Airtel Business and Vonage partner to launch cutting-edge business communications application

Rhea-AI Summary

Airtel Business, the B2B arm of Bharti Airtel, and Vonage, a part of Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), have partnered to launch Airtel IQ Business Connect, a unified business communications application for enterprises in India. This device-agnostic application aims to simplify customer engagement and overcome data loss challenges during employee transitions.

Key features include:

• Multi-channel capabilities
• Real-time monitoring
• Data loss prevention
• Seamless communication across devices
• No additional hardware investments required

The application is part of Airtel Business's cloud communications offering, Airtel IQ, and is powered by Vonage's Unified Communications as a Service capabilities. This collaboration strengthens Vonage's presence in India, where it has a Research and Development Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Positive

• Partnership between Airtel Business and Vonage to launch a new unified communications application
• Potential for improved customer engagement and business communication for enterprises in India
• No additional hardware investments required for adoption
• Strengthens Vonage's presence and commitment to innovation in India

Negative

• None.

Insights

Tech Expert

The partnership between Airtel Business and Vonage to launch Airtel IQ Business Connect represents a significant advancement in unified communications for Indian enterprises. This application addresses critical business needs:

• Multi-channel capabilities for consistent customer engagement
• Real-time monitoring to enhance communication efficiency
• Data loss prevention during employee transitions
• Device-agnostic functionality for seamless adoption

The collaboration leverages Vonage's UCaaS expertise and Airtel's robust network infrastructure, potentially positioning Airtel as a stronger competitor in the enterprise communications market. For Ericsson, Vonage's parent company, this partnership expands its footprint in the lucrative Indian market, aligning with its strategy to grow in emerging economies.

While the immediate financial impact may be , the long-term potential for revenue growth and market share expansion in India's rapidly digitalizing business sector is substantial. Investors should monitor adoption rates and any subsequent expansions of this partnership to gauge its success and impact on Ericsson's bottom line.

Market Research Analyst

This partnership signifies a strategic move in the Indian enterprise communications market, which is experiencing rapid growth due to digital transformation initiatives. Key market implications include:

• Potential for increased market share for Airtel in the B2B segment
• Enhanced competitive positioning against other telecom and cloud communication providers
• Opportunity for Ericsson to monetize Vonage's capabilities in a high-growth market

The offering addresses pain points such as communication fragmentation and data continuity, which are important for businesses in India. The emphasis on compliance and security aligns with increasing regulatory focus in the country. This move could catalyze further partnerships and innovations in the sector, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape.

For investors, this development indicates Ericsson's commitment to diversifying revenue streams beyond traditional telecom equipment. The success of this venture could provide a blueprint for similar partnerships in other emerging markets, potentially driving long-term value creation for Ericsson shareholders.

New communications application includes multi-channel capabilities, real-time monitoring and data loss prevention to help enterprises in India enhance their stakeholder communications

GURUGRAM, India, Oct. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Airtel Business, the B2B arm of Bharti Airtel  ̶  one of India's leading telecommunications service providers  ̶  and Vonage, a global leader in cloud communications that helps businesses accelerate their digital transformation and a part of Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), have partnered to launch Airtel IQ Business Connect  ̶  a device-agnostic, unified business communications application that will help enterprises in India to simplify their customer engagement.

Airtel IQ Business Connect is a customized multi-channel unified communications application that will enable businesses to enrich their customer experiences by maintaining consistent, long-lasting customer engagement while also overcoming challenges of data loss that can arise during employee transitions or attrition. With the new application, new employees will be equipped to seamlessly maintain continuity in customer communications across a range of devices including mobile phones, tablets and laptops, through a single interface, ensuring strong customer loyalty and stickiness. Enterprises can effortlessly adopt the application without the need for any additional hardware investments.

Abhishek Biswal, Chief Business Officer - Digital Products & Services, Airtel Business, said, "We are delighted to partner with Vonage and launch Airtel IQ Business Connect  ̶  a next-gen technology application. Businesses today are looking for a compliance-adhering, unified communications application to ensure smooth customer communications. Airtel IQ Business Connect will fill this gap by offering enterprises a device-agnostic, real-time monitoring application that can host multiple channels to drive improved business communication and productivity."

Reggie Scales, Head of Applications at Vonage, commented, "We are excited to announce our strategic partnership with Airtel Business to power new unified communications capabilities for enterprises in India, a key strategic growth market for Vonage. In today's dynamic business environment, effective communication and collaboration are essential. With the power of Vonage's Unified Communications as a Service capabilities, coupled with Airtel's secure and reliable network, businesses in India will be able to enjoy a multi-channel approach to communications that combines voice and messaging, enabling consumers to connect and collaborate with brands from anywhere and across any channel."

