Placetel
Placetel is a German cloud telephony provider serving 40,000+ DACH businesses with a Cisco-powered virtual phone system, 2,500+ integrations, and AI voice agents, distributed via self-serve, enterprise sales, and 2,000+ partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersKöln, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Placetel does
Placetel is a cloud-based business telephony provider headquartered in Cologne, Germany, operating as Gamma Placetel GmbH since its 2007 founding and serving over 40,000 business customers in DACH markets. Its core offering is Placetel Profi, a virtual telephone system with 150+ features (IVR, call queues, time-based routing, BLF, voicemail, call forwarding) running on Cisco-powered cloud infrastructure with 99.9% SLA, hosted in redundant ISO 27001/9001-certified European data centers and priced from 4.90 EUR per user per month. The platform extends into Webex-powered messaging and video meetings, a Call Center / CX Platform tier, Placetel Mobile for FMC integration, SIP trunking for legacy PBXs, and — since 2024 — Placetel AI, an AI voice agent suite covering reception, support, appointment scheduling, voicemail, and lead generation, with verticalized variants for medical, tax, automotive, retail, trades, property management, and insurance.
The company runs a hybrid go-to-market combining a self-serve product-led motion (30-day free trial, no payment data, online signup) with an enterprise field-sales channel and a network of 2,000+ resellers/IT service providers earning lifetime recurring commissions. Distribution reaches customers via 2,500+ integrations with Microsoft Teams, DATEV, HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, Pipedrive, Xentral, monday.com, and Propstack, plus partner academy certifications, webinars, and a Video Academy. Placetel has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cisco since 2018, led by Managing Directors Peter Kurt Nowack and Gerben Wijbenga, and monetizes through per-user subscriptions, usage-based connection fees, flatrate add-ons, AI assistant subscriptions, hardware sales and rental, number-porting and service-number fees, and partner-driven affiliate commissions.
Placetel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Placetel
- Legal name
- Gamma Placetel GmbH
- Website
- https://placetel.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Placetel is a German cloud telephony provider serving 40,000+ DACH businesses with a Cisco-powered virtual phone system, 2,500+ integrations, and AI voice agents, distributed via self-serve, enterprise sales, and 2,000+ partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Placetel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cloud Business Telephony
- NAICS
- Telephone Call Centers (56142), Telemarketing Bureaus and Other Contact Centers (561422), Telecommunications Resellers (517121)
- SIC
- Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813), Services-Telephone Interconnect Systems (7385), Communications Services, Nec (4899)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cloud PBX & Hosted Telephony (HDAIAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Contact Center Speech AI (agent assist, IVR automation) (HDAAAFAL), Contact Center (CCaaS) & Customer Engagement Voice (HDAIAHAF), Business/Enterprise Fixed Connectivity Providers (SME/Enterprise Broadband) (HDAIABAI)
Keywords
Where Placetel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Köln
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Placetel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription Licenses: Monthly recurring subscription fees per user/license for cloud phone system access. Base packages start at 4.90€ per user monthly with additional features available in higher tiers.
- Usage-based Connection Fees: Per-minute charges for calls outside flatrate packages. German landline calls at 1 cent per minute, mobile calls at 9.9 cents per minute.
- Flatrate Add-ons: Allnet flatrate packages for unlimited calls to German landlines and mobile networks, billed monthly per user.
- AI Phone Assistant Subscriptions: AI voice agent packages with included minutes (750-4,000 minutes), starting at 40€ monthly for Grow tier, 129€ for Professional, and 359€ for Enterprise.
- Hardware Sales and Rental: IP phones, softphones, and accessories available for purchase or monthly rental. Hardware auto-provisioning included.
- Partner Program Commissions: Lifetime recurring commissions for partners on entire customer bills including base fees, connection charges, flatrates, options, and hardware.
- Number Porting and Services: Fees for number porting, additional number blocks (4.90€ monthly for 10-block, 24.90€ for 100-block), service numbers (0800), and international numbers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Placetel Profi - Basic cloud phone system |
| Subscription | Monthly | Webex for Placetel Suite |
| Subscription | Monthly | Voice 24 with Flatrate |
| Subscription | Monthly | Placetel AI - AI Phone Assistant Basic |
| Subscription | Monthly | Placetel AI - Grow Tier |
| Subscription | Monthly | Placetel AI - Professional Tier |
| Subscription | Monthly | Placetel AI - Enterprise Tier |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | AI Pro Usage-based |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Placetel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Placetel provides a cloud-based business telephone system (Placetel Profi) with over 150 features, powered by Cisco technology and hosted in redundant European data centers. The platform is modular, extending with Webex messaging and video meetings, AI voice assistants for 24/7 automated call handling, call center functionality, business mobile integration, SIP trunking, and IP hardware clients. It serves over 40,000 business customers in German-speaking markets with a 99.9% SLA.
