office in the Boston market is a tremendous asset for our company,” said Ben Treadway, Fulton CEO. “New England’s economy is comprised of tens of thousands of businesses across a variety of sectors that include retail, health care, government, and traditional SMB establishments. Vertical’s technology is proven to satisfy the requirements of these organizations, and we expect that our advanced communications offerings will be very well received throughout the region.”

This deal is part of a trend for Vertical, which is buying up its channel partners. It only acquired Fulton, which previously was its top partner, a few months ago.

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