The business world reacted quickly and negatively when NEC announced in May 2024 that they were getting out of the on-premises phone system business.
Many businesses had been running NEC SL2100s and SV9100s — and other UNIVERGE family phone systems — and as a result of this announcement, many of these companies were left with a very tough deadline: March 31, 2026, when NEC would stop supporting these products.
The trade magazines all ran obituaries for NEC, while the resellers rushed to get products and customers were left scrambling.
Half the conversation was about the end of an era for NEC and its customers, while the other half focused on what happens to NEC customers with respect to the future support of these products.
In February 2025, the New York-based telecom company Forerunner Technologies purchased all of NEC’s Unified Communications (on-premise) business and related assets in the Americas.
They took over all of the inventory and the NTAC (NEC’s Technical Assistance Center).
They also took on the technical and channel personnel from NEC.
Most importantly, however, Forerunner secured a commitment from NEC Japan for continued software assurance and software license availability through 2030.
For NEC customers — especially those using SV9100 systems — this is not a death sentence. It is a lifeline.
History of Forerunner Technologies
Forerunner Technologies has not gained the name recognition that NEC did.
Founded in 1988 and based in Edgewood, New York, Forerunner Technologies has built its reputation as an IP telephony vendor, software, and service provider with a focus on the reseller and VAR channel.
While they do not have the size of NEC, they do have the expertise to provide solutions to NEC customers.
“Since NEC’s initial announcement, Forerunner has worked diligently to be well positioned for this transition, and we are honored to assume this responsibility,” said Paul Diesu, CEO of Forerunner Technologies, in the company’s acquisition announcement. “NEC has a history of entrusting their business to the right hands, and Forerunner is proud to carry that tradition forward.”
NEC’s own leadership echoed that confidence. “Forerunner, a trusted partner with deep expertise in the business, is equipped to deliver the exceptional service, reliability and innovation our customers expect,” said Chris Jackson, NEC Corporate SVP and President & CEO of NEC America and Europe.
The long-term value of this acquisition will vary depending on which NEC product you currently own.
What the Acquisition Means for Customers
If your company uses an SV9100 phone system, the news is good.
Forerunner Technologies has publicly committed to sustaining the software and licensing aspects of the SV9100 through the year 2030.
This removes the stress that the March 2026 deadline caused for SV9100 users, whose support had been set to end with NEC’s exit from the market.
Users of the SV9100 platform now have a supported path forward until at least 2030.
To benefit from this new commitment, users must actively establish software assurance through Optus — Forerunner’s primary distribution partner — in order to maintain their current software licensing.
For over thirty years, Optus has been the largest distribution partner for the NEC brand, and as of March 3, 2025, they assumed sales responsibility for all hardware, software assurance, and software license sales for the NEC brand.
The overall condition of SV9100 hardware is much better than what many general media outlets are reporting.
NEC Japan has not stopped producing the SV9000 and has continued to manufacture the equipment — the latest lines became available in 2025.
How long that production continues beyond current commitments is less certain. However, the overall scenario is significantly different from a complete cessation of hardware manufacturing.
For SL2100 users, the Forerunner acquisition did not yield the same degree of comfort.
The SL2100 manufacturing facility is permanently closed, and hardware will now be limited to whatever stock remains in the channel — used or refurbished units and current inventory.
Forerunner has promised software support for SL2100 customers until March 31, 2030, but the hardware constraints create an environment of increased risk.
If a customer’s CPU or main control board fails with no replacement parts available, that customer has an irreparably broken system, and no new product will be manufactured to fix it.
In short: SV9100 customers have a supported future. SL2100 customers should view the acquisition as an opportunity to get their bearings — but not as a definitive solution.
Distribution Is Now Running Through Optus
A few operational items to highlight: as of March 2025, customers can only purchase NEC products through Optus, including hardware, software assurance, and software licenses.
While this consolidation offers several benefits — including leveraging Optus’s experience as NEC’s largest distributor for more than 30 years — it is still going through a learning curve.
The transition will likely be seamless for resellers who have previously partnered with Optus. However, for resellers who have never been partnered with Optus, this is a brand-new channel relationship.
Forerunner has also entered into a partnership with Intermedia, who recently assumed NEC’s UNIVERGE BLUE cloud communications business.
This combined arrangement provides NEC customers something that was missing in their previous relationship with NEC: a full-channel path to maintain on-premise services with support, and a clear means to transition to the cloud — all without the requirement to completely dismantle their existing infrastructure.
A Clear Look at What Forerunner Is Doing
While Forerunner’s acquisition of NEC is valid and meaningful, it cannot be considered a full rehabilitation of the NEC ecosystem that companies relied on for many years.
Historically, NEC was not only hardware and software assurance — it also represented a nationwide network of certified resellers and installers who understood these systems very well.
NEC had a continuous firmware development pipeline, and was a manufacturer with sufficient scale to warranty parts and respond to systemic issues.
With the loss of that ecosystem, Forerunner — as a smaller entity — cannot recreate it from the outside.
For businesses choosing to remain with NEC, they are choosing to operate as an island, slowly separating themselves from the broader progression of telecom development.
There will be no forthcoming security updates.
No new feature development will exist going forward.
Native integration with modern collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams and Zoom Phone — as competing platforms have done — is not currently on the roadmap.
This is a legitimate choice for some businesses and organizations.
The SV9100 will still work reliably in a stable environment for several additional years, assuming software assurance remains in effect through Optus and a suitable local technician is available who knows the system.
But “several more years” does not equate to “indefinitely.”
The Forerunner acquisition extends the runway. It does not change the destination.
What NEC Customers Should Do Right Now
If you have not yet contacted your reseller or Optus, now is the time.
Find out exactly what your current software assurance status is, whether your system qualifies for extended support under the Forerunner arrangement, and what hardware you currently have on hand.
For SV9100 users: you must obtain software assurance via the Forerunner/Optus channel before your current agreements expire. That is what gives you access to support through 2030.
For SL2100 users: assess your hardware situation now. Identify any failing components or aging expansion cards and source replacements while supplies last. Have an honest conversation about your migration timeline — not because the system will stop functioning tomorrow, but because you have the opportunity right now to plan that transition on your own terms rather than in response to an emergency.
For all NEC customers, the Forerunner acquisition buys you time to plan appropriately for the future.
For more information on Forerunner Technologies and the NEC acquisition, visit frtinc.com. Hardware and software assurance purchases are processed through Optus.
