Cisco BroadSoft (often referred to as BroadWorks or BroadSoft BroadWorks) is a cloud-based communications platform that service providers use to deliver hosted VoIP, UCaaS, and collaboration services to businesses.
Here’s the simple breakdown:
What It Is
BroadSoft was a leading cloud PBX and unified communications platform acquired by Cisco in 2018. Today, it forms the backbone of many carriers’ hosted voice and UC solutions, powering features like:
- Business phone systems
- VoIP calling
- Auto attendants
- Call routing
- Voicemail-to-email
- Softphones
- Collaboration and messaging
Who Uses It
You won’t typically buy BroadSoft directly.
Instead, service providers (carriers, MSPs, ITSPs) use the BroadSoft/BroadWorks platform to deliver their own branded UCaaS or hosted PBX offering.
Examples:
Spectrum Enterprise, Verizon, Comcast, Broadvoice, Nextiva, and many others run on BroadSoft under the hood.
Why It’s Popular
- Extremely stable and carrier-grade
- Scales from small businesses to large enterprises
- Highly customizable
- Integrates with Cisco hardware and Webex
- Supports a wide range of endpoints (phones, apps, SIP devices)
In Other Words:
BroadSoft is the engine behind many of the top hosted VoIP solutions on the market.
Cisco now owns and continues to evolve it as part of their unified communications portfolio.