Cloud Communications News & Updates

Private equity firm Thoma Bravo has agreed to acquire Verint Systems in a $2 billion all-cash deal, valuing shares at $20.50 each, an 18% premium over Verint’s pre-announcement trading price. The acquisition is expected to close before the end of Verint’s fiscal year and continues Thoma Bravo’s aggressive investment strategy in enterprise software following its $12 billion purchase of Dayforce earlier this year. The deal positions the company for accelerated growth under private ownership.

At the conclusion of the transaction, Verint will be combined with Calabrio, another Thoma Bravo-owned company specializing in workforce engagement and analytics. Together, the two will form a stronger AI-driven customer experience (CX) automation powerhouse, uniting Verint’s contact center and customer engagement tools with Calabrio’s workforce optimization capabilities. The combined entity aims to deliver enhanced customer insights, automation, and efficiency, positioning itself as a leader in the evolving CX software market. Learn more at Yahoo Finance.

Sangoma is expanding its partnership with AWS to enhance its UCaaS and contact center offerings, providing a more scalable, secure, and resilient cloud communications platform. By leveraging AWS infrastructure, organizations can centralize voice, messaging, and call routing, benefit from elastic scaling, and reduce on-site PBX maintenance. This move aligns with the broader industry trend toward cloud-first communications, supporting seamless collaboration across office, home, and mobile environments. Learn more on UC Today.

Zoom recently addressed a critical security vulnerability in its Windows client which scored 9.6 on the CVSS severity scale. The flaw stemmed from how Zoom’s application loaded dynamic-link libraries (DLLs), relying on Windows’ default search order rather than specifying explicit file paths. This allowed attackers to place malicious DLLs in directories where Zoom would execute them, potentially granting full system control. Exploiting this vulnerability could lead to privilege escalation, data exfiltration—including access to recordings, contact lists, and credentials—and network compromise, with attackers potentially reaching domain controllers. The exploit was notably low in complexity, posing a significant risk even from relatively unsophisticated actors. Learn more at UC Today.

Microsoft is rolling out security upgrades to Microsoft Teams aimed at mitigating long-standing vulnerabilities. The new features will automatically block executable files—such as .exe attachments—that are commonly weaponized by hackers. Additionally, Teams will now detect and warn users about malicious URLs shared within chats and channels. These enhancements are intended to reduce the human factor in malware and phishing attacks.

Complementing these protection mechanisms, Teams has integrated with Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Tenant Allow/Block List, enabling administrators to block or delete communications from specified domains directly from the Defender portal. These combined measures see Teams taking a more proactive and platform-level stance on security, reflecting a shift toward treating unified communications as central to enterprise cybersecurity, not a peripheral concern. Learn more on UC Today.

NiCE, a global leader in AI-driven customer experience solutions, has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Cognigy, a conversational and agentic AI specialist, in a transaction valued at around $955 million. This acquisition will merge NiCE’s CXone Mpower platform with Cognigy’s enterprise-grade AI agents, enabling automation of customer service workflows across both front- and back-office functions. Cognigy’s AI, available in over 100 languages and deployed at brands like Mercedes‑Benz, Nestlé, and Lufthansa, is expected to continue strong growth—projected at roughly 80% ARR increase in 2026. The deal includes a time‑bound holdback component (~$50 M holdback with $25 M in cash and 158,000 American Depositary Shares) and is slated to close in Q4 2025, subject to regulatory approvals.

NiCE CEO Scott Russell described the move as a strategic leap forward in accelerating its AI innovation roadmap and expanding global AI adoption in enterprise customer experience. Cognigy Co‑Founder Philipp Heltewig echoed the excitement, highlighting the value NiCE’s scale and reach will bring to customers and partners. Industry analysts—reported by CX Today—view the acquisition as a catalyst for broader consolidation in CX AI, reinforcing NiCE’s control over orchestration layers, while extending its footprint in Europe via Cognigy’s roots in Germany. Integration aims to deliver seamless, AI-first CX experiences at scale for existing and new clients.

Learn more at Business Wire.

Learn more about AI use-cases with our AI in Action blog or about AI technology in our AI guide.

