Dan Hoffman, president of cloud division, ShoreTel Sky
Clients of
ShoreTel, the unified communications provider, might notice some changes at the company. At the beginning of September, ShoreTel announced that it would be rebranding its cloud based solutions department. The division will now be known as ShoreTel Sky.
The rebranding comes after ShoreTel acquired M5 Networks, a hosted cloud unified communications provider, earlier in 2012. Dan Hoffman, CEO of M5 Networks before the acquisition and now president of ShoreTel’s cloud division, explained that ShoreTel saw the value in offering cloud services, which he called “an important and growing part of the market.” M5 Networks, for its part, realized the advantage it would gain in joining forces with the popular unified communications company.
Hoffman commented that the acquisition brings benefits for both ShoreTel and M5 Networks. “In the short run, we can offer both the cloud and on-premises offering through each other’s partners and distribution networks,” he said. “In the longer run, we can combine technologies in new ways.” Hoffman remarked that ShoreTel Sky’s new project is integrating ShoreTel’s handset into a cloud delivery model. None of ShoreTel Sky’s competitors who offer cloud delivery of unified communications have a desk phone, Hoffman stated. Once ShoreTel’s handset is integrated into a cloud delivery model, an office’s telephone system will connect to the internet or a private network as opposed to a phone line. The phone system resides in ShoreTel Sky’s cloud.
In addition, ShoreTel Sky will now be able to use ShoreTel’s unified communications applications, such as those for call centres and conference bridging, to its customers. Hoffman added that ShoreTel will now offer ShoreTel Sky’s cloud solutions to its customers. He pointed out that Shore Tel Sky has already “integrated mobility into the cloud.” With Shore Tel Sky’s services, mobile phone users can use their cells as endpoints on the phone system. That means that a mobile phone acts as an office line, and the worker can accept work calls anywhere.
