Arkadin Acquires Applicable to Enable Large Enterprises to Leverage the Power of Unified Communications as a Service
Expertise in UC, Voice Services, Global Networking, Data Security and Change Management positions Arkadin as a global force in deploying Cloud Microsoft UC services for Large Enterprises
LONDON, September 7, 2016 — Arkadin, an NTT Communications company, and one of the largest and fastest growing providers of Unified Communications and Collaboration services, announced today the acquisition of Applicable Limited, a leading provider of Cloud Unified Communications and enterprise voice services with offices in Bristol (UK), Brisbane (AUS) and Houston (USA).
Applicable’s 12-year track record of success in building, implementing and managing cloud-based Microsoft Lync and Skype for Business for large enterprises will enable Arkadin to expand its global reach and bring the value of Unified Communications services to large and global companies. Applicable’s expert team already hosts more than 330,000 UC users through its global private cloud platform with service operations certified against ISO/IEC 27001:2013.
“The acquisition of Applicable is an important milestone for Arkadin to enable all businesses, from SMBs to the largest enterprises, to harness the full power of Unified Communications for greater workplace productivity,” said Olivier de Puymorin, Chairman and CEO of Arkadin International. “Our highly complementary portfolios and service strategies, coupled with shared cultural values and an aggressive vision for growth, present a huge opportunity for our global customers and partners to have the benefits of a private and fully managed cloud-based UC solution.”
While Applicable will continue to run its operations independently, the two companies will collaborate on product development and long-term strategic planning. With this acquisition, Arkadin strengthens its portfolio of UC solutions available to the Large Enterprise market by combining global UC & Telephony services supported by local presence. This offer supplements the existing portfolio centered on Arkadin Total Connect, a multi-tenant Microsoft Skype for Business hosted service. This service provides a fully integrated UC ecosystem with voice-enabled Office 365, audio/web/video conferencing and contact center.
According to Thomas Valantin, Arkadin’s Chief Commercial Officer, “Arkadin and Applicable have been cooperating for some time and we have already demonstrated the value of our combined strengths in fostering voice-enabled Skype for Business solutions for large enterprises and for providing high quality experience and driving user adoption.”
“We are thrilled to be joining Arkadin and are certain it will benefit all stakeholders, including our talented workforces and current and future customers,” said Applicable Managing Director, Alan Baldwin. “Our combined resources and shared passion for enabling organisations to collaborate, will successfully deliver integrated Microsoft UC services that meet the essential quality of experience requirements of enterprise customers. Arkadin’s global telephony and local approach to service, together with Applicable’s expertise, offer customers a complete UC service.”
Arkadin and Applicable have achieved Microsoft credentials that recognise best-in-class experience in designing, deploying and delivering Skype for Business, including:
- Applicable: Microsoft Gold Competency in Communications, Messaging and Hosting
- Arkadin: Microsoft Gold Competency in Cloud Productivity and Communications
- Arkadin: Skype for Business Launch Partner for New Meetings and Voice Services in Office 365
In addition, the combined NTT Communications/Arkadin entity was recently named a Challenger for ability to execute and completeness of vision in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Unified Communications as a Service, Worldwide, published 23 August 2016.
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About Arkadin
Arkadin is one of the largest and fastest growing Unified Communications and Collaboration Service Providers in the world. Our collection of market-leading audio/web/video conferencing and Unified Communications solutions enables enjoyable collaboration experiences that are essential to success in a digitally connected global workplace. As an NTT Communications company, our services are delivered in the cloud and backed by a cutting-edge infrastructure for premium service quality. Over 50,000 customers spanning the largest global enterprises to small businesses are supported locally in 19 languages through our network of 56 operations centers in 33 countries. For more information: www.arkadin.com
About Applicable
Applicable is a leading supplier of private cloud Unified Communications and Collaboration services to enterprise organisations, directly and through partners. With 15 years’ experience, 330,000 application users to date, and in-depth operational and implementation skills for Microsoft Lync and Skype for Business services, Applicable delivers focused, end to end, 24×7 service management and voice integration for global customers, with ISO/IEC 27001:2013 information security certification. These services run in a network of carrier grade data centers in the US, Europe and Asia delivering the highest levels of availability and quality of experience. For more information: www.applicable.com, @appl1cable
About NTT Communications Corporation
NTT Communications provides consultancy, architecture, security and cloud services to optimize the information and communications technology (ICT) environments of enterprises. These offerings are backed by the company’s worldwide infrastructure, including leading global tier-1 IP network, Arcstar Universal One™ VPN network reaching 196 countries/regions, and over 150 secure data centers. NTT Communications’ solutions leverage the global resources of NTT Group companies including Dimension Data, NTT DOCOMO and NTT DATA.