The Cloud Communications Alliance is a one-of-a-kind, for-profit alliance created by eight of the most notable service providers in the enterprise VoIP market. Eager to capitalize on their common technology platforms and leadership in a crowded marketplace, the CEOs of these eight companies viewed their alliance as a way to set themselves even further apart from their VoIP competitors and more effectively operate against the entrenched bureaucratic, ILECs and cable companies.
The members of the alliance wanted to brand their initiative with a simple, powerful, memorable identity that would allow them to launch in a very public manner and attract the attention of competitors, customers and investors alike. After interviewing a number of competing firms they selected Idea-ware to develop all marketing for the alliance and Summit Group Communications out of Salt Lake to handle all Public Relations.
Both Idea-ware and Summit immediately recognized the potentially revolutionary nature of the alliance: By aligning their networks and their operations these eight companies would effectively provide the first integrated, coast-to-coast alternative to the 100 year old Public Switched Telephone Network or PSTN - something that has not existed since the breakup of “Ma Bell” almost 25 years ago. But even more importantly, we recognized an alliance of providers could push the evolution and adoption of this new breed of communications - “cloud communications” – even further and faster than they could by themselves.
Idea-ware interviewed all eight CEOs and developed a range of options for an integrated corporate identity. Ultimately, the group settled on the simplest and most straightforward name – “Cloud Communications Alliance” – because it afforded them the opportunity to define the concept of “cloud communications”, fully embrace it and fundamentally own it. Agreement among the CEOs was unanimous.
Once the name was selected, Idea-ware went to work on copywriting and branding, developing a new logo and website while Summit turned its attention to developing the public launch activities and briefing reporters in advance of a launch at the Cloud Computing show in New York on April 19.
Working around the clock, both teams finished their preparations as the CEOs of all eight alliance partners began arriving in New York. The successful brand launch garnered the attention numerous press and industry analysts as well as prominent investors.
As Clark Peterson, CEO of Telesphere and the first Chairman of the alliance states, “Idea-ware’s branding work successfully established the alliance and its members as the unequivocal leaders of the rapidly emerging new paradigm called “cloud communications”. And their ability to exceed the branding expectations of eight very experienced and opinionated CEOs – in such a short period of time - was truly remarkable.”