Sprint has partnered with Cisco’s BroadSoft to reveal a brand new integrated unified communications (UC) solution aimed at solving a broad range of challenges businesses increasingly face – Sprint Smart UC. Billed as an affordable software-as-a-service solution, the technology has some parity with other cloud-based communications and work platforms, such as Google’s G Suite. The goal is to provide a platform that increases productivity and mobility of the workforce while simplifying “remote work,” reducing costs, and streamlining business processes through a centralized communication and file-sharing medium. That’s accomplished via a communications platform that is uniform across all levels of a given enterprise, which also incorporates real-time group interactions with built-in software for file creation and sharing. As Sprint describes its Sprint Smart US, it’s really a “work anywhere” solution.
The carrier has not, as of this writing, provided any details about costs or a specific list of which third-party software and collaborative solutions will be included with the service. However, it has provided a general overview of how it plans to address the challenges the solution is meant to target, as well as the business advantages of its platform. The suite will include instant messaging, HD audio and video calling, conferencing, both desktop and file sharing, and access to real-time collaboration via those and a suite of cloud apps built into a central user interface. That should provide allow for sufficient means of collaboration on business projects or goals while staying mobile, in a way that is flexible, secure, and quick to implement. Moreover, the company says its solution scales in either direction rather easily and that software associated with the platform will be updated regularly. None of that will require new hardware since the solution will be available on end users’ own devices and will be easily integrated with existing business apps.
Meanwhile, that will be underpinned by BroadSoft’s own solutions. That company’s own announcement about the partnership claims that Google’s applications, Microsoft’s Office 365, and Salesforce will be included in the applications available with Sprint’s Smart UC platform. Obviously, if the solution is meant to compete with those provided by Google and others, Sprint is going to have a way to go to catch up. Bearing that in mind, depending on the pricing and how well the companies can deliver on their promises, Sprint Smart UC could nonetheless prove to be a viable competitor in the space moving forward.