Mitel Next International 2024 Recap: Thanks, Barcelona!

Mitel continued its annual Next Partner events with a stop in Barcelona, Spain, to bring together partners from the many countries that span our International region. The agenda and audience were packed as we shared Mitel’s vision and strategy as a unified company and our ambitions to claim our place as #1 in UC.

Mitel Next International: Welcome to Barcelona

The Mitel Next International event in Barcelona marked a significant milestone in the communications industry. This event celebrated the merger of Mitel and Unify, heralding the dawn of a single, powerful global entity equipped to revolutionize enterprise communications.

Mitel + Unify = UC Powerhouse

Simon Skellon, Head of International Sales, said it well when calling Mitel “the big dog in the room.” With the acquisition of Unify, we’re now #1 in many key markets, and this was the energy throughout the conference. Together with members of Mitel’s executive team, partners, and industry analysts, Mitel Next International delivered key strategies, insights, and actions that resonated with partners. The conference featured topical and regional breakout sessions for deeper discussions of growth potential from vertical opportunities to local differentiation.

Barcelona: The Perfect Backdrop

With its historic charm and modern vibrancy, Barcelona provided the perfect backdrop for this landmark event. The city’s innovative spirit and dynamic energy mirrored Mitel's journey—honouring its rich legacy while boldly embracing the future.

Diverse Global Representation

One of the standout features of the new Mitel is its diverse, multinational contingent. Barcelona's hosting city meant a strong representation of Southern Europe, along with representatives from more than 40 countries, from Papua New Guinea to South Africa to Sweden. This diversity enriches Mitel’s approach, ensuring it can cater to various markets with unique regional insights and solutions. Having them come together to share ideas and work together led to the collaborative and cooperative momentum and results we were hoping for:

• 90% leaving with a better understanding of Mitel’s strategy.
• 97% believe it strengthened their relationship with Mitel.
• 95% said the format was valuable & worth their time.

A Visionary Roadmap for Growth

A key focus of the event was Mitel's consolidated portfolio vision and roadmap. This strategic blueprint promises a robust suite of offerings designed to meet the evolving needs of businesses worldwide. The integrated portfolio is set to deliver enhanced capabilities and streamlined solutions, positioning Mitel as a leader in driving the digital transformation of the communication landscape.

Market Insights from Experts

The event also featured a comprehensive look at the market, enriched by insights from analysts, partners, and consultants. Director of Research Services at Cavell, Dom Black, brought a reality check for partners in AI, market transformation, and what to look for next. The topic of communication convergence was incredibly insightful, with 92% of sales deals involving aspects from at least two previously siloed technology areas. Providers with the broadest and most seamlessly integrated portfolios can offer customers benefits in terms of efficiency and single-provider management whilst also realizing advantages in increased customer retention and portfolio resilience.

This multifaceted perspective is crucial for Mitel and our partners as we continue to adapt to industry trends to provide relevant solutions that address current and future UC challenges and opportunities.

Highlights for Large Enterprise Growth

Mitel’s renewed focus on large enterprises was another key theme. The event covered critical topics such as hybrid deployment models, regulatory compliance, industry verticals, and frontline workers. Feedback suggests a keen interest in targeting highly regulated organizations and helping to remove the logjam of uncertainty. Together, Sebastian Tietz, Group VP in charge of Strategic Partnerships and Alliances, and Heidi Ganser-Muhs, Group Director, Strategic Development & Major Deals, outlined how Mitel’s specialization in compliance helps complex organizations make decisions to move forward with technology investments, specifically in the communication technology space. That said, we have more work explaining our approach to hybrid, with some partners seeing this as a retreat instead of an opportunity. Mitel aims to work more closely with partners and their customers to address these areas and support large organizations' needs in a rapidly changing digital environment.

Many Thanks to Our Sponsors

We sincerely thank our generous sponsors for their support and belief in Mitel Next. Your contributions played a crucial role in gathering industry leaders, partners, and attendees from across the globe. We are grateful for your dedication to our vision and steadfast support, which made Mitel Next International 2024 a resounding success.

Gold

• F24

Silver

• ASC
• Martello
• Siemens
• Softcom
• Talkative
• Tetronik
• TigerTMS

Strategic Partner

• UnifyOffice powered by RingCentral

“We had the incredible opportunity to attend the Mitel Next 2024 Partner Conference in the vibrant city of Barcelona recently. This event was a fantastic experience filled with insightful sessions, networking with industry leaders, and exploring the latest advancements in critical communication technology. From discussions on hybrid cloud communications to AI-driven customer experiences, the knowledge shared was inspiring and transformative.”

Progility Technologies

Partner Award Winners

To celebrate the successes of our partner community, we held our annual Mitel Next Partner Awards dinner, recognizing outstanding achievements and contributions to the industry. Congratulations to the following partners:

• Partner of the Year Award: United Kingdom, Ireland & South Africa — Maintel
• Partner of the Year Award: Northern Europe — Proximus
• Partner of the Year Award: APAC / Middle East & Africa — Exato
• Partner of the Year Award: ANZ — Ethan
• Partner of the Year Award: Southern Europe — STELOGY
• Partner Excellence Award — Vodacom Korea
• Customer Champion Award — Trends ICT Group
• Lifetime Achievement Award — Essential Data & Voice

Looking Forward

Mitel Next International presented a unified organization ready to lead the global communications industry. It focuses on true growth areas with a consolidated, innovative portfolio, an invigorated leadership team, and how we’ll work together with our partners for sustainable success. Thanks, Barcelona, for a memorable and meaningful event!