BroadSoft

BroadSoft, Inc. was a United States communications-software and services company focused on enabling carriers and other service providers to deliver cloud-based voice, video, conferencing, messaging, and unified-communications products. Its best-known platform was BroadWorks, a carrier-oriented communications application and service platform that allowed telecommunications companies to build and operate hosted business communications offerings under their own brands. BroadSoft also marketed BroadCloud, a managed cloud service designed to help service providers offer communications capabilities without deploying and operating the entire platform themselves. The company was established in 1998 by Michael Tessler and Scott D. Hoffpauir. Its origins followed the founders' experience in telecommunications and at Alcatel after Alcatel acquired Celcore, a wireless start-up with which Tessler had been involved. BroadSoft initially raised $5 million in Series A financing and developed through a combination of organic growth, partnerships, and acquisitions. In its first year, the business operated under the name iKnow before adopting the BroadSoft name in 1999. BroadSoft's commercial model centered on selling technology and related services to carriers and large communications providers rather than primarily selling directly to consumers. Its software supported service-provider offerings such as business voice, IP telephony, video communications, web conferencing, team messaging, and contextual communications. This positioning placed BroadSoft in the communications infrastructure and business-cloud software sector, where customers could use its platforms to package services for small and medium-sized businesses, enterprises, and other subscribers. The company expanded its technical and geographic footprint over time. It opened a research and development center in Montreal in 2000, established offices in Belfast in 2006, and worked with systems-integration and service-provider partners in international markets. Fujitsu became its principal Asia-Pacific systems-integration partner in 2003. BroadSoft also acquired a series of companies and technologies, including Carbon Twelve, VocalData's M6 communications application server from GENBAND, Sylantro Systems, Packet Island, Casabi, iLinc Communications, Movial Applications, HIPCOM, finocom, Systems Design & Development, Leonid Systems, mPortal, PBXL, Transera, Intellinote, and VoIP Logic. These transactions broadened its capabilities in hosted communications, collaboration, network services, and service-provider delivery. BroadSoft completed its initial public offering on the Nasdaq Global Market in June 2010. During its public-company period, it continued to develop carrier-grade cloud communications and added collaboration products, including Team-One, launched in 2016. Its customers and service-provider relationships included major telecommunications companies such as AT&T, Verizon Communications, Sprint, Charter Communications, Comcast, KPN, and Vodafone, although the precise scope of each relationship varied. In October 2017, Cisco announced an agreement to acquire BroadSoft for approximately $2 billion. The transaction was completed in February 2018. BroadSoft consequently ceased operating as an independent public company and became part of Cisco. Its technology and product capabilities were incorporated into Cisco's broader collaboration and service-provider portfolio. The BroadSoft name therefore describes a former independent corporate brand whose principal communications platforms continued to have relevance within Cisco after the acquisition.

BroadSoft was founded in 1998 by Michael Tessler and Scott D. Hoffpauir. The founders had backgrounds in telecommunications manufacturing and wireless communications. After Alcatel acquired Celcore, a wireless start-up associated with Tessler, Tessler and Hoffpauir decided to establish an independent company. BroadSoft initially operated under the name iKnow and received $5 million in Series A funding. It adopted the BroadSoft name in 1999. The company's early strategy was to provide software that telecommunications carriers could use to build and operate hosted communications services. Rather than concentrating on consumer retail products, BroadSoft developed carrier-oriented platforms for voice, IP telephony, unified communications, conferencing, messaging, and related services. Its BroadWorks platform became the central component of this strategy, allowing service providers to offer communications capabilities to business and other subscribers. BroadCloud complemented the software platform with a managed cloud delivery model. BroadSoft expanded its engineering and commercial infrastructure during the 2000s. It opened a research and development center in Montreal in 2000 and strengthened its Asia-Pacific channel through a relationship with Fujitsu, which became its principal systems-integration partner for the region in 2003. The company opened offices in Belfast in 2006. It also grew through acquisitions, buying Carbon Twelve in 2005, acquiring the M6 communications application server from GENBAND in 2008, purchasing Sylantro Systems later in 2008, and acquiring Packet Island in 2009. These transactions added communications applications, service-provider technology, and network-related capabilities. BroadSoft became a public company in June 2010 when its shares began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market. It continued its acquisition-led expansion with Casabi in 2010; iLinc Communications and Movial Applications in 2011; Partners 1993 EOOD, Adaption Technologies Ventures, and HIPCOM between 2012 and 2013; and finocom in 2013. The company added further capabilities through the acquisitions of Systems Design & Development in 2014, Leonid Systems and mPortal in 2015, PBXL in 2015, Transera and Intellinote in 2016, and VoIP Logic in 2016. These acquisitions supported BroadSoft's movement beyond basic hosted voice toward broader cloud communications and collaboration. The company served or partnered with major communications providers in several countries, including AT&T, Verizon Communications, Sprint, Charter Communications, Comcast, KPN, and Vodafone. Its technology enabled those providers to package communications services for businesses and other customers while retaining the service-provider relationship. In November 2016, BroadSoft launched Team-One, a collaboration product reflecting the industry's shift toward integrated team messaging and workplace communications. In October 2017, Cisco announced an agreement to acquire BroadSoft for approximately $2 billion. The transaction was completed in February 2018. BroadSoft then became a Cisco subsidiary and no longer operated as an independent listed company. Its products and capabilities were incorporated into Cisco's wider collaboration and service-provider offerings.

