Atos SE is a European multinational IT service and consulting company with 63,000 employees and €8 billion annual revenue operating in 61 countries under Atos and Eviden brands.
Atos/Unify represents a complex legacy—Unify was acquired from Siemens Enterprise Communications and is now part of Mitel following 2023-2024 transitions. The OpenScape unified communications platform scales from 100 to 500,000 users and remains installed across South African enterprises, requiring migration support and modernization for resellers serving legacy customer bases.
Unify is a unified communications platform that traces its heritage to Siemens Enterprise Communications, one of the telecommunications industry’s oldest and most established manufacturers. Siemens Communications was split and sold to multiple acquirers following Siemens’ strategic shift away from the telecommunications sector. Atos SE, a French multinational IT services and consulting firm, acquired the Unify brand and OpenScape platform in a complex 2016 transaction. Following years of integration, the broader Atos Communications division (including Unify assets) was acquired by Mitel Networks in 2023-2024, creating a new consolidated structure where OpenScape and Unify products now operate under Mitel ownership.
The ownership transitions reflect broader market consolidation in the unified communications space, where traditional telecom equipment manufacturers have been consolidated into software and services-focused companies. For South African resellers and customers, the current ownership structure means OpenScape is now supported by Mitel, a North American unified communications leader, while retaining the engineering and product heritage of Siemens/Atos. This transition creates both challenges (for customers uncertain about future investment) and opportunities (for resellers positioning migration and modernization services).
For South African resellers, the Atos/Unify/OpenScape story is primarily about managing legacy customer bases and positioning migration opportunities. Large enterprises across South Africa have OpenScape installations representing significant capital investment and operational dependency. As vendors shift focus to cloud and modern SIP-based platforms, thousands of South African customers remain on OpenScape, representing a stable customer base but also a modernization opportunity. Resellers who position migration services—helping customers move from OpenScape to Mitel cloud solutions, Microsoft Teams, or independent SIP platforms—can build sustainable consulting and professional services revenue.
Additionally, OpenScape remains a capable, carrier-grade platform. Organizations with complex security requirements, large user bases, or specific regulatory needs may find OpenScape’s on-premises deployment and feature set appropriate for extended operation. Resellers who understand OpenScape architecture, security controls, and integration points can maintain and enhance existing deployments, positioning themselves as trusted technology partners for customers committed to on-premises solutions. The transition from Atos to Mitel also presents opportunity: resellers can help customers understand the new ownership structure, roadmap, and available upgrade/migration paths.
OpenScape UC is the flagship platform, providing integrated voice, video, messaging, and presence capabilities across an organization. The platform supports both on-premises deployment and cloud-based models, though the traditional Unify/OpenScape customer base is primarily on-premises. OpenScape UC scales from small deployments (100 users) to large multinational enterprises (500,000+ users). The platform includes features such as call management, voicemail, instant messaging, video conferencing, presence awareness, and integration with third-party applications. For resellers, OpenScape UC represents a complete unified communications solution that can be deployed in-house or managed as a service through a reseller’s service delivery infrastructure.
OpenScape Voice is the session border controller and SIP gateway component of the OpenScape architecture, handling protocol conversion, security, and connectivity between OpenScape systems and external networks (PSTN, SIP trunks, other PBX systems). For resellers building service provider solutions or managing complex network architectures, OpenScape Voice provides carrier-grade SIP termination and management capabilities. The platform is widely deployed by service providers throughout Southern Africa for VOIP termination and enterprise connectivity.
OpenScape Business supports mid-market deployments, while OpenScape Branch addresses smaller office locations within larger enterprises. These products are purpose-built versions of the core OpenScape platform, optimized for specific organizational sizes and complexity levels. Resellers serving mid-market and branch office segments can position these purpose-built variants, which provide appropriate feature sets and licensing models for their target customers.
The underlying technology heritage extends back decades. Siemens Communications has roots in Germany’s telecommunications industry dating to the early 20th century, though the Siemens Enterprise Communications division was established in the 1990s following Siemens’ shift toward enterprise software solutions. The OpenScape platform itself was developed over the 2000s and 2010s as Siemens consolidated its UC product lines. After the 2016 acquisition by Atos and the 2023-2024 acquisition by Mitel, the platform retains this deep heritage while operating under new ownership structures. For customers, this longevity is a double-edged sword: the platform has matured significantly and handles enterprise-scale operations reliably, but the ownership transitions raise questions about long-term investment and roadmap commitment.
