Formation of the Cloud Communications Alliance
Eight leaders in hosted-IP voice and data communications announced the formation of the Cloud Communications Alliance, a consortium that will drive development and adoption of the first nationwide high-definition enterprise voice and data network in the IP “cloud.”
Cloud Communications Alliance members deploy and scale VoIP, hosted PBX and unified communications solutions. Together, their objective is to promote awareness of the Cloud Communications standard and drive its development through the pursuit of new technical standards, capabilities and applications.
Key collaboration points among members include:
- Nationwide peering with interconnected switches and gateways across the country to drive network efficiencies and provide HD voice quality.
- Convergent end devices as the intelligence of the network in the cloud and an all-IP network make communications to multiple end devices and hand-offs between computers, office phones and cellular phones a reality. In the cloud, a customer’s phone or PC can be used equally for their office phone just as their landline phone was used in the past. In addition, cellular phones can be enabled with 4-digit PBX dialing, office message on hold, simultaneous ring and handing off between end user devices.
- A common support infrastructure to provide nationwide customer support through back-office systems and processes made more accountable by regionally owned and operated service providers.
- Unique features in the cloud instantly accessible by customers through the Cloud Communications Alliance “Sandbox.” This capability will allow features and functionality to become instantly accessible for voice and data services by accessing the cloud, much the way popular apps are accessed today through app stores.
- Joint product development, including the evaluation of new technologies and vendors, development of new products and applications, planning to standardize on the best third-party platforms, and joint introduction of new features and services.
- An expanded network of remote field technicians to simplify support and increase customer savings.
- Disaster recovery support across all Alliance members.
- Shared best practices through regularly scheduled forums allowing engineering and sales teams to share and highlight their platform configurations, vertical solutions and service customizations, and to conduct shared training.
- Thought leadership that merges shared competitive intelligence, coordinates the steering of vendor requirements, and executes joint marketing initiatives.
- Planned collaboration for enhanced customer video conferencing capabilities.