By Cyber Era NG Senior Correspondent

Italy recently became the latest market to launch Vodafone Business Unified Communications (UC) with RingCentral – a cloud-based solution allowing customers to combine messaging, video meetings, file sharing and virtual phone systems via a single user interface accessible on any internet-enabled device.

Vodafone began rolling out its unified communications solution in 2022 in partnership with RingCentral, initially in the UK and Germany, with further markets planned to follow the latest roll-out in Italy. Unified Communications is one of a new range of digital ‘beyond connectivity’ services provided by Vodafone Business, alongside cloud hosting, security products and software defined wide area networks (SD-WAN).

Break free from rigid systems

Vodafone Business UC with RingCentral allows businesses of all sizes to embrace hybrid working more easily by breaking free of traditional point-to-point fixed connections. The system replaces them with agile, secure, and reliable cloud services that employees in multiple locations can access, whether at home, in the office or in the field.

CEO of Vodafone Business, Vinod Kumar explained: “We want to provide our customers with the technology that allows them to shake off the shackles of legacy systems. The process, which started during Covid, allows them to fully embrace sustainable hybrid working models that suit them and their employees. Rigid systems are not the answer.”

Chief Business Development Officer at RingCentral, Homayoun Razavi said: “We are excited to bring the RingCentral brand into the Italian market and to extend our relationship with Vodafone Business in this region. This new partnership will help us to provide business customers with the capabilities they need to unlock new paths of productivity and efficiency.

“Remote working is here to stay, and enterprises will need to adapt to new challenges to be more agile in their ways of working. Combining the strengths of RingCentral cloud-based collaboration with Vodafone’s leading voice solution will enable them to transform their communications to the cloud and to get ready for the future.”

In addition to unifying all modes of communications via the cloud (all of which are accessible via any smartphone or desktop device), business customers in Italy can integrate the solution with their existing Vodafone fixed and mobile communications services.  These capabilities from RingCentral work seamlessly with OneNet, Vodafone Business’ highly reliable voice platform which provides several communication services, such as call queueing and holding, call transfer, time frame setting, and customised voicemail.

Expand into the cloud

“Companies in all sectors can integrate the solution into their existing application infrastructures. This allows them to expand their business more easily into the cloud and increase the efficiency of processes and remote working while managing costs effectively,” Vinod added.

Hybrid working will continue to play a big role in the way companies approach meetings and collaboration. Central to this will be facilitating communication with the right tools both in and outside the traditional working environment – which is where Vodafone and RingCentral cloud technology can contribute.