Thinking Phone Networks
| Private | |
| Industry | Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Founders |
Steven Kokinos Derek Yoo |
| Headquarters | Cambridge, MA, USA |
Number of locations |
Cambridge, MA USA Ottawa, Ontario, CA Amsterdam Netherlands |
Key people |
Steve Kokinos Derek Yoo Keith Seidman |
| Products |
Business Phone Service Mobile Communication Instant Message and Presence Contact Centers |
Number of employees | 250 |
| Website | thinkingphones.com |
Thinking Phone Networks,[1] also known as ThinkingPhones, is a provider of cloud-based business phone service and unified communications as a service (UCaaS). The company is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts and has offices in Ottawa, Canada, and Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Products
The company's main product combines business voice, video, text (SMS),[2] instant messaging and presence indication under one cloud service delivered both to traditional desk phones and mobile devices. Services like this can be used to replace a company's existing private branch exchange (PBX) typically located in the building with a cloud or IP PBX.[3]
The company also provides a hosted contact center marketed to customer support and sales operations.
History
Thinking Phone Networks was founded in 2006 by a founder and former executive of BladeLogic (acquired by BMC Software in 2008 for $854 million USD), Steven Kokinos and Derek Yoo. Originally marketed as a business VoIP or hosted PBX replacement service for mid-market and enterprise customers, the company expanded its services to provide messaging, presence, and video services and is now marketed within the unified communications industry.
In 2010, Thinking Phone Networks launched one of the first mobile business phone applications on the iOS store and then later released an Android version of its service.
The company has received a total of 89 million dollars of funding with the most recent round of $56.7 million of funding in December 2014.[4][5][6] Investors include Technology Crossover Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, Advanced Technology Ventures, g20 and several investors including one of the earliest employees of Facebook.
The company acquired Whaleback Managed Services,[7] another provider of business phone services and relaunched its brand name to ThinkingPhones in 2014.
Awards and Recognition
- Thinking Phone Networks was named one of the leaders in the Gartner Unified Communications as a Service Magic Quadrant in 2012, 2013 and again in 2014.[8][9][10]
- The company was named the Internet Telephony product of the year in 2014.[11]
- The company was named the Frost & Sullivan company of the year in 2013.[12]
See also
- Private Branch Exchange
- Unified Communications
- Unified Messaging
- Video Conferencing
References
- ↑ "Thinking Phone Networks". CrunchBase. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ "Thinking Phones Upgrades Mobile UCaaS App for Android". Channel Partners Online. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ↑ "Thinking Phone Networks Cloud VoIP Assessment". IT Toolbox. 4 April 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ↑ "Thinking Phone Networks raises $16.5m in round led by ATV, Bessemer Venture Partners". Boston.com. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ "Thinking Phone Networks Raises $10 Million Series C Funding to Grow UCaaS in the Global Market". BostonInno. 13 October 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ "ThinkingPhones Calls Up $56M to Unify Communications in the Mobile Age". Xconomy. 3 December 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ "Thinking Phone Networks snaps up Whaleback Managed Services, enhances UCaaS play". FierceTelecom. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ "UCaaS Magic Quadrant: Providers not ready for large enterprises". TechTarget, SearchUnified. 11 January 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ "Gartner ranks UCaaS leaders". Unified Communications InSights. 9 September 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ "Magic Quadrant for Unified Communications as a Service, North America". Gartner. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ "Announcing the 2014 INTERNET TELEPHONY Product of the Year Award Winners". TMC News. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ "Frost & Sullivan Honors Thinking Phone for its Impressive Growth Strategy and Highly Effective Execution". Frost & Sullivan. 9 December 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