Zoom has expanded its portfolio for sales and revenue teams with the launch of Zoom Auto Dialer, a powerful AI-powered outbound calling solution. Designed as an add-on for Zoom Phone, the Auto Dialer offers multiple dialing modes (power, cascading, and parallel), automated voicemail drops, local presence caller ID, and one-click meeting scheduling. It integrates seamlessly with CRMs like Salesforce and sales engagement platforms such as Outreach and Salesloft. The system also logs calls, notes, and follow-ups automatically—saving time and improving workflow for sales teams. By tying it all together with Zoom Revenue Accelerator (ZRA), Zoom offers sales reps full-cycle visibility and productivity in a single platform.

In addition, Zoom has enhanced Zoom Revenue Accelerator to better support territory-based sales teams and hybrid work. New features include territory views for pipeline management, AI transcription and summarization of in-person meetings via Zoom’s mobile app, and customizable, CRM-synced AI briefs. These upgrades aim to streamline deal tracking and improve insight into customer interactions across all channels. By embedding AI throughout the sales process—from outreach to deal close—Zoom is positioning itself as a comprehensive, AI-first sales enablement platform, reducing the need for disconnected point tools and helping teams focus more on selling. Read more at CX Today.

Forrester has released its 2025 Global Customer Experience (CX) Index, and the findings paint a challenging picture. For the fourth year in a row, customer perceptions of CX quality in the US and Canada have declined—hitting a new all-time low.

What’s driving the downturn? According to the report, contributing factors include poor employee experience, fading customer obsession, underwhelming technology rollouts, and broader economic uncertainty.

The report is based on insights from over 275,000 customers, evaluating 469 brands across 12 industries in 13 countries. In the US, 25% of brands saw a statistically significant decline in their CX scores between 2024 and 2025, while only 7% improved. Canada showed a similar pattern: 18% of brands declined, and just 1% made gains. Notably, a quarter of the North American brands that fell in 2025 also declined in 2024, indicating persistent challenges.

You can explore the full findings at Forrester.com.

As brands increasingly adopt AI voicebots within CCaaS platforms, Juniper Research projects a transformative surge of about 60% in contact center activity worldwide over the next four years. These bots are central to evolving customer engagement, providing cost-effective, scalable, and automated voice interaction solutions. Despite a decrease in traditional voice usage across telecom, AI voicebots are poised to significantly boost CCaaS scalability, efficiency, and customer service capabilities. Learn more at Juniper Research.

Mitel has successfully emerged from Chapter 11 restructuring after eliminating approximately $1.15 billion in debt, cutting annual interest costs by around $135 million, and securing an additional $125 million in funding. With this stronger balance sheet, the company is now poised to accelerate its hybrid-first strategy, focusing on AI-driven unified communications and contact center solutions, including a co-developed hybrid offering with Zoom and enhancements targeted at frontline industries. Despite the restructuring, Mitel maintained steady performance in its Q1 2025 results—including growth in Germany—and is now positioned to reinvigorate product investment, support long-term lifecycle needs for its global customer base, and re-establish itself as a dependable partner in the crowded UC market. Learn more at UC Today.

Zoom has introduced an “agentic” Virtual Agent to its Contact Center platform, shifting from scripted bots to AI capable of autonomously handling full customer journeys across voice and chat—processing returns, updating accounts, and booking appointments—without human escalation unless necessary. This advanced agent retains context across interactions, adapts tone to match a brand’s voice, and can intelligently decompose multi-intent queries. Accompanying the Virtual Agent are enhanced tools: AI Studio for fast agent deployment, CX Insights for near‑real‑time performance recommendations, AI-driven analytics for topic detection and automated quality management, plus conversational supervisor tools like “Ask QM” and AI‑powered scheduling. Together, these updates position Zoom to give enterprises an AI-first, low‑friction, cost‑effective contact center solution that enhances personalization, efficiency, and supervisor effectiveness. Learn more at UC Today:

Five9 announced the launch of Agentic CX, powered by its new Agentic Experience Engine built on the Genius AI Architecture. This offering introduces AI Agents capable of independently reasoning, deciding, and acting within customer interactions, with seamless escalation to human agents when needed. Key features include automated conversation summaries, advanced intent detection with entity extraction, knowledge-based responses using Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), and tools like Code Crafter and pre-built industry templates to speed deployment. Complementing these are robust Trust & Governance capabilities—granular guardrails, threat and hallucination detection, prompt monitoring, and comprehensive dashboards—to ensure secure, reliable, and enterprise-ready AI operations. Learn more at Businesswire.

