GigaOm Radar for Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS)v3.0

1. Executive Summary

The need to support hybrid operating models, along with efficiency-focused strategies, is a strong driver for accelerated adoption of unified communications as a service (UCaaS). UCaaS is a cloud-based platform that delivers multiple communication and collaboration tools via a single interface. A post-pandemic world brought omnichannel communication requirements to many organizations, externally and internally, as employees can be working remotely anywhere, globally distributed, and in various physical business locations. Customer interactions are also globally distributed. As this market matures, solutions are shifting from simply supporting such working environments to leveraging native cloud-based functionality to enhance and automate the ways employees and customers interact.

Enterprises of all sizes have access to solution suites that often use AI-based advanced features to record the way they communicate and to provide actionable insights based on inputs from speech and sentiment analytics. Reporting offers administrators real-time assessments of important call metrics, while individual teams have a wealth of collaboration tooling to choose from when meeting virtually. Establishing international presence has never been easier either, with platforms dramatically expanding voice over internet protocol (VoIP) phone service coverage to help unify global workforces and serve clients in almost any jurisdiction. As a result, the UCaaS market is less utility-oriented and increasingly viewed as a driver of digital transformation in its own right.

As always, to be considered a UCaaS provider, a platform must support all core features for video, call, and chat. These features also must be available throughout desktop and mobile environments, thus supporting critical hybrid work requirements. This often includes support for physical VoIP devices for a mix of on-premises and cloud-based deployment. Also generally expected from this market is a tightly integrated interface combining all related functionality into an easy-to-use, one-stop workspace. API-driven integration is another key requirement because deployment often will require supporting legacy systems that may be providing a portion of the overall UCaaS feature set.

If a solution is deployed successfully, enterprises will benefit from a highly flexible cost structure that offers per-seat and feature pricing. Strong video capabilities can help reduce real estate costs while providing even more supervision through native features such as employee presence. Extensive phone functionality such as interactive voice response (IVR) and calling groups can be deployed cheaply through VoIP and cloud-based PBX services. Purpose-built solutions such as webinars and events capabilities help enhance employee and customer engagement through scalable events and interactive tooling. Various vendors now also offer related products, such as contact center as a service (CCaaS) and customer experience (CX) solutions, that may be useful add-ons for future investment.

This is our third year evaluating the UCaaS solutions space in the context of our Key Criteria and Radar reports. This report builds on our previous analysis and considers how the market has evolved over the last year.

This GigaOm Radar report examines 16 of the top UCaaS solutions and compares offerings against the capabilities (table stakes, key features, and emerging features) and nonfunctional requirements (business criteria) outlined in the companion Key Criteria report. Together, these reports provide an overview of the market, identify leading UCaaS solution offerings, and help decision-makers evaluate these solutions so they can make a more informed investment decision.