Time is Running Out for Avaya Powered By: Here’s How to Prepare for the Switch Off

The ever-changing communications landscape means companies are constantly updating their portfolios to suit the new needs of customers and clients.

On the one hand, this means we’re seeing the rapid introduction of new and improved portfolios for UCaaS and cloud communication technology. On the other hand, it also means leading providers are starting to switch off existing platforms and tools to focus their attention elsewhere.

Avaya, one of the major market leaders in the communications landscape, is one of the many companies prioritizing a rapid shift towards innovative cloud technology. The brand recently worked alongside the innovators at RingCentral to create Avaya Cloud Office, a new dedicated solution for all-in-one communications in the cloud.

With the rise of Avaya Cloud Office, the company is abolishing support for its older IP products. For instance, the virtualized and containerized versions of “Powered By” from Avaya are now being shut down. Here’s what you need to know if you’re still using the Powered By ecosystem.

What is Avaya Powered By?

The “Powered by Avaya” service, or Avaya “Powered By” was introduced by the company in 2017 to address the increasing need for companies to make the shift into the cloud. Specifically, this technology was created to help partners and communication providers migrate end-users into the cloud through a customisable and affordable hybrid system.

With Avaya Powered By, wholesale distributors, channel partners, and selected resellers could host fully-featured UC solutions and contact centre systems from Avaya on the cloud, to provide end-users with a custom avenue into the cloud landscape.

The solution provided businesses with access to Avaya’s IP Office platform in an “as-a-service” format, so they could scale their investment in the cloud up and down according to their specific needs. The simplicity and customisable nature of the Powered By framework was very appealing for a huge number of companies a few years ago.

However, as Avaya has continued to double-down on its cloud strategy and invest in new cloud products like Avaya Cloud Office, demand for “Powered By” has reduced. Now, Avaya plans on ending access to Powered By entirely by March of 2023.

When is Avaya Powered By Being Turned Off?

At present, there’s no change planned for the go-to-market strategy for the Avaya IP Office on-premises solution. However, the containerized and virtualized version of the technology offered by “Powered By”, will reach end of life by March 2023.

The end-of-sale deadline for the virtualised version of the service will apply to all countries served by Avaya, except for a select few (Brazil, Bahrain, Malaysia, Chile, Mexico, Mauritius, Oman, and South Africa). Despite the end of sale announcement made by Avaya, existing deployments of the global solution will still be supported by Avaya, provided they’re implemented before March 31st, 2023.

However, it’s worth noting that Avaya’s focus on this part of its communication stack will diminish rapidly, which means you may not get the exceptional service you need, or the innovation you could be looking for from your future communication stack. It’s not certain at this time whether Renewals of the Avaya “Powered By” service will be available going forward either.

If you’re still using the Powered By service when the support is switched off in March 2023, you could put yourself at risk of serious service disruptions. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you’re prepared before the end of this year.

Why is Avaya Ending Support for Powered By?

Essentially, Powered By was a solution used by Avaya partners and resellers to “emulate” a cloud offering in the UC environment, so customers could take a hybrid approach to their migrations. However, as the demand for cloud technology becomes more significant, the need for this emulated solution is becoming less significant.

Avaya believes it can better serve its global audience by placing all of its resources and attention into the newer cloud-based UC solution: Avaya Cloud Office (ACO). According to Avaya, the company only wants to have a single, clear UCaaS offering on the market, which means getting rid of outlying tools like “Powered By”, and concentrating on ACO.

Avaya Cloud Office was built as part of a partnership with RingCentral, to provide users with a differentiated and world-class solution for Unified Communications as a Service. The technology combines the expertise of both communications companies into a flexible tool for cloud communications, which will be available on a global basis.

What Can You Do?

If you’re currently using Avaya “Powered By” as part of your cloud communications strategy, now is the time to start planning your end-of-life strategy – if you haven’t begun already. When your contract comes to an end, failing to have another strategy in place could mean you’re left with absolutely no communication service at all, so it’s important to act fast.

There are a couple of options available to those who need to switch away from Powered By before March 2023. The first solution is to simply switch to the Avaya Cloud Office platform for free by letting UCAdvisor fund the switch over. This will give you access to a lot of the same functionality you’d already access from your Powered By service, and it ensures you can continue to leverage the benefits of Avaya as a communications vendor.

The other option is to use this opportunity as a chance to reassess your communications stack and determine whether there might be scope to move to a new vendor. At UCAdvisor, we’re committed to helping companies find the support and funding they need to move into new products. You can reach out to us today if you’re looking for help making the transition to a new platform.

If you’re not sure whether your current communication strategy is suitable for your business needs, then it could be a good idea to start reassessing your full UCaaS system now. We can work with you to help you find the perfect replacement for the Powered By technology. Reach out to UCAdvisor today to start planning your migration.