Qualtrics recently looked into the value of Customer Experience in brand relationship. They found a strong majority of consumers value premium experiences—and are willing to pay a premium—especially when those experiences enhance connection, convenience, and peace of mind. Companies that strategically optimize key touchpoints can turn those expectations into loyalty and brand trust.

72% of U.S. consumers are willing to pay more for a premium experience when interacting with businesses.

• 84% would spend extra for a better flight experience.
• 61% would pay more for improved care from their primary care provider.
• 68% are open to paying for enhanced customer service.

Isabelle Zdatny of Qualtrics XM Institute emphasizes that businesses delivering exceptional experiences—particularly those centered on human connection—can reap significant rewards. In uncertain times, consumers tend to gravitate toward trusted brands, offering these companies an opportunity to deepen relationships. Learn more at Qualtrics XM blog.

NICE has unveiled a strategic rebranding initiative, introducing “NICE Enlighten” as its new brand identity. This move underscores the company’s commitment to integrating advanced artificial intelligence into customer interactions, aiming to deliver more personalized and efficient experiences.

The “Enlighten” brand encapsulates NICE’s vision of harnessing AI to provide intelligent insights and solutions that enhance customer service. By rebranding, NICE seeks to position itself at the forefront of AI-driven CX innovation, reflecting its dedication to transforming customer engagement through technology. This rebranding is more than a name change; it signifies a strategic shift towards a more modern and innovative image, aligning with the evolving landscape of customer experience management. NICE’s focus on AI integration aims to set new standards in the industry, offering businesses the tools to better understand and meet customer needs.

For a deeper dive into NICE’s rebranding and its implications for the future of customer experience, you can read the full article on ZDNet.

Salesforce has officially agreed to acquire Informatica for approximately $8 billion, marking a significant move to enhance its data management and AI capabilities. This acquisition aims to integrate Informatica’s robust data integration, governance, and quality tools into Salesforce’s AI platform, Agentforce, thereby strengthening its position in the enterprise AI market.

Key Highlights:

• Strategic Acquisition: Salesforce will purchase Informatica at $25 per share, representing an 11% premium over its previous closing price. The deal is expected to close early in Salesforce’s fiscal year 2027.
• Enhancing AI Capabilities: By incorporating Informatica’s data management solutions, Salesforce aims to improve the functionality of its AI offerings, particularly Agentforce, facilitating more autonomous and goal-driven AI agents.
• Financial Implications: Salesforce anticipates that the acquisition will be accretive to profits starting in the second year post-acquisition, with cost synergies estimated at over 15%.
• Investor Reactions: Despite strong quarterly earnings, Salesforce’s stock experienced a 7% drop following the announcement, reflecting investor concerns over the company’s shift from organic innovation to growth via acquisitions.

Read more at UC Today.

Microsoft is set to roll out a new “Prevent Screen Capture” feature in Teams starting in July 2025, aiming to enhance security during virtual meetings. This feature will block users from capturing screenshots of meeting content by turning the screen black when a capture attempt is detected. It will be available on Teams desktop apps for Windows and Mac, as well as mobile apps for iOS and Android. Users on unsupported platforms will automatically be placed in audio-only mode, ensuring the confidentiality of sensitive information shared during meetings.

For IT leaders, this update presents both opportunities and challenges. On one hand, it provides an additional security layer to protect confidential data, aligning with broader industry trends toward stricter privacy controls. On the other hand, it may impact user experience, especially for those on unsupported devices or platforms. Organizations may need to implement training and communication strategies to ensure users are aware of the new functionality and can effectively navigate any limitations it introduces. Learn more at UC Today.