Alianza to Acquire Metaswitch

Cloud communications platform Alianza (News - Alert) has announced the acquisition of Metaswitch, a provider of high-performance communications software. This deal will expand Alianza’s customer base, which now includes over 1,000 service providers globally, including 19 of the top 20 operators.

"Alianza's commitment to innovation and customer experience sets a strong foundation for Metaswitch customers to continue to grow their business," said Yousef Khalidi, Microsoft (News - Alert) Corporate Vice President. "The telecommunications industry remains a priority for Microsoft, and we will continue to empower telecom operators to modernize, monetize, and innovate through our secure AI platform. As we advance our cloud platform and AI capabilities, partners like Alianza are crucial for providing support to our mutual customers." 

The integration of Metaswitch’s voice and communications software, IP protocol expertise, and skilled engineering talent will enable Alianza to offer several key advantages to communications service providers. First, it will help these providers close the gap in service revenue, monetize existing network investments, and strengthen their competitive edge. Additionally, the acquisition will offer greater deployment flexibility, allowing providers to deliver modern solutions and customer experiences via a range of deployment models, including on-premises, public, private, or hybrid cloud setups.

"The acquisition of Metaswitch is about resetting the playing field and enabling service providers to reassert their market leadership," said Brian Beutler (News - Alert), founder and CEO, Alianza. "The Alianza cloud communications platform empowers operators to monetize network investments through improved customer experiences and the delivery of modern, high-margin communications service offerings."

The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025 and will allow Alianza to simplify operations for service providers by consolidating complex voice operations into a single platform as well as accelerate its product innovation roadmap, particularly with AI-based features, helping service providers generate new revenue streams, increase automation, and provide deeper insights for end-users.

"Today, global operators face increasing competitive threats from OTT communications companies, whose services are gradually eroding their long-held position as market leader in the delivery of voice and collaboration services," said Rohit Mehra, group vice president, Worldwide Network and Telecommunications, IDC (News - Alert). "The combination of the Metaswitch business with Alianza brings together a deep portfolio of services and expertise with proven cloud technology and product innovation to deliver end-to-end capabilities for service providers to modernize at their own pace."