Lumen, Cisco Expand Partnership for Cloud-Based Unified Communications

Lumen Technologies and Cisco have expanded their partnership to include a new offering. It pairs Cisco‘s cloud-based collaboration services with Lumen’s global fiber network.

The new offering is Lumen Solutions for Cisco Unified Communications Manager Cloud (UCMC).

The solution delivers an enterprise-level unified communications and collaboration (UCC) service from the Cisco cloud. Customers can avoid large capital investments, ongoing maintenance and high IT staffing expenses, the companies said. Furthermore, they can access Lumen’s global network, and operations and support teams.

Dave Young is Lumen’s senior vice president of strategic sales. He said the solution is ideal for businesses that have already invested in Cisco Webex, or those that are considering it.

Lumen’s Dave Young

“As part of this launch, our channel partners can now sell Lumen Solutions for Cisco UCMC,” he said. “Service features of Cisco UCMC may include calling, messaging, Cisco Webex integration, instant messaging, presence mobility, mobile and remote access, emergency call handling, collaboration phones and endpoints, network connectivity options, global availability, Lumen global 24/7 support and dedicated account teams.”

Remote, Hybrid Work Here to Stay

Remote and hybrid work environments are here to stay, Young said. Therefore, enterprises are investing heavily in cloud solutions that integrate calling, conferencing, file sharing and software applications.

As a highly credentialed Cisco partner, Lumen holds key certifications across all Cisco portfolios. The latest agreement to offer Lumen Solutions for Cisco UCMC includes a commitment to add more than 250,000 seats.

“Cisco will be talking about this partnership at WebEx One, beginning tomorrow, and we look forward to discussing Lumen Solutions for Cisco UCMC at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo next week in Las Vegas,” Young said.

Lorrissa Horton is vice president and general manager of Webex Calling and Online.

“Hybrid work no longer applies to select employees,” she said. “It is now relevant across all vertical segments and all sized companies. Cisco Webex knows how to provide the best employee and customer experiences for hybrid work environments. Combining the Cisco cloud with the Lumen global network, enterprises will be well prepared for the next phase of hybrid work as the modern workforce continues to evolve.”