8x8 & KCOM partner on UK public sector CX platform

8x8 has formed a strategic partnership with UK carrier KCOM to supply unified communications and contact centre services for enterprise and public sector organisations, delivered on KCOM infrastructure.

The arrangement combines KCOM's network with the 8x8 Platform for CX. Together, the companies say the offer brings voice, collaboration, contact centre and AI capabilities into a single cloud platform. They position the model as a way for organisations to gain more control and resilience than setups that rely on external carrier connectivity.

Service availability and security have become central requirements for public sector organisations and regulated industries. After outages and disruptions in recent years, many organisations are also scrutinising where workloads run and how connectivity is delivered. The partnership is aimed at addressing those concerns by aligning a carrier and platform supplier on delivery and commercial activity in the UK market.

KCOM's footprint and customer base give the partnership a direct route into organisations that treat communications as a critical service. The carrier supports around 8,000 enterprise customers across the public and private sectors, including critical national infrastructure organisations such as hospitals and emergency services.

Platform and network

The offer centres on the 8x8 Platform for CX, which combines unified communications and contact centre services. 8x8 also positions AI as a set of features across the platform, including in customer engagement and collaboration workflows. In this model, KCOM provides the network and hosting environment using its own infrastructure.

Running the service on KCOM infrastructure reduces dependence on third-party carrier connectivity, the partners say. That architecture may appeal to organisations that want tighter oversight of routing, network performance and service continuity. It can also align with public sector procurement, where buyers often seek clear accountability across connectivity and applications.

For KCOM, the agreement expands its enterprise portfolio with a packaged offer linking network services with communications and contact centre tools. UK carriers have been looking to move beyond connectivity resale, often bundling applications such as contact centre software and collaboration tools through in-house development or partnerships with established suppliers.

The partners will run joint go-to-market activity across the UK, including coordinated sales enablement and customer engagement. They also plan to expand KCOM's contact centre offering over the coming year to address a wider set of enterprise and public sector requirements, including AI-based customer engagement.

Procurement and risk

Public sector organisations and critical infrastructure operators often prioritise reliability and risk management in communications procurement. Contact centres and telephony platforms sit at the centre of incident response and citizen services, and are often tied to continuity planning and regulatory obligations.

Customers have also set higher expectations for service-level assurance and accountability. A model in which the carrier hosts the communications platform can simplify operational responsibility compared with multi-party arrangements that split duties across several network providers and application suppliers.

8x8's Managing Director for EMEA framed the partnership around those requirements.

"For carriers such as KCOM, reliability, security, and customer trust are non-negotiable," said Jamie Snaddon, GVP, Managing Director of EMEA at 8x8, Inc. "By combining KCOM's network expertise with 8x8's unified communications and contact center platform, we're delivering an end-to-end solution that helps organisations support their customers, modernize their operations, and innovate with confidence."

KCOM said it ran a tender process before selecting 8x8, with an emphasis on suitability for both routine communications and high-demand contact centre environments.

"Selecting the right partner was critical for us," said Jan Collins, Managing Director at KCOM Enterprise. "We ran a rigorous tender process and looked across the market for a platform that could meet the needs of our customers, from everyday business communications through to mission-critical contact center environments. 8x8 stood out not only for the strength of its unified communications and contact center platform, but for its cultural alignment and the way our teams have collaborated to bring this partnership to life."

The initial focus is on UK enterprise and public sector organisations served by KCOM, with further development of the contact centre element planned over the next year.