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At this year’s NEXUS Connect, our annual gathering of partners from across the DACH region, we aligned around a clear and shared ambition: to accelerate the transition from cloud telephony to AI-powered business communication and turn strategy into measurable execution. Learn more about our partner initiatives and become the next NFON Partner.
Across two days in Munich, management keynotes set the strategic direction for the year ahead and reinforced the strength of our roadmap. Breakout sessions translated that direction into practical discussions around AI use cases, modular licensing and concrete growth opportunities across both existing and new customer environments. In the Innovation & Experience Hub, partners engaged directly with NFON experts, live demonstrations and solution integrations.
A defining milestone was the launch of the first-ever NEXUS Connect Hackathon, where partners worked hands-on with our AI portfolio in realistic customer scenarios. The outcome was clear: these solutions are not conceptual. They are available, commercially relevant and ready to scale.
The message to partners was not delivered as a product announcement or a roadmap update. Instead, it was framed as a strategic turning point. The next phase of growth in business communication is already underway, and the question is not whether it will happen, but who will lead it.
In his keynote, Alexander Wettjen, our Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, positioned this moment as a return to NFON’s pioneering spirit. Drawing on the company’s history, he reminded partners that NFON was once the organisation that fundamentally reshaped the telephony market, and we are doing it again with AI power.
From Cloud Telephony Pioneer to AI Pioneer
“NFON was the pioneer for cloud telephony,” Wettjen said. “NFON was the company that drove innovation into the market and hammered it into the market.”
That pioneering phase was not accidental. It was driven by conviction, clarity and a willingness to challenge established structures. According to Wettjen, a comparable moment now lies ahead - not in cloud telephony alone, but in AI-powered business communication.
“We will repeat that innovation with all our AI functionalities in the business telephony area and with our entire AI portfolio,” he explained. “Today’s partners will once again be the pioneers for AI-powered business communication.”
The implication was clear: this is not about incremental product expansion. It is about redefining how communication infrastructure supports business growth.
The Market Is Moving — Customers Are Waiting
Throughout the keynote, Wettjen returned to one central appeal: do not wait.
“It is time to engage with the current communication topics,” he stated, emphasising that partners who postpone engagement with AI may continue operating within a niche for some time, but will struggle to participate in the accelerated growth path now emerging.
Customers, he explained, are already exploring AI. They may not always articulate a fully defined use case, but they expect direction. They expect partners to guide them through change. Above all, they expect business-relevant solutions, not superficial demonstrations.
In that context, AI is no longer an optional enhancement. It is increasingly becoming a purchasing criterion.
Business Telephony as the Foundation — AI as the Growth Driver
Wettjen was equally clear that this shift does not replace NFON’s foundation.
“Business telephony is our core business,” he said. “We will continue to invest and grow in it.”
Cloud Telephony remains the structural base. However, growth is being driven by intelligent layers built upon that base. AI Essentials at user level, assistant-based automation at system level, configurable chatbots, voicebots and integrated contact centre environments together form a modular ecosystem that partners can deploy today.
Crucially, these are not future concepts or roadmap slides.
“This is available today. This can be sold today.”
The portfolio, as presented, is designed not only to modernise communication environments but also to create tangible commercial opportunity for partners.
No Compromises on Data and Sovereignty
Another defining element of the keynote was NFON’s position on data responsibility.
“We make no compromises when it comes to data,” Wettjen emphasised.
In an environment shaped by digital sovereignty, debates and regulatory scrutiny, how customer data is handled is not a technical footnote. It is a strategic differentiator. Partners were encouraged to communicate this positioning confidently: security, transparency and compliance are increasingly decisive factors in customer decisions.
Growth Means Expanding the Base You Already Have
While the strategic narrative centred on innovation, the sales logic was deliberately practical. Wettjen illustrated how introducing solutions such as Nia Frontdesk into an existing customer base could significantly increase commission potential.
“Growing means acquiring new customers,” he said. “But growing also means expanding existing customers.”
Existing customers already trust their partner. Their communication structures are understood. Their needs are known. This creates an immediate opportunity to introduce AI-based enhancements that add value while strengthening long-term relationships.
In this framing, AI is not merely a technological evolution. It is a commercial accelerator.
Challenging Legacy Thinking
In one of the more provocative moments of the keynote, Wettjen questioned long-standing habits.
“Who still needs day/night switching,” he asked, “when we have Nia Frontdesk?”
The point was not to dismiss established configurations, but to challenge perspective. AI-based assistants change how communication flows can be structured. Instead of static rules, intelligent systems respond dynamically to caller intent. This shift allows partners to reframe customer conversations around efficiency, responsiveness and measurable impact.
Simplicity as a Strategic Advantage
Complementing the AI portfolio, NFON is introducing a new modular licence model structured across four variants — Access, Space, Complete and Ultimate.
These options enable flexible combinations, from flat-rate configurations to AI add-ons and user-level assignment. Contract durations can be aligned with different commercial models, including upfront commissions.
The guiding principle is simplicity. Reducing complexity makes it easier for partners to position solutions, for customers to understand value and for both sides to scale sustainably.
Partnership as the Decisive Factor
Ultimately, the keynote returned to a core principle: transformation is not executed alone.
The journey from partner to pioneer is not a slogan. It reflects a shared responsibility. NFON provides the platform, the portfolio and the framework. Partners bring market proximity, customer trust and entrepreneurial drive.
Together, that combination determines who leads the next phase of AI-based business communication.
Thank You to Our Partners
NEXUS Connect once again demonstrated that innovation is strongest when built collaboratively. The discussions, the questions and the shared ambition reinforced that growth is not an abstract goal, it is a joint undertaking.
We sincerely thank all our partners who joined us, engaged openly and continue to actively shape the NFON ecosystem. Your commitment, insight and customer relationships are what transform strategy into measurable success.
The opportunity is real. The tools are available. The market is moving.
Now is the time to lead — together.
Are you considering becoming our next partner? Learn more about our partner initiatives and become the next NFON Partner.
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