“A long time coming”
Gamma’s Head of Commercial and Strategy Product Management Paul Wakefield couldn’t have summed it up more perfectly.
For over a decade, talks have been held in the dark corners of Gamma’s offices on making voice and numbering services international. Gamma’s service provider portfolio was already strong, but now it’s gone up a level. The launch of Global Communications Enablement (GCE) has changed everything – for the better, of course.
Paul sat down with Gamma’s Business Director for Service Providers Mike Mills to discuss the finer points behind GCE. From the impact on Gamma’s existing customers, to the proposition itself and what makes it unique, these two experts go into detail on Gamma’s next big move.
Considering these talks have gone on for over a decade, there’s plenty to cover.
Rewind to February 2024
Let’s start from the beginning, as that’s the best way to open any great story. We’re technologists, not screenwriters; if you hold a different view to that previous statement, let’s agree to disagree.
The acquisition of Coolwave in February 2024 gave Gamma that ability to strengthen its global presence. Paul classed it as a “key strategic move for [Gamma]”, as there was a need for the capability to go global. Acquisition was the “logical way… to maximise success for this market opportunity” and accelerate Gamma’s international expansion.
Right after acquisition, work began on integrating Coolwave from a “sales, product and operational perspective.” Although they were small, their innovative spirit and agility gave Gamma the chance to establish an extended geographic footprint. Their culture was a great fit for Gamma’s own people-centric approach, so bringing them into the Gamma fold was certainly logical.
Paul mentions how that integration involved avoiding any kind of replication. Coolwave brought their own network capabilities, session border controllers (SBCs) and data centres, so everything needed to find its place. Adding value drove that integration, with the Coolwave capability getting a “Gamma wrap on it” while still being “easy to consume.”
Easy consumption is being achieved through portals and an API-first approach to make it both automated and integrated. On every level, it’s all coming together, and all that work being done under the hood is coming to fruition.
“Customers have been asking for this”
Taking services worldwide is always the goal for any ambitious business. Gamma’s international aspirations came from customers and their own goals. Either way, what GCE provides is a “really good opportunity”.
For starters, there’s an incredible market out there, with Cavell estimating that half a billion users globally use business telephony. Paul is confident that Gamma can “tap into that market” and do it well. That all comes down to the Gamma ethos and culture.
The service portfolio, network capabilities, and expertise around infrastructure builds that foundation for international expansion. Combine that with the market opportunity, the close-knit customer relationships, and the customers themselves, and suddenly there a “perfect storm.” For Paul, that kind of combination is the driving force into “what should be a really exciting time for us.”
From a sales point of view, it has been hard to satisfy those larger customers. Mike explains that these customers want to do more in other territories, but now things have changed. GCE is more than capable of satisfying those needs; for Mike, “internal excitement has been gathering for a long time.”
Keeping compliance in mind
Regulations around international numbering can be complex and, honestly, not the most riveting of topics. But Mike is spot on when he says that “compliance is one of the big themes”, especially when Gamma prides itself on doing “voice the right way.” While more risk-averse compared to other organisations, large enterprises and hyperscalers rely on Gamma’s network.
If compliance is put to the side, then things will get tricky…
Paul notes how Gamma prides itself on being competent at understanding the regulatory market. Customers need the right advice and guidance on the “right way to do business”, which involves “keeping on the right side of regulators.” The global regulatory environment is becoming more complex and complicated, and knowing the ins and outs is vital.
That comes down to knowing what to do regarding infrastructure, managing numbers and those supply chains. Everyone has a different attitude to risk, and now that Gamma has gone global, regulators are keeping an eye out for what comes next. What matters though is “doing the right thing”, which Gamma is all about.
Focusing on compliance acts as a differentiator for Gamma in the market. A triparty agreement between the software provider, partner and the end user is, as Mike admits, “classic Gamma.” Billing, collecting payments and that support wrap are done from the partner side, while Gamma deals with the regulatory pieces.
A partner-first approach is “Gamma all over.” The “raison d’être” is making services easy to consume, while solving customer problems in a compliant way. Having the right partner to navigate the landscape and achieve their own global ambitions is a step in the right direction.
The Coolwave name
For any existing Coolwave customers, there’s no need to panic – the name won’t disappear.