Product overview
Placetel is a cloud-based unified communications platform offering a modular portfolio built on Cisco technology. The core product is Placetel Profi (cloud telephone system with 150+ features at 4.90 EUR/user/month), which can be extended with Webex für Placetel for messaging, video meetings, and collaboration (14.90 EUR/user/month), Placetel AI for intelligent call handling (40-359 EUR/month tiers), Call Center functionality, Placetel Mobile for business mobility, SIP-Trunk for legacy PBX integration, and hardware/software clients. The platform is designed for teams of any size and industry, with integrations into Microsoft Teams, CRM systems (Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho), and ERP systems (DATEV, Xentral).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Placetel AI: AI phone assistants that automatically handle calls, qualify leads, and book appointments 24/7.
- Webex für Placetel
- Placetel Profi
- Placetel Mobile
Products and services
- Placetel Profi Cloud-based business telephone system with over 150 professional features including call center functionality, available from 4.90 EUR per user per month. Designed for businesses of all sizes needing a professional, scalable PBX replacement.
- Webex für Placetel Communication suite combining Placetel cloud telephony with team messaging, video meetings, file sharing, and virtual whiteboards powered by Cisco Webex. Available from 14.90 EUR per user per month with allnet flatrate for German calls included.
- Placetel AI (KI-Telefonassistenten) AI-powered phone assistants that automatically answer calls 24/7, qualify leads, book appointments, and route calls. Available in Grow (40 EUR), Professional (129 EUR), and Enterprise (359 EUR) tiers with included minutes and features.
- Call Center Professional call center solution with IVR, call queues, skill-based routing, detailed reporting, and agent status management for organizations focused on customer service excellence.
- Placetel Mobile Business mobile integration allowing smartphones to function as office extensions with the company phone number, including all-net flat and data volume options.
- SIP-Trunk SIP trunking service connecting existing on-premise telephone systems to VoIP networks, allowing continued use of legacy PBX hardware with modern VoIP connectivity.
- Clients & Endgeräte Software phones (softphones), mobile apps, and hardware rental/purchase including IP phones from Cisco, Snom, and Yealink with auto-provisioning support.
- Connect DSL DSL and fiber internet connectivity solutions bundled with Placetel cloud telephony services for end-to-end business communication infrastructure.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 50% cost savings compared to traditional ISDN phone systems
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Placetel
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Placetel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
AI capability6 records
Feature7 records
Placetel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CiscocoreSince 2018, Placetel has been part of Cisco. The partnership provides access to Cisco's collaboration technology, Webex platform, and enterprise-grade infrastructure. Placetel operates on Cisco-powered cloud technology with redundant data centers. This partnership enables Placetel to offer Cisco Enterprise solutions to German SMBs and mid-market companies.
- Microsoft TeamscoreNative integration allowing true Placetel phone functionality directly within Microsoft Teams. Automatic setup in minutes. Users can make and receive calls, access call logs, and manage communications without leaving Teams environment.
- DATEVcoreSeamless integration with DATEV accounting software, providing practical telephony functions directly within the DATEV application for efficient processes in tax advisory and accounting firms.
- HubSpotcoreCRM integration allowing direct dialing from HubSpot, automatic call logging, and easy creation of new activities from phone interactions. Optimizes sales workflows.
- SalesforcecoreCRM integration connecting cloud telephony with Salesforce for call logging, click-to-dial functionality, and customer interaction tracking within the CRM platform.
- Media8 GmbHminorPartner testimonial: 'Competent contacts and attractive commission model are the guarantee for joint success stories! With Placetel we have the right partner at our side.' (Marco Splettstößer, Media8 GmbH)
- SalesmanufakturminorPartner testimonial: 'With AI phone assistants combined with the cloud phone system we open up new business areas and create real added value for our customers.' (Bernd Keiter, Salesmanufaktur)
- Tadiplus Telecom GmbHminorPartner testimonial: 'As a Placetel partner I appreciate that you get support on every topic and can successfully complete large projects together.' (Marcus Hapke, Tadiplus Telecom GmbH). Contact partner for configuration and quote support.
