The US firm announced plans to buy cloud-based unified communications solutions provider Broadview I April, but has now closed the deal. This will see it combine Broadview’s UC solution, OfficeSuite, with its own software defined wide area network (SD-WAN) offering.
"The addition of Broadview advances our strategy to differentiate ourselves by delivering a truly superior customer experience using disruptive technologies," said Tony Thomas, president and chief executive officer of Windstream. “Both [offerings] are highly scalable, easy to customize and less expensive to deploy than traditional solutions. We will move quickly to sell the combined solution across our national footprint."
Windstream has also announced major expansion plans for its metro fibre network in the US city of Indianapolis, connecting new data centres and commercial buildings to the company’s national backbone.
Windstream's expansion of its local metro fibre network and the addition of fixed wireless access will benefit the Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield and Greenwood areas of the city. The expansion will see more buildings linked to Windstream’s national network, too, allowing more of its services, including its SD-WAN offering and eventually Broadview’s UC product, to be made available to customers in the area.
Windstream’s expansion is part of a wider scheme to develop local fibre networks across the country. In addition to Indianapolis, Windstream is expanding its metro fiber networks in a number of cities including Charlotte, Detroit, Nashville, Richmond, Little Rock, Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Dallas, St. Louis and Cleveland.
"There is a lot to like about Indianapolis - it is a regional bellwether market that has one of the area's youngest populations, relatively low unemployment and an increasing labour force participation rate," said Chris Nein, regional president for Windstream.
"We're excited to help support continued growth in Indianapolis through our ambitious expansion project. This will result in a new level of connectivity and network stability for thousands of near-net buildings in the area and will allow us to offer customers an expanded product suite and higher levels of service."
