Continuant: Managed IT Services & Unified Communications Solutions

Continuant provides global managed services and support for enterprise UC and AV systems, helping large organizations transition to the cloud at their own pace.

Overview

Continuant is a global provider of managed services and strategic consulting for Enterprise Communications and Collaboration. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Tacoma, Washington, the company has evolved from a specialist in telecommunications maintenance into a comprehensive managed service provider (MSP) focusing on Unified Communications (UC), Collaboration, and Audio-Visual (AV) solutions.

Continuant serves a diverse range of Global 2000 companies, government agencies, and large healthcare organizations. Their service portfolio is designed to solve the "complexity gap" that arises when large enterprises attempt to manage global communication networks that consist of a mix of legacy hardware and modern cloud software.

The vendor’s primary offerings include:

Managed Services for UC & AV: Proactive monitoring, incident management, and performance optimization for communication ecosystems.
Legacy Support: Industry-leading maintenance for traditional PBX systems, extending the ROI of existing hardware investments.
Cloud Migration & Integration: Strategic roadmapping and technical execution for transitioning to platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
Professional Services: Consulting, design, and deployment services for global enterprise communication projects.

With a strong market presence in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, Continuant positions itself as a strategic partner that simplifies the digital transformation journey. They are particularly well-regarded for their ability to manage "mixed" environments, allowing enterprises to maintain their current operations while strategically moving specific business units or regions to the cloud at their own pace.

Positioning

Continuant positions itself as the "Strategic Bridge to the Future of Work." Their market strategy centers on the reality that large-scale digital transformation is rarely an overnight event. While competitors often push for immediate "rip and replace" strategies to move customers to the cloud, Continuant’s messaging emphasizes "Transformation at Your Own Pace."

Their competitive positioning is built on three pillars:

The Alternative to the OEM: They position themselves as a superior alternative to manufacturer-direct support (like Avaya or Cisco), offering faster response times and support for multi-vendor environments that OEMs typically refuse to touch.
The Global Integrator: Continuant targets the enterprise segment that finds itself too large for local MSPs but too complex for the standardized, "one-size-fits-all" support models of major carriers.
The Microsoft & Zoom Specialist: By holding deep certifications and partnerships with the world’s leading cloud collaboration platforms, they position themselves as the ideal partner for organizations looking to modernize their workforce through Teams or Zoom without losing the reliability of their voice infrastructure.

In their brand messaging, Continuant focuses on "Uptime, Always," highlighting their role as a stabilizing force in an era of rapid technological change. They differentiate from competitors by being the only vendor that can provide high-level engineering support for a 20-year-old PBX system and a cutting-edge Microsoft Teams deployment simultaneously under a single contract.

Differentiation

The core of Continuant’s product advantage lies in its hybrid support capabilities and its proprietary monitoring and management tools. While many providers focus exclusively on modern cloud-based Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), Continuant offers a sophisticated bridge between legacy On-Premises PBX systems (such as Avaya, Nortel, and Siemens) and modern platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

Key technical differentiators include:

Maintenance & Support for Legacy Systems: They offer comprehensive Tier 3 support for end-of-life (EOL) and end-of-manufacturer-support (EOMS) systems, providing critical stability for organizations not yet ready for full cloud migration.
Cloud Transformation Suite: For organizations moving to the cloud, Continuant provides specialized services for Microsoft Teams Voice and Zoom, including Direct Routing and Operator Connect integration.
Managed AV (Audio Visual): Their AV solutions go beyond installation to include proactive monitoring and remote management of meeting room ecosystems, ensuring high uptime for executive boardrooms and collaborative spaces.
Global Service Delivery: Their ability to provide a consistent SLA across multiple continents through a centralized Global Operations Center (GOC) allows them to outperform local providers who lack scale and global providers who lack specialized legacy knowledge.

By integrating these disparate technologies into a single managed service framework, Continuant eliminates the "finger-pointing" that often occurs between hardware vendors and software providers.