For Paul, “it’s as much about the capability than it is about the brand.” Both Coolwave and Gamma have their own brands, but it’s all about solving problems for the customer. It’ll still be there on the bills, and the brand will still exist as it’s supplemented alongside Gamma during this geographic extension.
But where does GCE fit into Coolwave’s story and messaging?
Coolwave has its own existing portfolio, and GCE is “just a portfolio name to bring all of those to light.” In addition to those existing SIP services, Gamma will be able to offer 2-way voice and numbering services, particularly virtual numbering that includes toll-free and DIDs. Messaging services will also be incorporated to round out that portfolio.
“It isn’t a product… it’s more about a capability… of what we take to market.” That’s how Paul describes GCE – everything is “wrapped in a nice product and with a managed service if you need it.”
Propositions and capabilities
As a self-confessed “product guy”, Paul is focused on what problems need to be solved. Businesses that want voice capabilities in different countries can achieve that through different ways, including inbound calling. 2-way voice, which covers inbound and outbound, can give those businesses a greater presence in those territories, which Gamma would be able to wrap in.
What matters is that it’s easy to consume. Existing service provider customers need a mechanism where they can take products and consume them easily but also manage them with ease. When operating at high volumes, that’s critical.
The’ll have access to the portal with readily available self-serve capability, and Gamma’s API-first approach provides easy integration with existing systems and processes. Accessibility and adaptability are important to Gamma and can be driven through automation and integration. Again, it’s all about making it as easy as possible to consume.
Don’t forget about Techland
A month prior to Coolwave’s acquisition, the EnableX Group was brought into the Gamma fold. This included Techland and their virtualised boxes in the session border controller (SBCs) space. “Need-to-have hardware” like this is just another capability in that ever-expanding portfolio.
For those that need an SBC in front of a voice service, those virtualised boxes make a difference. The same goes for those that operate a hybrid environment i.e. a legacy PBX alongside a CCaaS environment or CRM system. The capabilities provided by Techland gives Gamma “another string to [their] bow.”
Those large-scale deployments can easily be supported with infrastructure like this. Enterprise deployments, or more specific kinds of deployments, are something Gamma can support. It doesn’t matter if a hardware or software wrap is needed – Gamma has the tools to do it.
Techland currently distributes SBCs from Ribbon, which Gamma has been running at scale for over 20 years. Coincidentally, it’s a great fit with the capability to wrap and support that, since Gamma’s SIP networks are built on Ribbon technology. For Mike, “that was a great addition to the portfolio.”
Paul agrees with that, as Gamma not only sells that capability, but also “walks the walk.” As a strategic partner that provides the carrier infrastructure capability, everything fits in that overall network infrastructure. That expertise and capability also fits in with the way “[Gamma] operates [its] business in itself.”
Now you’re thinking with portals
We’ll spend another moment with Coolwave customers and any hesitation over portals and APIs. How will the transition to the GCE portfolio affect customers in that regard?
Customers shouldn’t see any change – “simple as that”, as Paul says. Interactions with Coolwave stays the same, but now there’s a new portal and capability when ordering selected services from the GCE portfolio. More choice on how to consume services is never a bad thing.
Existing Gamma customers in the UK will be all-too familiar with the existing Gamma portal. GCE’s own portal will be like that existing portal, but with that selected services twist. The capability to do that is being extended through an API-first way that makes it easier to engage via the portal or just embed services in existing systems.
What makes it even more exciting (trust us, it’s possible) is that other products being brought to market will also have that capability.
Phoneline+ is one example Paul uses. Launched in the same way, it’s now far easier to drop that into an existing portfolio, while also being easier to manage. It all traces back to making it as easy as possible to do business with Gamma.
It’s all about choice and flexibility for customers to pick the services that best suit their needs. It’s all down to “what’s right for them and the way they conduct their business.” That’s what makes Gamma so unique in the service provider market.
Get excited – Gamma’s going global!
Looking ahead to the future, Paul says there are two goals in mind: more countries and more automation. Portal and API capabilities will continue to develop, alongside that expanding global footprint. Solving customer problems will always be a driving force behind that, so it’s BAU in that regard.
Focusing on solving problems means Gamma can offer real value to customers, especially in line with “very ambitious plans to be a real global player.” While Paul says that everyone should “expect more of the same”, the launch of GCE shows the trajectory Gamma are heading.
There’s a reason why Paul “can’t wait to get out into the market.” Now we know why.