Zoom, Mitel to Extend Hybrid AI-Fueled Offer

Zoom and Mitel are launching a hybrid solution that will merge Zoom Workplace and Zoom AI Companion with Mitel’s flagship communications platform.

The partnership is part of a broader Mitel push to spread its hybrid mission across the globe.

"It will address growing enterprise demand for hybrid unified communications (UC) deployments with a best-of-both-worlds solution that delivers security and control for mission-critical communications alongside exceptional collaboration to enhance business productivity," the companies wrote in a joint statement.

The Zoom-Mitel partnership will leverage Mitel's common communications framework, which Mitel announced last week.

"The unique Zoom-Mitel offering will deliver a fully embedded, feature-rich experience without add-ons or plug-ins, including unified communications and mobile app integration, hardware device-level integration, and advanced business process capabilities like bidirectional presence, call-to-video escalation, and centralized user provisioning and administration," Zoom said.

The Zoom-Mitel team also shared that its joint users will gain access to Zoom Phone with embedded support for Mitel's PBX platforms, both on-premises or in the cloud, revealing another element of the hybrid nature of the partnership.

Related:Mitel Security, Common Framework Updates 'Good For TAs'

Zoom-Mitel Channel to Benefit

Here is where the artificial intelligence (AI) factor comes into play, as Mitel's more than 70 million customers will gain access to Zoom AI Companion across team chat, meetings and more.

The benefits for partners come in the form of cross-selling opportunities. Most notably, both Zoom and Mitel stress that companies are allowed to move at the pace they wish regarding cloud migration before making the move to take 100% of their communications to the cloud, if they choose to do so.

Converged Technology Professionals co-CEO Joe Rittenhouse is one of Zoom's largest partners and told Channel Futures he welcomes the move. He also shared that the collaboration presents what he said to be "significant opportunities from a partner perspective."

Converged Technology Professionals' Joe Rittenhouse

"Blending Mitel's established channel success with Zoom's rapid innovation should prove a perfect combination for facilitating the migration of clients from on-premises solutions to the cloud, offering a flexible path that aligns with diverse business needs. Following the recent Avaya partnership, this move reinforces Zoom's commitment and vision for the future of UCaaS, CCaaS and AI," Rittenhouse said.

The joint solution will become generally available for customers during the first half of 2025 with Zoom and Mitel noting that advanced capabilities are "underway as part of the multi-phase partnership plan, and continued enhancements are being planned."