Latest Trends, Insights, and Developments for Cloud Communications

Microsoft is increasing the price of its Teams Phone service, raising the cost for various plans starting April 2025. Teams Phone Standard will go from $8 to $10 per user per month, while other packages will also see hikes. Microsoft attributes this increase to “continuous innovations.” Additionally, a new monthly billing option will carry a 5% premium over the annual rate for flexibility. These adjustments affect multiple Microsoft 365 services, including Teams Phone, Dynamics 365, and Copilot plans.

For further details, visit UC Today.

Avaya announced another round of layoffs shortly after the retirement of CEO Alan Masarek, who had overseen restructuring post-bankruptcy. The company framed this reduction as a move to align resources and focus on customer-centered strategies, following a prior layoff in July affecting about 3% of its workforce. Avaya’s new CEO, Patrick Dennis, intends to guide through its next phase, with these layoffs aimed at supporting restructuring into regional divisions.

For more, see the full article here.

The 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for CCaaS evaluates cloud contact center providers across four categories: Leaders, Challengers, Visionaries, and Niche Players. Leaders like NICE, Genesys, AWS, and Five9 excel in delivering comprehensive solutions for global enterprises, emphasizing innovation, scalability, and support. Cisco stands as a Challenger. Visionary Talkdesk focuses on industry-specific offerings, while Niche Players like Content Guru and 8x8 cater to specialized markets.

Learn more here.

The 2024 Gartner UCaaS Magic Quadrant highlights Microsoft as the top leader, emphasizing its enhanced telephony features but noting gaps in contact center. Cisco advances with strong AI capabilities, challenging other leaders like RingCentral and Zoom. Meanwhile, Dialpad moves to the Niche Players quadrant, and Google remains the sole challenger. Vendors like GoTo and Sangoma focus on SMBs, while others navigate market consolidation. The report underscores the evolving roles of AI, telephony, and collaboration tools.

Read more here.

For more information on UCaaS, check out our Cloud Design UCaaS Guide.