Detroit telecom enters market

Detroit telecom enters market

CI's Unified Communication's staff will join BSB's team, but CI will continue operating as an independent firm. Courtesy BSB Communications

A Detroit-area communications company is breaking into the West Michigan market through a recent acquisition.

BSB Communications acquired the Unified Communications practice of Grand Rapids-based Central Interconnect effective June 18.

Central Interconnect’s UC staff has joined the BSB team, with BSB assuming responsibility for supporting CI’s customers with Toshiba, ShoreTel and Mitel Unified Communications solutions.

BSB will share space in CI’s current location at 1425 Coit Ave. NE, jointly marketing Mitel cloud and premise-based UC solutions to commercial businesses, educational and religious organizations, performance venues and nonprofits in West Michigan.

Neil Brown, co-owner and CFO of CI, said the company chose to partner with BSB in response to the consolidation of UC assets and shifts to cloud and other technology advances.

CI was a Toshiba UC systems dealer, until Toshiba announced last year it was exiting the telephone business. In response, CI became a ShoreTel dealer. Shortly after, Mitel Corporation purchased the Toshiba UC business assets, and in September 2017, Mitel acquired ShoreTel.

“We concluded it was in the best interests of our UC clients that we partner with a UC dealer that was growing and adapting to those market dynamics. We are thrilled to do so with BSB, Mitel’s largest Michigan-based dealer,” Brown said.

Brown added CI would continue operating as an independent firm offering audiovisual, paging and surveillance solutions.

“We have been interested in entering the Grand Rapids market for a while now,” said BSB Managing Partner Steve Klenner. “This acquisition not only allows us to do that, but it also provides us with the talent and certifications to expand our product offerings to include the legacy ShoreTel, now Mitel MiVoice Connect and MiCloud Connect solutions.”

BSB Communications was founded in 1984 and provides voice, data, cabling, paging and connectivity services for more than 3,000 business customers worldwide.

Central Interconnect was founded in 1981 and provides audiovisual, professional sound and paging systems to customers across West Michigan.