Zoom & Mitel forge hybrid cloud partnership for enterprises

In a significant development in the world of business communications, Zoom Video Communications and Mitel have announced a strategic partnership aimed at providing enterprises with a unique hybrid cloud solution. This collaboration seeks to integrate Zoom Workplace and Zoom AI Companion with Mitel's flagship communication platforms, offering a modern, deeply integrated communication experience.

The partnership has been designed to cater to the growing enterprise demand for hybrid unified communications (UC) deployments. The joint solution promises to deliver security and control for mission-critical communications while enhancing business productivity through improved collaboration. It introduces a Zoom-first experience within Mitel's hybrid portfolio, providing access to the full Zoom Workplace platform which integrates seamlessly with existing Mitel infrastructure.

Zoom will be established as Mitel's exclusive Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) offering. This move allows Mitel's sales teams and over 7,000 global partners to cross-sell the Zoom-first experience as part of the unique hybrid solution or assist customers in migrating to Zoom if UCaaS is their preferred deployment model. Additionally, Zoom's sales teams will be authorised to sell Mitel's award-winning devices for hybrid customers who require physical endpoints.

Eric S. Yuan, founder and CEO of Zoom, highlighted the importance of this partnership in strengthening the companies' ability to address the evolving needs of the communications market. "As organisations continue to prioritise hybrid UC deployments, it is critical that users across the globe have access to AI-first, reliable, and seamless collaboration solutions. Together, Zoom and Mitel are now able to address the largest segment of today's communications market, particularly in EMEA, strengthening growth potential and enabling more users worldwide to reimagine the ways in which they work," said Yuan.

Tarun Loomba, president and CEO of Mitel, echoed these sentiments, praising the flexibility and choice afforded by the partnership. "Effective communication and collaboration are the lifeblood of modern organisations, but they become transformative when tailored to meet each customer's unique business objectives. Flexibility and choice are at the heart of every Mitel solution and partnering with Zoom strengthens our ability to deliver on that promise for customers around the world," stated Loomba.

The joint solution utilises Mitel's Common Communication Framework to deliver a feature-rich experience, eliminating the need for additional add-ons or plug-ins. It includes unified communications and mobile app integration, hardware device-level integration, and advanced business process capabilities such as bi-directional presence, call-to-video escalation, and centralised user provisioning and administration. Users will also have access to Zoom Phone with embedded support for Mitel PBX platforms, regardless of whether they are deployed on-premises or in the cloud.

According to an August 2024 survey by Zoom and Reworked INSIGHTS, 82% of leaders plan to make their working styles more flexible in the next two years. A separate survey conducted in June 2024 by Mitel and Techaisle found that 91% of enterprises prioritise a hybrid approach for their business communications. These findings indicate a clear trend towards flexible and modern collaboration solutions, which the Zoom-Mitel partnership aims to fulfil.

Dave Michels, founder and lead analyst at TalkingPointz, commented on the partnership's relevance in the current business landscape. "This partnership recognises the value of hybrid communications. The reality of modern business today is that requirements will change and get more complex. Mitel offers powerful private cloud and single-tenant voice solutions, and Zoom has excellent enterprise video and team chat. Together, they create a seamless solution without putting an integration burden on the customer," said Michels.

The joint solution is expected to be generally available in the first half of 2025, with advanced capabilities being introduced as part of a multi-phase partnership plan. Continued enhancements are also on the horizon to further refine and expand the offering.