Collaboration Consolidation: Mitel To Scoop Up Atos’ Unify To Bring Its UC Business Global

The UC and collaboration space is getting smaller with Mitel’s proposed deal to acquire Atos Unify, the UC and Collaboration businesses of Atos, the two channel-centric companies revealed on Tuesday.

Unified communications specialist Mitel is set to become the owner of Unify, the unified communications (UC) and collaboration businesses of Atos, the two companies revealed on Tuesday.

The deal would strength Mitel’s position across multiple geographies and expand the provider’s reach as it carries on its mission to become a global UC and collaboration competitor, according to the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company. It will also boost Mitel’s ability to address the evolving communication needs of global businesses through on-premises, hybrid, and private cloud solutions.

The transaction would Increase Mitel’s customer base to more than 75 million users in more than 100 countries, while expanding the company’s global channel community to more than 5,500 partners, according to the companies.

[Related: Mitel Names Channel Chief, New Senior Leadership To Pursue And ‘Win’ UCaaS Opportunities]

The two companies share a channel-centric heritage, and the deal will give partners access to flexible communications models for their customers, coupled with global partner resources, Mitel said.

“This announcement demonstrates Mitel’s strategy and intention to be a UC industry leader and our commitment to the UC market,” MItel CEO Tarun Loomba told CRN via email through a spokesperson. “Mitel and Unify have highly complementary portfolios, which would mean a broader portfolio of products and services to help partners win more business while ensuring customers have the flexibility to choose the communications model they prefer. Our combined operational scale would also expand the global resources available to support the overall partner experience. We see a great deal of upside for partners with Mitel and Unify’s combined strengths.”

Once combined, Mitel, which currently serves business users in more than 100 countries, will also add managed services to its repertoire, the company said of the deal.

Loomba would serve as president and CEO of the combined company. Additional members of the management team would be selected from both companies during the closing period, according to Mitel.

Atos Unify has more than 3000 employees globally. IT services company Atos acquired Unify from The Gores Group and Siemens for approximately $371 million in 2015 in a deal that helped Atos enter the UC market.

The two companies did not disclose financial terms of the deal, which is still subject to customary regulatory approvals.

The two companies expect the deal to close during the second half of 2023.