Dutch telecoms operator KPN is acquiring Xelion, a Delft-based software company that develops a platform for calling, messaging, video calling and customer contact. Xelion will become part of KPN’s SME business division, but will continue to operate as an independent company from Delft. KPN has not disclosed the acquisition price.
Xelion was founded in 1988 and is based in Delft. The company develops business communications software and supplies it through a network of partners to organisations in several European countries. From a single application, employees can make calls, chat and hold video calls. The software also integrates with WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams and CRM systems, among others.
Independent unit of KPN
Following the acquisition, Xelion will continue to operate from Delft as an independent unit of KPN. According to KPN, Xelion’s customers will retain their current services and regular points of contact. KPN has said nothing about the acquisition price or any changes to the partner model.
Founder Micha Cohen says Xelion deliberately chose KPN. He expects the company to retain the freedom within KPN to continue charting its own course in product development. According to Cohen, the acquisition ensures continuity for customers, employees and partners, while also offering opportunities for further growth.
Link with Mobiel AI
KPN says Xelion meets business owners’ demand for simple digital solutions. With the acquisition, the company aims to simplify communications for its business customers. Earlier this year, KPN launched Mobiel AI, a service that allows SME business owners to use AI in their day-to-day communications via their mobile phones. KPN expects Xelion’s technology to eventually offer opportunities to further connect communications, customer contact and AI support. The company has not yet announced any specific products or a timeline.
KPN also sees opportunities to combine Xelion’s product development with its own reach and distribution network. Thomas Tolsma, who is responsible for SMEs at KPN, says Xelion has built a strong position with a platform that is easy to use and offers extensive functionality. Tolsma says he wants to preserve the company’s entrepreneurial culture and pace. He expects that the addition of Xelion will enable KPN to better support business owners in terms of availability, collaboration and customer contact, wherever they work.
Implications for partners
For IT service providers that supply Xelion through the partner channel, the key question is how the relationship between that channel and KPN’s own sales channels will develop. KPN has not yet announced whether Xelion will also be offered directly to business customers through KPN, or what that would mean for existing partner agreements.
The commitment that customers will keep their familiar points of contact suggests that KPN will leave the existing model intact for the time being. How integration with services such as Mobiel AI will work in practice, and whether partners will gain access to it, remains to be seen.
This article was originally published in Dutch on MSP Business. Read the original →
