Lumen taps Alianza to enable cloud-based voice services delivery
Alianza, Inc. says that Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) is leveraging the former’s cloud communications platform in the service provider’s newly launched Lumen Cloud Communications offering. The new service is designed to enable Lumen’s business customers to migrate from legacy to cloud-based voice services, thus ensuring greater flexibility and control while lowering costs.
Lumen chose to work with Alianza as part of the Tier 1 service provider’s overall move toward cloud-based service provision, according to Brian Beutler, CEO and founder of Alianza. Mirroring its customers, the former CenturyLink is replacing its own softswitches and other legacy voice systems with the Alianza platform. Alianza offers the platform in an “as a service” model, which Beutler said Lumen and other Alianza customers agree enables the service providers to take fuller advantage of the platform’s capabilities while immediately gaining access to upgrades and enhancements. The transition from a legacy approach to a cloud-based model also can occur quickly; Beutler says the time between signing the agreement with Lumen and getting its cloud-based capabilities in place took five to six months. With a move to the cloud, Lumen should simplify network and operational simplification via service automation, Beutler added.
Lumen Cloud Communications will support cloud-based voice, team messaging, video conferencing, mobile applications, and a replacement option for POTS specialty lines that might support elevator phones, alarms, security systems, and remote access modems (see “Alianza offers cloud-based Managed Specialty Lines as POTS replacement option”). Lumen will offer customers the ability to quickly add extensions or direct numbers themselves and configure various settings to customize via a portal.
"Through Alianza's platform, we are strengthening our portfolio of next generation cloud services to enable the speed, scale, and agility the market demands," said Scott Velting, vice president of product management at Lumen in a press statement. "Together, we are uniquely positioned to help Lumen's customers successfully navigate from legacy voice services to the cloud. This helps us achieve our strategic revenue growth goals and differentiates us from over-the-top competitors. Alianza's commitment to supporting our Lumen-branded portfolio with a feature-rich platform, high-quality mobile applications, end-user self-service tools, and a digital-first approach is a great fit with our strategy."
Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director & Associate Publisher
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, DOCSIS technology, and more.