Open-Xchange and eZuce Partner to Deliver Next-Generation Unified Communications

Open source companies Open-Xchange and eZuce, Inc. have entered into a strategic collaboration that for the first time offers fully integrated open communications to address the evolving requirements of mid-size to large enterprises, institutes of higher education and government agencies.

Available on-premises or Communications-as-a-Service “CaaS”, Open-Xchange and eZuce openUCTM feature voice, video, instant messaging, presence, conferencing, collaboration, unified messaging, e-mail, call center, calendar and task management, and smartphone support for enterprises with 50 to 10,000 users.

"This is a terrific opportunity to build on the Open-Xchange collaboration software," said Rafael Laguna, CEO of Open-Xchange, in a statement.

Laguna said that eZuce serves similar market segments with open voice and unified communications making the companies natural partners.

“We're already seeing a good reception with partners and customers who are interested in our add-on capabilities," he said.

Officials with Open-Xchange said that through this strategic partnership, companies can maximize their IT investments, achieve an enhanced communications user experience, and realize significant cost savings compared to single-vendor vertically-integrated solutions.

Open-Xchange and openUC ensure a going-forward migration strategy for their existing legacy IP PBX (News - Alert) systems while leveraging their existing IT infrastructure to minimize capital expenditures.

"Combining our unified communications software with Open-Xchange makes it possible for enterprises to upgrade their existing legacy systems without compromising performance," said Martin Steinmann (News - Alert), CEO and co-founder of eZuce Inc.

Steinmann said that customers can protect their investment in existing IT solutions while advancing to next-generation collaboration tools without limiting their options from Microsoft (News - Alert) or other single vendor solutions.

Company officials said that both vendors employ an indirect business model whereby traditional reseller partners, system integrators, and managed service providers “MSPs” can oversee the installation, service, and support of these solutions on behalf of their customers.

Enterprises will have access to the complete open communication and collaboration portfolio as on-premises solutions installed on the customer's own computers or via hosted managed services offered directly through the channel.