Highlights:

  • Mitel’s Common Communications Framework represents the next stage in the evolution of its hybrid unified communications (UC) portfolio.
  • Mitel offers a platform that integrates with a variety of apps and tools, simplifying unified communications (UC) management for organizations.

The cloud industry is experiencing a major transformation. Traditionally, the term “cloud” refers to public cloud services. Still, in recent years, there has been a noticeable shift in buyers’ preferences, with increasing interest in private and hybrid cloud deployments.

This trend extends beyond communications and has been observed across various sectors. During a recent analyst call with VMware, Vice President Prasanth Shenoy said, “We are seeing increased customer demand for sovereign [private] cloud in critical areas like data security, management and compliance solutions, especially as organizations prioritize data as an asset. Sovereign Cloud provides best-in-class solutions around protection, management, control, compliance, portability and access to unlock value from data.”

Another piece of supporting evidence comes from Splunk’s CEO, Gary Steele. He stated during the company’s most recent earnings call. “We still believe in on-premises; we know most of you have critical infrastructure there, which remains a key focus area for us.”

Mitel’s new framework is designed to assist customers in transitioning to hybrid environments, providing a more flexible approach to managing communication systems. The “Common Communications Framework” allows organizations to seamlessly adopt various deployment models, whether they choose to maintain existing on-premises systems, move to the cloud, or combine both. This framework adapts to meet their operational needs.

According to Paul Ginn, Mitel’s Group Director of Product Marketing, the Common Communications Framework represents the next evolutionary phase in the company’s hybrid unified communications (UC) portfolio. Its appeal lies in its ability to optimize existing investments while enabling businesses to identify the ideal hybrid deployment model. The framework is designed to support a wide range of employees, from knowledge and office workers to frontline staff, such as field service teams and contact center employees.

The Common Communications Framework empowers businesses to manage their communications systems without being locked into a single technology. For instance, organizations can integrate their communications with other solutions, such as AI tools. Through this framework, Mitel provides access to its AI ecosystem, which is connected to over 200 business applications.

“It’s a decision framework that any business or enterprise can use. With so many companies focusing on business value as their number one driver, integration with business applications is a huge source of value,” said Ginn.

The increasing demand for hybrid UC solutions is fueled by market maturity. Initially, small businesses and early adopters led the adoption of UCaaS and CCaaS. However, as the market has matured, many organizations have recognized that a “one-size-fits-all” approach is insufficient, prompting the need for more flexible options. Hybrid UC models allow organizations to select the tools that best suit their needs while still taking advantage of the scalability and accessibility offered by cloud services.

Mitel offers a platform that integrates with a wide range of apps and tools, simplifying UC management for organizations. In a recent briefing, Mitel shared findings from a study conducted with Techaisle, which showed that 91% of enterprises favor a hybrid architecture—consistent with my research. Additionally, 50% of enterprises prioritize security, data privacy, and regulatory compliance, while 52% focus on solutions that enhance business outcomes over operational efficiency.

“This points to integrating with systems that drive business outcomes first. Second, the desire for customers to control how their communications are managed. Basic telephony isn’t enough anymore, nor is it an off-the-shelf unified-communications-as-a-service application. They need options and the right mix of technologies,” Ginn said.

To meet the needs of organizations in heavily regulated industries, Mitel provides the Secure Cloud as a managed service. This offering enhances data protection and compliance measures, allowing organizations to manage their communications while keeping control over sensitive information. Secure Cloud is available in three tiers—hosted, trusted, and sovereign—each designed to accommodate different levels of data handling. These tiers are specifically tailored to comply with stringent regulatory requirements, including Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Secure Cloud, already available in the U.K., is scheduled to launch in Germany this October. Mitel plans to expand Secure Cloud to additional European countries in the first half of 2025. The company is also gearing up for global expansion, contingent on demand from various regions. Pricing for the hosted and trusted tiers will be competitive with other market offerings, while the sovereign tier will feature customized pricing based on each organization’s unique needs.

“The framework, together with Secure Cloud, builds on the heritage of the Unify offering (which Mitel acquired in 2023). It’s one of many examples of the best parts of Unify and Mitel coming together and driving differentiated customer value,” said Ginn.

A significant milestone in Mitel’s hybrid communication strategy is the recently announced partnership with Zoom, which will create a Zoom-first experience within Mitel’s hybrid portfolio. This partnership includes access to the complete Zoom Workplace platform, designed to integrate smoothly with existing Mitel systems. Mitel and Zoom plan to collaboratively develop a unique hybrid offering that combines Zoom Workplace and Zoom AI Companion with Mitel’s key communication platforms—OpenScape, MiVoice Business, MiVoice 5000, and MX-One.

Mitel plans to roll out additional features and services for the Common Communications Framework, with more announcements expected in the fourth quarter.

Forecasting the evolution of communications can be informed by examining trends in other areas of information technology. Due to their significance, which leads to more cautious buying behavior, unified communications (UC) and contact centers (CC) often lag behind other technology waves. The transition to Internet Protocol-based systems, virtualization, and cloud solutions serve as key examples of this trend.

In each instance, many industry observers believed that communications could never operate in the cloud or be virtualized. Today, however, this is a common reality. While cloud solutions are already widely implemented in a hybrid model across various sectors, the same is not yet true for communications—but that change is on the horizon.