Airtel IQ Business Connect, powered by Vonage, is a part of Airtel Business's cloud communications offering – Airtel IQ. The application will enable enterprises in India to empower all their employees, including their hybrid workforce, as well as personnel such as relationship managers, field force and others, to seamlessly communicate with their stakeholders 24X7, thereby enabling enhanced customer engagement.

Airtel IQ is an omni-channel cloud communications platform that unifies cloud communications and customer experience management to enable brands to engage with their customers across voice and WhatsApp channels. Airtel is the first telecom company in the world that serves as a Business Service Provider (BSP) for WhatsApp. More details can be found here: www.airtel.in/business/b2b/airtel-iq.

Airtel Business is a leading provider of integrated communications solutions in India. With a wide gamut of end-to-end solutions spanning cellular IoT, connectivity, cloud, data center, cyber security and cloud-based communications, the company's offerings are engineered to deliver high-speed connectivity, unparalleled wide coverage and scalable bandwidth to customers across enterprises, governments, carriers and small and medium businesses (SMBs). For more details, visit www.airtel.in/business.

This collaboration strengthens Vonage's presence and commitment to driving innovation in India. With a Research and Development (R&D) Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, the heart of India's high-tech industry, Vonage has a large R&D team in the region focused on building new features across Vonage's portfolio of business communications solutions.

To find out more about Vonage, visit www.vonage.com. To learn more about Bharti Airtel, visit www.airtel.in.

About Bharti Airtel
Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 550 million customers in 17 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company ranks among the top three mobile operators globally and its networks cover over two billion people. Airtel is India's largest integrated communications solutions provider and the second-largest mobile operator in Africa. Airtel's retail portfolio includes high-speed 4G/5G mobile broadband, Airtel Xstream Fiber that promises speeds up to 1 Gbps with convergence across linear and on-demand entertainment, streaming services spanning music and video, digital payments and financial services. For enterprise customers, Airtel offers a gamut of solutions that includes secure connectivity, cloud and data center services, cyber security, IoT, Ad Tech and cloud-based communication. For more details visit www.airtel.com.

About Vonage
Vonage, a global cloud communications leader, helps businesses accelerate their digital transformation. Vonage's Communications Platform is fully programmable and allows for the integration of Video, Voice, Chat, Messaging, AI and Verification into existing products, workflows and systems. The Vonage conversational commerce application enables businesses to create AI-powered omnichannel experiences that boost sales and increase customer satisfaction. Vonage's fully programmable unified communications, contact center and conversational commerce applications are built from the Vonage platform and enable companies to transform how they communicate and operate from the office or remotely - providing the flexibility required to create meaningful engagements.

Vonage is headquartered in New Jersey, with offices throughout the United States, Europe, Israel and Asia and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), and a business area within the Ericsson group called Business Area Global Communications Platform. To follow Vonage on X (formerly known as Twitter), please visit twitter.com/vonage. To follow on LinkedIn, visit linkedin.com/company/Vonage. To become a fan on Facebook, go to facebook.com/vonage. To subscribe on YouTube, visit youtube.com/vonage.

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SOURCE Vonage

FAQ

What is Airtel IQ Business Connect and how does it benefit enterprises?

Airtel IQ Business Connect is a unified business communications application launched by Airtel Business and Vonage (ERIC). It benefits enterprises by simplifying customer engagement, preventing data loss during employee transitions, and enabling seamless communication across devices without additional hardware investments.

How does the partnership between Airtel Business and Vonage (ERIC) impact the Indian market?

The partnership brings Vonage's Unified Communications as a Service capabilities to India, combined with Airtel's network. This allows Indian businesses to adopt a multi-channel approach to communications, enhancing customer engagement and collaboration across various channels.

What are the key features of Airtel IQ Business Connect?

Key features of Airtel IQ Business Connect include multi-channel capabilities, real-time monitoring, data loss prevention, seamless communication across devices (mobile phones, tablets, laptops), and a single interface for consistent customer engagement.

How does Airtel IQ Business Connect address employee transition challenges?

Airtel IQ Business Connect helps overcome data loss challenges during employee transitions by enabling new employees to seamlessly maintain continuity in customer communications across various devices through a single interface, ensuring strong customer loyalty and stickiness.