- LLL-IT-ConsultingminorReferral partner for configuration and quote support. Listed on signup forms as partner who may contact customers regarding configuration and offers.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Placetel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NFON AG: NFON is a Munich-based cloud telephony provider focused on European SMBs with a similar cloud PBX, contact center, and UCaaS portfolio. It is one of Placetel's closest direct competitors in the DACH market, targeting the same mid-market and SMB customer base with comparable subscription pricing and partner-led GTM.
- RingCentral: RingCentral is a global leader in cloud UCaaS and CCaaS, offering cloud PBX, contact center, and team messaging for SMBs through enterprises. It competes directly with Placetel Profi and Placetel AI, especially as RingCentral expands its AI-powered contact center capabilities in Europe.
- 8x8: 8x8 provides cloud telephony, UCaaS, and CCaaS solutions for SMBs and mid-market, including AI-powered contact center features. It is a direct functional competitor to Placetel's combined telephony and call center offering, though with a more international footprint.
- Vonage (Ericsson): Vonage, now part of Ericsson, offers cloud communications APIs, UCaaS, and CCaaS. Its Vonage Contact Center and Business Communications offerings overlap directly with Placetel's cloud PBX and Call Center products, particularly for European SMB customers.
- Starface GmbH: Starface is a German UCaaS and cloud PBX competitor, historically on-premise hybrid but increasingly cloud. It targets German SMBs and mid-market with comparable VoIP features, channel-led distribution, and pricing, making it a direct head-to-head competitor in Placetel's home market.
- sipgate GmbH: sipgate is a German cloud telephony and SIP trunking provider serving SMBs with VoIP, mobile, and internet connectivity. It competes directly with Placetel Profi and Placetel Connect DSL in the German SMB segment, especially for cost-conscious buyers.
Broad incumbents
- Microsoft Teams Phone: Microsoft Teams Phone is the cloud calling capability within Microsoft Teams, increasingly bundled with Microsoft 365. It is both a partner (via Placetel's native Teams integration) and a broad incumbent competitor, especially for SMBs standardizing on the Microsoft productivity stack.
- Zoom Communications: Zoom offers Zoom Phone alongside its video meetings platform, providing cloud PBX and contact center features for SMBs through enterprises. It is a broad incumbent competing with Placetel's telephony and Webex für Placetel collaboration stack.
- Cisco Webex Calling: Cisco Webex Calling is the parent Cisco's global cloud telephony and UCaaS offering, sharing Cisco infrastructure and Webex branding with Placetel. It serves larger global enterprises and overlaps with Placetel's Webex für Placetel suite, representing both an enabler and an incumbent alternative.
Regional players
- easybell GmbH: easybell is a German SIP trunk, cloud telephony, and VoIP provider primarily serving the German SMB market. It is a regional competitor to Placetel's SIP-Trunk and Placetel Profi offerings, competing on price and connectivity bundles within Germany.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Placetel social profiles
Digital presencePlacetel compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Placetel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Placetel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Placetel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Placetel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Placetel
What does Placetel do?
Placetel provides a cloud-based business telephone system (Placetel Profi) with over 150 features, powered by Cisco technology and hosted in redundant European data centers. The platform is modular, extending with Webex messaging and video meetings, AI voice assistants for 24/7 automated call handling, call center functionality, business mobile integration, SIP trunking, and IP hardware clients. It serves over 40,000 business customers in German-speaking markets with a 99.9% SLA.
Is Placetel a public or private company?
Placetel is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Placetel founded?
Placetel was founded in 2007. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Placetel based?
Placetel is headquartered in Köln, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Placetel make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Subscription Licenses are the primary driver. The others are usage-based Connection Fees, flatrate Add-ons, AI Phone Assistant Subscriptions, hardware Sales and Rental, partner Program Commissions and number Porting and Services.
Who are Placetel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NFON AG, RingCentral, 8x8, Vonage (Ericsson), Starface GmbH and sipgate GmbH. Broad incumbents are Microsoft Teams Phone, Zoom Communications and Cisco Webex Calling. easybell GmbH is listed as a regional player.
Does Placetel have an API?
Yes. Placetel offers a Call Control Notify API that allows developers to integrate the Placetel telephone system into their own systems. The API enables embedding telephony functionality into custom applications, automating call handling, and connecting business software with the cloud telephone system. Developer documentation is at www.placetel.de/developers.
What industry is Placetel in?
Placetel's product category is Cloud Business Telephony. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIAHAB, Cloud PBX & Hosted Telephony, with a secondary code of HDAAAFAL, Contact Center Speech AI (agent assist, IVR automation). Its NAICS code is 56142 and its SIC code is 4813.