Cloud Communications Alliance Forms

Eight hosted-IP voice and data communications vendors today formed the Cloud Communications Alliance, a consortium of key industry players that seeks to drive development and adoption of the first nationwide high-definition enterprise voice and data network in the IP cloud.

The companies, Alteva, Broadcore, Callis Communications, Consolidated Technologies Inc., IPFone, SimpleSignal, Stage 2 Networks and Telesphere, say the development of this IP cloud standard will allow business customers to experience more flexible and manageable voice and unified communications solutions that will increase personal and business productivity while reducing costs.

All eight founding companies use a software platform provided by BroadSoft to provide enterprises and consumers with a range of cloud-based, or hosted, IP multimedia communications, such as hosted-IP private branch exchanges, video calling, unified communications, collaboration, and converged mobile and fixed-line services.

In addition to working on development of a unified standard, alliance members also plan to jointly deliver services, which has been a key limitation thus far in the development of unified communications services. Planned collaboration points include nationwide peering with interconnected switches and gateways; convergence of end devices such as computers, office phones and cell phones; a common customer support infrastructure; joint product development including standardization on third-party platforms; a remote field technician network; disaster recovery; best practices; and collaboration for enhanced video conferencing.

The formation of an alliance of hosted IP cloud product and service providers follows the formation of other cloud computing vendor alliances, such as the Cloud Security Alliance formed last year. That alliance has already had to release two roughly 80-page risk guidance documents on cloud computing, demonstrating the startling speed with which cloud computing is evolving. No doubt the IP environment in the cloud is evolving just as quickly as the security environment. Don’t be surprised if the Cloud Communications Alliance quickly follows up its initial standard with a version 1.2.