Ideal Customer Profile

Company Size: Mid-market to large Global 2000 enterprises (1,000 to 50,000+ users).
Industry: Particularly strong in Manufacturing, Healthcare, Financial Services, and Retail where uptime is mission-critical.
Technical Maturity: Organizations with a "Hybrid" reality—possessing significant legacy debt but an executive mandate to move to the cloud.
Geographic Footprint: Multi-national organizations that struggle to find consistent support across different time zones and regions.
Budget: Organizations looking to shift from CAPEX (buying hardware) to OPEX (managed services) while reducing total cost of ownership (TCO).

Best Fit

Complex Hybrid Environments: Companies transitioning from legacy on-premises PBX (Avaya, Cisco, Mitel) to cloud solutions like Microsoft Teams or Zoom but needing to maintain both during the transition.
Global Enterprise Operations: Organizations requiring 24/7 follow-the-sun support across multiple continents with a single point of accountability.
Microsoft Teams Voice Migration: Businesses looking for a managed service provider to handle the end-to-end design, deployment, and ongoing management of Teams Phone System.
Legacy System Preservation: Companies that want to sweat their existing hardware assets (End-of-Life equipment) while redirecting CAPEX toward digital transformation initiatives.

Offerings

Continuant Connect: A comprehensive UCaaS solution providing cloud-based voice, video, and messaging.
Managed Microsoft Teams: End-to-end management of the Teams Voice ecosystem, including Direct Routing and Operator Connect.
Legacy Maintenance: Third-party maintenance (TPM) for Avaya, Cisco, Nortel, and other legacy PBX brands.
Managed Zoom: Design and support for Zoom Phone and Zoom Rooms.
Professional Services: Consulting, site audits, network readiness assessments, and migration planning.
AV Managed Services: Management and support for conference room technology and video distribution.

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Buying Guide: Continuant

Everything you need to evaluate Continuant— from features and pricing to implementation and security.

Introduction

This guide provides an in-depth evaluation of Continuant, a leading managed services provider specializing in unified communications (UC), collaboration, and legacy voice support. As enterprises face the challenge of migrating from aging on-premises hardware to modern cloud-based solutions like Microsoft Teams and Zoom, Continuant offers a unique bridge. They provide the expertise to maintain existing systems while architecting a seamless transition to the future of work. Buyers will learn about Continuant's ability to simplify complex global communications, reduce operational overhead, and provide a single point of contact for multi-vendor environments. Whether you are looking to extend the life of an Avaya PBX or go all-in on UCaaS, this guide outlines the critical factors for choosing Continuant as your strategic partner.

Key Features

Managed Services for UCaaS: Comprehensive management of Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Cisco Webex, including configuration, monitoring, and user troubleshooting.
Legacy PBX Maintenance: Industry-leading support for End-of-Life (EOL) and End-of-Support (EOS) hardware from Avaya, Nortel, Siemens, and Cisco.
Global Service Desk: A 24/7/365 Tier 1-3 support structure that provides a single point of contact for all communication issues globally.
Strategic Consulting: Expert guidance on ROI analysis, cloud readiness assessments, and technology roadmap development.
Infrastructure Monitoring: Proactive monitoring of voice quality, network latency, and hardware health to resolve issues before they impact users.
Carrier Management: Handling of all interactions with telecommunications providers, including circuit troubleshooting and contract optimization.

Use Cases

Global Manufacturing: A company with 50+ sites worldwide uses Continuant to manage a mix of legacy Avaya systems in factories and Microsoft Teams in corporate offices, ensuring unified support.
Financial Services: A firm utilizes Continuant's managed services to ensure 100% uptime for their trading floor communications while meeting strict regulatory recording requirements.
Healthcare Systems: A large hospital network partners with Continuant to maintain legacy paging and telephony systems while phased-migrating clinical staff to a modern mobile UC platform.
Retail Chains: A national retailer uses Continuant to handle all carrier liasons and remote troubleshooting for hundreds of store locations, reducing the need for local IT staff.

