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Service providers seeking a way to offer hosted unified communications to enterprise customers now have a new option for how to do that. BroadSoft (News - Alert) Inc. today unveiled BroadCloud, a cloud-based offer targeting fixed line, mobile and cable TV network operators.

BroadSoft says BroadCloud will enable service providers to bring to market UC services including unified messaging, presence, videoconferencing, web collaboration and other popular unified communications features much more quickly than they could on their own. 

“Rather than following the market and attempting to dictate which services should comprise a UC offering, we have focused our product development efforts on the services enterprises say they want,” says Michael Tessler, CEO of BroadSoft. “With the addition of our BroadCloud hosted platform, we are offering a service delivery model that accelerates time-to-market for our service provider customers, enables them to brand and customize a UC solution and allows them to quickly capitalize on the growing demand of these communications services.”

Under the BroadCloud umbrella service providers will be able to get:

·         BroadCloud Instant Messaging & Presence, a corporate instant messaging and presence offering that integrates a subscriber’s phone status across both his or her desktop and mobile phones ;

·         BroadCloud Video, a high-definition videoconferencing service supporting room, desktop and soft client video-enabled devices;

·         BroadCloud Web Collaboration, which includes such features as screen sharing, a document library, chat, audio and video support, whiteboarding and more;

·         BroadCloud PacketSmart, a network assessment and monitoring service aimed at ensuring quality of experience;

·         BroadCloud Casabi, which enables the delivery of group SMS, personalized content and personal communications tools.

BroadSoft Video leverages Glowpoint’s (News - Alert) Open Video platform and Telepresence interExchange Network to enable video communications across more than a single enterprise .     

BroadCloud also employs BroadSoft’s Xtended online marketplace distribution platform so service providers can enable customers to access, purchase and start using their communications services within an app store branded under the particular service provider’s name.

“Another compelling capability of our BroadCloud platform is the ability for carriers to leverage the growing acceptance and adoption of app stores,” says Leslie Ferry, vice president of marketing at BroadSoft. “We are enabling our service provider customers to complement their existing distribution channels for unified communication services with an online marketplace, which is a growing, preferred purchase option by end users and offers higher service margins.”

BroadCloud also leverages the assets BroadSoft got through its recent Casabi and Packet Island acquisitions. The company closed its purchase of Packet Island (News - Alert), which sold an appliance aimed at VoIP lifecycle management, around this time last year. And BroadSoft earlier this month announced it had signed a definitive agreement to purchase Casabi (News - Alert), a privately held provider of cloud-based personalized content and messaging applications, for approximately $1.95 million.