Sonus, Plantonics, Nectar, Numonix Form Skype UC Alliance

Sonus Networks has announced the Better Together Alliance, a partnership with Plantronics, Nectar and Numonix to ensure full interoperability of each companies’ Microsoft Skype for Business supported network devices, The goal is to reduce interoperability risk and provide channel partners and customers with pre-tested solutions.

Sonus delivers security and interoperability for voice, video, instant messaging and collaboration within Skype for Business environments. Sonus Session Border Controllers (SBCs) can be deployed at the border between an enterprise’s internal Skype for Business Enterprise Voice network and the service provider’s network, providing a demarcation point for media transcoding, network security, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) interworking, intelligent call routing, Active Directory integration and multi-vendor interoperability. Sonus SBCs — used in on-premise and Office 365 (hybrid) deployments — deliver a seamless flow of real-time communications for Skype for Business deployments.

Plantronics brings Microsoft Skype for Business certified headsets and speakerphones that offer smart presence capabilities. Contextual Intelligence enables Plantronics audio devices to simplify and ease communications by understanding the user’s location to deliver a service that best suits that environment, dramatically simplifying the way businesses communicate during Skype for Business voice and video calls.

Nectar Services Corp. delivers complete monitoring capabilities within Skype for Business environments. Nectar’s UC Management Platform (UCMP), coupled with its UC Diagnostics module (UCD), support Skype for Business environments with comprehensive network pre-assessment, monitoring, diagnostics and reporting solutions.

And Numonix provides recording capabilities during Skype for Business deployments. Numonix’s Microsoft-qualified RECITE software delivers customers with an interaction recording solution that centrally and securely records and stores any Skype for Business interaction, regardless of user location.

“Plantronics audio solutions have gone through extensive internal testing ensuring people sound their best when making voice and video calls through Skype for Business,” said Erna Arnesen, vice president of Channel and Alliance Marketing at Plantronics. “Being a part of this alliance of best-in-class partners will give organizations deploying Skype for Business an audio endpoint they can trust to meet their communications and collaboration needs.”

“We are very excited to be a part of the Better Together alliance,” added Michael Levy, president at Numonix. “Numonix’s addition of interaction recording to the Better Together ecosystem enhances the joint offering to meet the critical business drivers for interaction recording, which includes transaction verification, legal compliance and quality management. The alliance is not limited to offering Skype for Business and Lync customers the benefit of commercial incentives, but also the peace of mind knowing that their infrastructure is trusted to proven interoperable solutions.”