• 2018

  Acquisition by Cisco completed

  [1]BroadSoften.wikipedia.org

  Cisco completed the acquisition, making BroadSoft part of Cisco and ending its independent public-company status.

• 2017

  Cisco acquisition agreement announced

  [1]BroadSoften.wikipedia.org

  Cisco agreed to acquire BroadSoft for approximately $2 billion.

• 2016

  Team-One launched

  [1]BroadSoften.wikipedia.org

  BroadSoft introduced Team-One as a team collaboration product.

• 2010

  BroadSoft goes public

  [1]BroadSoften.wikipedia.org

  BroadSoft debuted on the Nasdaq Global Market.

• 2008

  M6 server and Sylantro Systems acquired

  [1]BroadSoften.wikipedia.org

  BroadSoft acquired GENBAND's M6 communications application server, formerly VocalData, and acquired Sylantro Systems.

• 2005

  Carbon Twelve acquired

  [1]BroadSoften.wikipedia.org

  BroadSoft acquired Carbon Twelve as part of its technology expansion.

• 2003

  Fujitsu becomes Asia-Pacific integration partner

  [1]BroadSoften.wikipedia.org

  Fujitsu became BroadSoft's principal systems-integration partner in the Asia-Pacific region.

• 2000

  Montreal research and development center opened

  [1]BroadSoften.wikipedia.org

  BroadSoft expanded its engineering footprint by opening an R&D center in Montreal.

• 1999

  Name changed to BroadSoft

  [1]BroadSoften.wikipedia.org

  The company adopted the BroadSoft name as it developed its communications-software business.

• 1998

  Company founded as iKnow

  [1]BroadSoften.wikipedia.org

  Michael Tessler and Scott D. Hoffpauir founded the company, which initially used the name iKnow.

Carrier-grade cloud communications software provider enabling telecommunications operators and service providers to deliver hosted voice, unified communications, collaboration, and related services.

• Cloud communications platform

  BroadWorks

  BroadWorks was BroadSoft's flagship carrier-grade communications platform. It provided the software foundation for service providers to deliver hosted voice, business telephony, unified communications, video, conferencing, messaging, and related services. The platform was designed for telecommunications operators and other large providers that wanted to build branded cloud communications offerings for business and other subscribers.

• Managed cloud communications service

  BroadCloud

  BroadCloud was BroadSoft's managed cloud delivery offering. It supported service providers that wanted to offer hosted communications capabilities while relying on a managed infrastructure and service model. The offering extended BroadSoft's carrier-focused strategy beyond licensed platform software toward operationally delivered cloud communications.

• Team collaboration software · 2016

  Team-One

  Team-One was a collaboration and team-messaging product launched by BroadSoft in 2016. It reflected the company's effort to address workplace collaboration alongside its established hosted voice and unified-communications capabilities. The product was intended for team-oriented communication within the broader cloud communications market.

• 2017

  Agree to Cisco acquisitionM&A

  Background

  BroadSoft operated in the expanding cloud communications and collaboration market, while Cisco sought to strengthen its service-provider and unified-communications portfolio.

  Action taken

  BroadSoft entered into an agreement to be acquired by Cisco for approximately $2 billion.

  Aftermath

  The transaction closed in February 2018. BroadSoft became part of Cisco and ceased to operate as an independent public company.

  Announced acquisition value. Approximately $2 billion (2017 announcement)

  Source

1. 1BroadSoften.wikipedia.org