Windstream announced the first update to its portfolio of leading Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) solutions following its acquisition of Broadview Networks. Windstream introduced Broadview’s OfficeSuite® with Windstream’s SD-WAN, a powerful combination that combines 100-percent cloud-based Unified Communication services with Windstream’s dynamic and cost-effective SD-WAN solution.
Broadview’s award-winning OfficeSuite, paired with Windstream’s SD-WAN solution, provides users with a powerful yet easy-to-use UCaaS experience that combines services such as phone, contact center, chat, video and collaboration with Windstream’s SD-WAN solution. This well-suited combination ensures performance and quality of voice, video, and critical business applications that fit a business’s needs quickly and in real-time by giving customers visibility, control, and the access to prioritize their bandwidth.
“The OfficeSuite platform serves over 250,000 users nationwide with cloud-based UC services to increase both their productivity and competitiveness in the marketplace,” said Brian Crotty, president of Windstream’s Mid-Market and Small Business division. “OfficeSuite blends user-centric technology and award-winning products, services and support to offer the most secure and flexible communications solution for businesses of all sizes, including small business and scaling to mid-market enterprise customers. Combining this with SD-WAN will allow existing Windstream customers to transform their business with powerful cloud technology.”
Traditional WAN technology has long been a cornerstone of IT for voice and data networking infrastructure, but it has a higher potential for downtime and latency challenges. The advent of hybrid/cloud architectures and the higher cost of adding locations are causing many companies to rethink their WAN strategy. Windstream’s SD-WAN solution utilizes software-defined networking (SDN) to dynamically route traffic over a combination of private and public access types to reach multiple locations. Customers maintain control over their network from a convenient centralized location rather than requiring them to manage various routers, firewalls and switches.
OfficeSuite with SD-WAN is ideal for companies ranging from small businesses to enterprise customers that need to stay connected and that cannot afford costly network downtime that could disrupt productivity, harm the customer experience, and even threaten their ability to stay in business. The combination of OfficeSuite with SD-WAN offers 100-percent cloud-based UC solutions with up to 100-percent SLAs for SD-WAN connectivity that virtually eliminate downtime to keep businesses up and running through both minor and major business interruptions.
OfficeSuite with SD-WAN gives administrators dynamic controls at both the network and application levels to manage their experience. For example, the Windstream SD-WAN management tool simplifies the administration, management and monitoring of applications by presenting comprehensive information to the customer in a unified management console. The result is that customers can easily establish and change business and security policies across their entire UC network, or even have Windstream manage it for them. In addition, the Broadview MyOfficeSuite™ portal empowers end-users to customize their UC features and instantly change or manage their services in a mobile or in-office environment.
In addition to OfficeSuite with SD-WAN, Windstream offers a full suite of advanced network communications and technology solutions like Diverse Connect along with voice and data services such as VoIP access, SIP trunking, MPLS, Wavelength services, Ethernet and internet. Windstream also offers managed services, cloud services, and network security services designed to help businesses increase productivity and improve operational costs.