Mitel formalizes the acquisition of Unify from Atos

The acquisition was in the pipeline since January, it is now finalized. The Canadian equipment manufacturer Mitel seizes Unify from Atos, the entity specialized in unified communications of the ESN. Unify employs around 3,000 employees with a turnover of 550 million euros in 2022.

The former division of Atos claims nearly 40 million users in 90 countries. It covers the business communication services (UCaaS) market combining telephony, videoconferencing, instant messaging, document sharing. Unify is also part of the cloud contact center market (CCaaS) while offering a range of IP and DECT terminals.

With this takeover – the details of the agreement of which have not been revealed – Mitel claims the place of number two in the world of unified communications. It even claims the number one position in the EMEA region – Europe, Middle East, Africa – and in more than ten countries. In France, it shares the PBX market with Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise (ALE).

Historically positioned on the medium-sized enterprise market, Mitel is strengthening, with Unify, in the key accounts segment. A useful expertise to support these large groups in the digital transformation of their communication environment and offer them managed services.

With this acquisition, Mitel now has a customer base of more than 75 million users in more than one hundred countries, and a community of more than 5,500 partners, resellers and other service providers. The new complex, which employs more than 5,000 employees, is based on key sectors such as health, public service, hospitality and financial services.

In terms of governance, Tarun Loomba, CEO of Mitel, will chair the new company. Marcus Hänsel, chief executive officer of Unify, has been appointed director of sales and will lead Mitel’s global sales and service functions. “The company is committed to ensuring that customers are informed of all future product and service plans, as well as upgrade opportunities and new capabilities“, specifies Mitel in a press release.

Coping with the Microsoft tsunami

This takeover could kick off a larger consolidation movement. The actors of unified communications and corporate collaboration such as Zoom or Cisco must face the Microsoft tsunami. In a market valued by IDC at $59.3 billion, up 9.8% in 2022, the Redmond firm superforms. Number one in the sector, it posted a growth of 18.4%.

Popularized during the Covid-19 crisis, its Teams collaboration application has attracted more than 270 million daily users worldwide. Beyond its known videoconferencing or file sharing functions, it proposes to replace the existing telephony system based on the VoIP protocol or the switched telephone network (PSTN).

With Teams Phone, a company can make and receive calls from any connected terminal – computer, smartphone, tablet – or one of the more than 150 compatible devices such as desk phones or hands-free and headsets. She keeps her subscription with her operator or uses Microsoft’s call plan.