Newark, NJ, April 16, 2020 – Edge, the region’s nonprofit research and education network and technology partner, has announced a partnership with CBTS, a leading technology provider that delivers communications, cloud, infrastructure, and consulting solutions to clients across North America. Via its EdgeMarket Cooperative Pricing System, Edge has awarded a procurement contract which will give its members the ability to efficiently and affordably engage with CBTS’ Hosted Enterprise Unified Communications (UC) solutions and services.
This contract award and resulting partnership is the result of a thorough RFP process, including review by an expert advisory committee of Edge members, designed to meet member needs related to Voice Over IP (VOIP) services. The cloud-based service delivered by CBTS is powered by Cisco’s industry leading Hosted Collaboration Solution, and provides enterprise organizations with a full suite of applications including telephony, collaboration tools, mobility features, and Cisco IP handsets.
“Managing legacy VOIP, telephony, and related unified communications solutions is an ongoing challenge for our member institutions,” said Gregg Chottiner, CIO and VP for Technology Advancement. “Existing systems can be a drain on IT resources, tedious and costly to maintain and manage, and offer a limited feature set. As we continue to advocate for and actively enable our members’ digital transformation journeys, providing a path to a cloud-based solution that delivers cutting edge UC features and functionality while minimizing the burden on IT staff is a no brainer.”
“The CBTS Hosted Enterprise UC solution will allow Edge member institutions to communicate and collaborate more efficiently in order to drive business outcomes,” said Joe Putnick, Vice President and Principal of the CBTS Communications Practice. “We look forward to working closely with Edge and its members to help them fully leverage this powerful solution.”
Existing Edge members and other institutions interested in leveraging the EdgeMarket purchasing consortium for access to streamlined technology purchasing and preferred pricing can find more information at https://archive.njedge.net/solutions/edgemarket.