NATURE OF THE BUSINESS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

NATURE OF THE BUSINESS

NATURE OF THE BUSINESS

Ribbon is a leading provider of network communications solutions to telecommunications, wireless and cable service providers and enterprises of all sizes across industry verticals. With over 1,000 customers around the globe, including some of the largest telecommunications service providers and enterprises in the world, Ribbon enables service providers and enterprises to modernize their communications networks and provide secure RTC solutions to their customers and employees. By securing and enabling reliable and scalable IP networks, Ribbon helps service providers and enterprises adopt the next generation of software-based virtualized and cloud communications technologies to drive new, incremental revenue while protecting their existing revenue streams. Ribbon's solutions provide a secure way for its customers to connect and leverage multivendor, multiprotocol communications systems and applications across their networks and the cloud, around the world and in a rapidly changing ecosystem of IP-enabled devices such as smartphones and tablets. In addition, Ribbon's solutions secure the evolution to cloud-based delivery of UC solutions - both for service providers transforming to a cloud-based network and for enterprises using cloud-based UC. Ribbon goes to market through both direct sales and indirect channels globally, leveraging the assistance of resellers, and provides ongoing support to its customers through a global services team with experience in design, deployment and maintenance of some of the world's largest IP networks.

The Merger with GENBAND (see Note 2) was completed in October 2017. As a result of the Merger, Ribbon believes it is better positioned to enable network transformations to IP and to cloud-based networks for service providers and enterprise customers worldwide, with a broader and deeper sales footprint, increased ability to invest in growth, more efficient and effective research and development, and a comprehensive RTC product offering.