Pricing Models

Per-User/Per-Month (PUPM): Standard for UCaaS managed services, providing predictable scaling as the organization grows.
Per-Device/Maintenance Contracts: Fixed annual or monthly fees for legacy hardware support, typically based on the inventory of servers, gateways, and stations.
Tiered Service Levels: Pricing varies based on required response times (SLAs), ranging from 8x5 next-business-day to 24/7/365 4-hour onsite response.
Project-Based Fees: One-time costs for migration services, site audits, and initial system deployments.
Add-on Services: Professional services for custom integrations, specialized training, or dedicated technical account managers (TAMs).

Technical Requirements

Network Bandwidth: Minimum requirements for high-definition voice and video (typically 100kbps per concurrent call).
SBC Hardware/Virtual: Requirements for AudioCodes or Ribbon SBCs if utilizing Direct Routing for Teams.
Firewall Configuration: Specific ports and protocols (e.g., SIP, RTP, HTTPS) must be opened for signaling and media traffic.
Endpoint Compatibility: Supported IP phones (Yealink, Poly, etc.) or PC/Mobile requirements for softphone clients.
Environment Access: Remote access (VPN or secure gateway) for Continuant engineers to monitor and manage on-premises components.

Business Requirements

Executive Sponsorship: Required for defining the roadmap between maintaining legacy infrastructure and adopting UCaaS.
IT Staff Availability: While Continuant manages the heavy lifting, internal IT must be available for initial discovery, site audits, and defining user personas.
Change Management: Organizations must be prepared for the cultural shift from traditional desk phones to softphones and collaborative communication.
Process Readiness: Clear documentation of current telephony workflows and emergency routing requirements (E911) is essential for a successful transition.

Implementation Timeline

Discovery & Audit (2-4 Weeks): Comprehensive assessment of existing infrastructure, carrier contracts, and user requirements.
Design & Planning (2-3 Weeks): Architecture design for hybrid or cloud-native environments, including SBC placement and network readiness.
Pilot Phase (4 Weeks): Testing the solution with a subset of users to validate call quality and workflow integration.
Migration/Deployment (Variable): Phased rollout based on site location or department. Large global enterprises typically plan for 3-9 months for full migration.
Ongoing Managed Services: Immediate transition to 24/7 monitoring and support upon go-live.

Support Options

Global Support Centers: Strategically located centers providing native language support and localized expertise.
Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Tiered SLAs with guaranteed response and resolution times for critical (P1) through minor (P4) incidents.
Continuant Portal: A centralized dashboard for ticket tracking, asset management, and real-time system health reporting.
Dedicated Technical Account Managers (TAM): Available for enterprise accounts to provide quarterly business reviews (QBRs) and long-term strategy.
On-site Support: A global network of field engineers for hardware replacement and physical site interventions.

Integration Requirements

Direct Routing & Operator Connect: Deep integration with Microsoft Teams for PSTN connectivity.
Session Border Controllers (SBCs): Support for Ribbon, AudioCodes, and Cisco SBCs to bridge legacy and cloud systems.
CRM Integration: Ability to link voice data with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and other leading CRM platforms.
API Access: Support for custom integrations via REST APIs for automated provisioning and reporting.
Carrier Agregation: Integration with existing SIP trunks or global carrier services to consolidate billing and management.

Security & Compliance

Certifications: SOC 2 Type II compliant, ensuring rigorous controls over data security and privacy.
Data Residency: Options to ensure call signaling and management data remain within specific geographic regions to meet GDPR or local regulations.
Secure Access: Multi-factor authentication (MFA) and role-based access control (RBAC) for all management portals.
Compliance Recording: Integration with secure, compliant recording solutions for industries like finance and healthcare (HIPAA, MiFID II).
Network Security: Expertise in securing SBCs and SIP trunks against toll fraud and DDoS attacks.活用

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