Momentum Completes Acquisition of Premier Microsoft Teams Provider G12 Communications

Momentum, a global provider of managed services and next-gen managed network solutions, has acquired G12 Communications, a provider of voice-enabled and Operator Connect Microsoft Teams solutions.

The acquisition aims to enhance Momentum’s collaboration offerings and position in the market. The Rick Garcia, the co-founder and CRO of G12 Communications, who will join Momentum as EVP of Modern Workplace & UC.

The acquisition of G12 Communications by Momentum was announced in October. Todd Zittrouer, CEO of Momentum, stated: “We are thrilled to welcome G12 Communications to the Momentum family.”

“This acquisition aligns perfectly with our vision of enabling businesses to thrive by communicating and collaborating more effectively.

“Microsoft Teams has become a vital tool for the modern workplace, and by enhancing our capabilities with the expertise of the G12 team, we are helping our customers optimise their hybrid work environments.”

Sam Altman Reinstated as OpenAI CEO

Sam Altman, the co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, the AI research company behind ChatGPT, was fired by its board four days ago, but has now returned after reaching an agreement.

Greg Brockman, the former president of OpenAI, who was also removed from the board and his operational role, will also come back to the company.

Altman said he loves OpenAI and its mission, and that joining Microsoft was the best path for him and the team.

“I love OpenAI, and everything I’ve done over the past few days has been in service of keeping this team and its mission together. When I decided to join Microsoft on Sunday evening, it was clear that was the best path for me and the team. With the new board and w Satya’s support, I’m looking forward to returning to OpenAI, and building on our strong partnership with Microsoft,”

A new OpenAI board has been formed, consisting of Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo. D’Angelo is a representative of the previous board.

Zoom Phone and AI Companion Reach New Highs

During its Q3 2024 earnings call, Zoom reported that Zoom Phone has seven million paid seats and Zoom AI Companion has over 220,000 accounts.

Yearoon-year revenue growth of 3.2% exceeded high-end guidance by $17M.

Nevertheless, the company’s modest revenue growth rate, the decline in online revenue, the pace of customer acquisition, and more point to challenges too.

Eric S. Yuan, the Founder and CEO of Zoom, has highlighted the success of the past quarter. He mentioned that the revenue in Q3 surpassed the projected amount due to the addition of new features such as Zoom AI Companion, which enhanced Zoom’s all-in-one intelligent collaboration platform. The company also continued to develop solutions for customer and employee engagement.

“We are also pleased with our online business, where we drove higher retention and saw usage of our new AI capabilities, enhancing the value of our platform,” he added.

Avaya’s Year of Executive Change Continues With New CTO

Avaya has appointed Soren Abildgaard as its new Chief Technology Officer and Marylou “ML” Maco as its new Chief Revenue and Customer Experience Officer.

With more than 20 years of experience in global, customer-centric software development and engineering at esteemed SaaS companies, Abildgaard has an impressive CV.

While serving as Zendesk’s Head of Engineering, Abildgaard oversaw the expansion of the product portfolio and platform, which enabled Zendesk to work with thousands of customers and grow its revenue to over $1 billion. Abildgaard also recently held the position of Executive Vice President of Engineering at Contentful.

Alan Masarek, CEO of Avaya, said: “These appointments are another milestone in Avaya’s transformation as we continue to build upon our leadership in customer experience.

“In a sector where innovation is crucial for staying ahead, Soren will bring his cloud and software expertise, while ML possesses an exceptional track record of driving market share and revenue growth. I am confident that they will prove vital assets in fueling our strategic plans and establishing Avaya as a clear leader in Enterprise CX.”