Vodafone Business, together with its strategic partner RingCentral, Inc., is now offering its cloud-based unified communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS) platform, combining voice calling, video conferencing and instant messaging, in 20 countries globally with plans to extend it to more than 30 markets during early 2025.

In addition, Vodafone Business is adding Contact Centre-as-a-Service (CCaaS) to its Unified Communications (UC) product portfolio, based on RingCentral’s RingCX™contact centre solution.

Multinational businesses can now more easily connect new locations and employees with these services, as well as adopt hybrid working models worldwide using Vodafone Business as a single point of contact. It provides customers with one of the largest global UCaaS footprints, and Vodafone Business will also work with them to cover additional countries if specified.

Called Vodafone Business UC with RingCentral, the UCaaS service replaces traditional switchboards, cables, and IT systems with a secure and scaled cloud-based platform. Customers can simply combine and customise messaging, video meetings, file sharing and virtual phone systems via a single user interface accessible on any internet-enabled device, mobile or fixed. The comprehensive package, comprising PSTN (voice) calling, numbering, UC devices, meetings and collaboration tools, also means that employees, regardless of location and device, can be set up quickly and given access to the same set of services, whether at home, in the office or in the field.

Marika Auramo, Chief Executive Officer, Vodafone Business, said: “Our expanding portfolio of unified communications services is ideal for customers looking to expand geographically whilst maintaining agile and sustainable hybrid working models.

“By switching to the cloud from rigid fixed systems, customers can add services when required, paying only for what they need. We estimate this will save many of them up to 30% in operating costs by reducing administrative costs and IT operational expenses whilst boosting productivity and collaboration.”

The Contact Centre-as-a-Service, called Vodafone Business Contact Centre with RingCentral, makes it simpler for companies to establish and operate contact centres by equipping agents with artificial intelligence (AI), including call summaries, transcripts, automated scorecards, conversational insights, and coaching to deliver effortless customer experiences. Vodafone Business Contact Centre with RingCentral also features key data insights along with voice and over 20 digital channels including web, messaging, and leading social media channels. Starting in the UK, followed by Germany later this year, Vodafone Business will progressively roll out Vodafone Business Contact Centre with RingCentral to other markets.

“With Vodafone Business Contact Centre with RingCentral, we're empowering businesses with an all-inclusive contact centre solution that is simple to deploy, easy to use and manage, and comes with robust AI capabilities,” said Homayoun Razavi, EVP, Chief Business Development Officer, RingCentral. “Our comprehensive feature set ensures businesses can meet their customers wherever they are in their journey, while also driving operational efficiency to best position their business for success in today's digital-first world.”