Windstream Enterprise cozies up to retail consulting partner

In a bid to boost the company's sagging fortunes, Windstream Enterprise announced on Tuesday a retail consulting partnership with enVista. In a bid to boost the company's sagging fortunes, Windstream Enterprise announced on Tuesday a retail consulting partnership with enVista. The partnership combines Windstream's cloud and network solutions with enVista's retail strategy and implementation services. EnVista is a global software solutions and consulting services firm for enterprise commerce companies, including manufacturers, distributors and omni-channel retailers. With enVista, Windstream Enterprise will be able to offer its retail customers consulting services that are tailored to their business needs. EnVista has close to 20 years of retail and supply chain consulting experience with global retailers. Windstream is banking on the addition of enVista's experience to improve sales for its managed enterprise service offering that includes implementation, support and maintenance of cloud-based services. “Partnering with Windstream Enterprise and utilizing their robust retail SaaS platform rounds out our strategy and implementation services with ongoing cloud and network operations and support,” said enVista's Gene Bornac, senior vice president, retail, in a prepared statement. Earlier this month, Windstream Wholesale announced that it has executed an agreement with a major hyperscale customer for the largest amount of network capacity in the company’s history. The capacity will allow the unnamed customer to interconnect data centers in key cities in the United States. The deal, combined with additional wave capacity contracted in October, represented 5.7 terabits of capacity, which is the most sold in any single month at Windstream Wholesale. During last month's third quarter earnings report, Windstream Holding's Windstream Holding's revenues were down across the board. Little Rock, Ark.-based Windstream's adjusted total revenue and sales were $1.27 billion in the quarter, which was down from $1.38 billion in the same quarter a year ago. After earning $1.4 billion in the second quarter of 2018, Windstream posted $1.29 billion in total revenue and sales during its second quarter earnings report. Windstream's Kinetic broadband service revenues were $506 million compared to $525 million in the same period a year ago. Enterprise service revenues were $650 million compared to $737 million and wholesale service revenues were $86 million compared to $96 million in the same time frame. Windstream Holdings is continuing its battle against former spinoff Uniti Group, as well as other stakeholders, which Windstream CEO and President Tony Thomas has said includes "both litigation against and negotiations with Uniti." If the negotiations with Uniti fail, Windstream is ready to move forward with a trial in March. In February, Windstream lost a legal battle with New York hedge fund Aurelius Capital Management over whether Windstream had defaulted on bonds by spinning off the Uniti Group four years ago. As part of that spinoff, Windstream transferred copper-based network assets to Uniti, which Windstream leased back from Uniti to serve its 1.4 million residential and business customers across its 18-state footprint. After the February ruling, Windstream filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York that same month. Windstream is paying $54 million per month to Uniti for access to Uniti's network assets. The master lease with Uniti is set to expire in 2030, and has an annual rent of approximately $659 million. Windstream filed a complaint against Uniti on July 25 that sought to re-characterize its relationship with Uniti from a lease to a financing arrangement.