OpenScape’s primary distinction is its carrier-grade security and on-premises deployment model. In an era when many vendors have shifted to cloud-only strategies, OpenScape remains a robust on-premises solution with security certifications, encryption standards (SRTP, TLS, IPSec), and compliance features suitable for regulated industries (finance, healthcare, government). Organizations with strict data residency requirements, security policies prohibiting cloud deployment, or complex legacy system integration requirements find OpenScape’s architecture appropriate for their needs.
Additionally, OpenScape represents deep integration with enterprise infrastructure. The platform includes sophisticated call routing, call center management, presence integration, and third-party application integration capabilities developed over decades of Siemens/enterprise development. For large enterprises with complex organizational structures, multiple locations, and sophisticated call handling requirements, OpenScape provides feature depth that consumer-oriented cloud platforms may not match. For resellers, this means positioning OpenScape not as a modern cloud platform, but as a capable, secure, enterprise-grade solution for organizations with specific security and regulatory requirements.
OpenScape has a significant installed base across South African enterprises, including major banks, insurance companies, government agencies, and large corporates. The platform has been deployed through local system integrators and resellers for decades, creating an established support ecosystem and customer community. While new sales of OpenScape have declined as the market shifts toward cloud solutions, existing customers represent substantial revenue for resellers providing support, maintenance, and professional services.
Mitel’s acquisition of Atos Communications signals a commitment to maintaining and evolving OpenScape, particularly supporting the large installed base in established markets like South Africa. Through Mitel’s regional channels, South African resellers can access product support, training, and commercial programs. The ownership transition from Atos to Mitel (2023-2024) may create uncertainty among existing customers, but it also provides resellers with an opportunity to offer migration advisory services and help customers understand the new roadmap under Mitel’s stewardship.
Mitel engages with South African resellers through a partner program that includes technical training, pre-sales support, and go-to-market resources for OpenScape solutions. Given the mature nature of the OpenScape customer base, the reseller opportunity has shifted from new installations toward managed services, support contracts, maintenance, and migration advisory. Resellers who position themselves as trusted advisors helping customers understand OpenScape’s future, available upgrade paths, and migration options to Mitel cloud or alternative platforms create consultative relationships that support long-term revenue.
Ideal partners for Mitel/OpenScape are established system integrators with experience managing large enterprise deployments, existing customer relationships in the enterprise space, and capability to deliver professional services alongside software. Partners who invest in staff training on OpenScape architecture, Mitel’s cloud transition, and migration services tend to experience stronger commercial performance. Mitel provides higher margins and support priority to partners demonstrating commitment to OpenScape customer retention, satisfaction, and migration advisory.
Atos acquired Unify/OpenScape as part of a broader IT services strategy in 2016, but over time determined that the unified communications business required specialized focus and investment not aligned with Atos’ IT consulting and services core business. Mitel, a dedicated UC vendor, was better positioned to continue investment, customer support, and platform development. The 2023-2024 sale to Mitel allows both companies to focus on their core strategies while ensuring OpenScape customers receive appropriate support from a vendor committed to the UC market.
Mitel has committed to supporting OpenScape and maintaining the platform as a core product line. However, Mitel’s strategic direction emphasizes cloud-based solutions (Mitel Cloud Services, MiVoice Cloud). Customers should expect ongoing maintenance and support for existing deployments, but new feature development may be limited compared to cloud offerings. Resellers should position migration to Mitel cloud solutions as a long-term modernization path for customers.
OpenScape supports integration with external platforms through standard protocols (SIP, REST APIs) but is not designed as a Teams endpoint. Organizations looking to migrate to Teams should plan for a phased transition that may include OpenScape running alongside Teams during a migration period. Resellers can position consulting services to help customers plan and execute this transition efficiently.
OpenScape supports SRTP (Secure Real-Time Protocol), TLS (Transport Layer Security), IPSec encryption, and other carrier-grade security standards. The platform is designed to meet compliance requirements in regulated industries, including banking and healthcare. Specific security certifications and compliance mappings (HIPAA, PCI-DSS, etc.) depend on deployment configuration and should be verified with current technical documentation or Mitel’s compliance team.
South African resellers can access Mitel’s partner program, which includes technical training, certification programs, pre-sales support, and customer escalation channels. Mitel works through regional partners to provide localized support. Resellers should engage with Mitel’s South African channel manager to understand available training resources, partner margins, and support options.