Operator-led UCaaS: Why it matters and how it creates value
How operators can react to the challenges posed by over-the-top providers
How operators can react to the challenges posed by over-the-top providers
No one could have predicted that 2020 to 2022 would be the years of unified communication as a service. As COVID-19 resulted in organisations needing a distributed workforce, UCaaS enabled it perfectly.
However, the debate right now is about who’s the rightful frontrunner to capture the value pool. For operators, there are discussions on how they are impacted by OTT UC players like Zoom and Microsoft.
Operators were strong in the early hosted IP telephony and UC market since they used the natural strength of their networks and customer base. But as Internet access became a part of workdays worldwide, many innovative OTT UC providers interrupted this. They challenged the operators with their cloud-based and easy-to-use services with outstanding UX.
Furthermore, these interrupters have thousands of software engineers, enabling them to expand toward telephony with PSTN integration and cloud-PBX services. No carrier in the world can afford to match such development speed. As a result, these UCaaS players are increasingly eating into the value chain.
There are two things operators need to leverage to differentiate in UCaas: The first is mobile network assets, and the second is a direct relationship with local customers.
To utilise the network assets, operators need to provide UCaaS to integrate with the OSS (Operations support system) and core network platforms. Doing so yields an enhanced service through two things: improved quality of service and full UC benefits with a native dialer.
Operators will always have the most personal customer relationship due to the nature of the business. Local businesses look to their operators as the main provider of their connectivity and ICT environment.
For UCaaS, it’s no different, as businesses easily get lost in a plethora of solutions that exist on the market. As such, counselling with the operator is a natural part of the buyer’s journey, and should operators have the right solution themselves, and businesses are happy to stop looking further.
Long gone are the days when the OSS/BSS (Operation Support System and Business Support System) integration is longer than the product lifetime itself. Modern cloud-native UC solutions can be integrated with the operator network in a matter of days, with businesses being up and running before the end of the first week.
For an operator, it’s also feasible to carry multiple UCaaS offerings geared toward different business segments. In this article, we go deeper into the nuances between SMEs and enterprises, but in summary, operators must have solutions fit for purpose both from a feature perspective and cost-to-serve.
The years 2020 to 2022 alone have caused enough disruption for operators to miss out on a multi-billion-dollar opportunity. OTT UC’s momentum is unprecedented and puts them in a clear lead. It’s yet to be decided what the end-state UCaaS value chain will look like. Operators that are quick to act have the opportunity to participate in the growth acceleration journey and transcend their B2B business.
If you’d like to learn how to create an operator-led UCaaS offering, visit Telavox’s website and book a live demo today.