Cloud Communications News & Updates

A recent lawsuit has been filed against Genesys, a major Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) provider, highlighting growing concerns over the use of customer data in AI training. The lawsuit alleges that Genesys used customer calls without proper notification or consent to train its AI, raising ethical and legal issues.

Industry analysts, including Liz Miller from Constellation Research, Zeus Kerravala from ZK Research, and Keith Kirkpatrick from The Futurum Group, warn that such lawsuits are likely to increase due to unclear data usage policies and inadequate customer notifications in the CCaaS industry. They note that many providers claim anonymized data is safe for AI training, but customers and laws, particularly in California, may not agree. There’s been some examples of other AI-related missteps, like an airline bot mishandling bereavement fares and an eating disorder helpline providing harmful advice, to underscore the industry’s focus on efficiency over ethical responsibility. Analysts urge CCaaS providers to improve transparency, prioritize compliance, and ensure customers are informed about data usage to avoid future legal and reputational risks. Read more at CX Today.

Microsoft officially shut down Skype on May 5, 2025, bringing an end to the iconic internet communication service after 22 years. Originally launched in 2003, Skype revolutionized voice and video calls over the internet and at its peak had over 300 million users. Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion, integrating it into its broader ecosystem. However, in recent years, Skype struggled to keep up with newer competitors like Zoom, WhatsApp, and Google Meet. By 2023, its user base had declined to around 36 million. In early 2025, Microsoft announced plans to retire Skype and began encouraging users to switch to Microsoft Teams, its more modern and integrated communication platform.

Microsoft Teams now serves as the company’s flagship collaboration tool, offering features like video calls, chat, file sharing, and integration with Microsoft 365. Microsoft has provided Skype users with options to migrate their chats and contacts to Teams, and users with Skype phone numbers can port them to other services, depending on regional availability. Microsoft executive Jeff Teper acknowledged Skype’s legacy, highlighting its impact on modern communication and the meaningful connections it enabled. The decision to sunset Skype marks a strategic shift by Microsoft to consolidate its communication services and meet the evolving demands of the digital communication landscape. Read more at NPR:

The Forrester Wave for CCaaS Platforms 2025 report highlights the evolving landscape of Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) solutions, emphasizing the integration of advanced technologies such as generative AI, multimodal communication, and predictive analytics. These innovations are transforming customer interactions and operational efficiency, enabling businesses to deliver personalized experiences and streamline agent workflows. The report also notes the narrowing functionality gap between top and mid-tier vendors, with differentiation now hinging on strategic priorities like AI integration, data management, and enterprise CX capabilities. Smaller vendors are cautioned against over-reliance on specific ecosystems, which may limit their innovation and adaptability in the rapidly evolving market.​

Furthermore, the report underscores the significance of AI in reshaping CCaaS offerings, with applications ranging from conversational AI and agent assistance to quality management and business analytics. The integration of AI-powered tools enhances both agent and customer experiences, ensuring seamless, personalized interactions. As customer expectations continue to rise, the report suggests that successful CCaaS vendors will be those that invest in comprehensive AI strategies, robust data integration, and flexible, scalable solutions to meet the demands of modern customer service environments. Read more at CX Today.

Avaya has introduced the Avaya Infinity Platform, aiming to modernize contact centers for large enterprises and public sector organizations. This platform addresses challenges such as data sovereignty, integration of disparate data silos, and the enhancement of customer experience (CX). By focusing on its top 1,500 customers, Avaya seeks to provide solutions that enable these organizations to leverage their existing infrastructures while adopting advanced technologies to improve CX. The Infinity Platform represents Avaya’s attempt to facilitate a transition to modernize contact center operations without disrupting existing systems. Read more at No Jitter.

Mitel has secured U.S. Bankruptcy Court approval for its financial restructuring plan and expects to emerge from Chapter 11 this quarter. The restructuring will eliminate approximately $1.15 billion in debt, lower annual cash interest payments by around $135 million, and provide $64.5 million in exit financing to support future growth. CEO Tarun Loomba stated that with a stronger capital structure, Mitel will be better positioned to deliver flexible, secure communications solutions and continue its leadership in hybrid communications. Despite market disruption from the Chapter 11 news, Mitel launched a new CX platform at Enterprise Connect, signaling continued innovation.

Industry experts note that while restructuring strengthens Mitel financially, it still faces challenges ahead. Analyst Zeus Kerravala and Mitel partner Charterhouse Voice and Data highlighted the importance of reassessing Mitel’s market position and offerings. Comparisons were drawn to Avaya’s struggles after its own restructuring, raising questions about whether Mitel’s investments in AI-driven CX solutions will be enough to ensure long-term success. Learn more on UC Today.

Microsoft Teams experienced a significant outage affecting its file-sharing functionality, disrupting enterprise collaboration across its platform. The issue, tracked under incident ID TM1055900, prevented users from sharing files within Teams chats and channels, impacting both desktop and mobile applications. Microsoft acknowledged the problem and initiated an investigation to identify the root cause and implement a fix. The company provided updates through its Microsoft 365 Service Health Dashboard, advising users to monitor the platform for further information. This incident follows a series of recent disruptions in major collaboration tools, highlighting the challenges in maintaining uninterrupted service in enterprise communication platforms. Read more at UC Today.

Zoom’s major outage on April 16, 2025, which lasted about 90 minutes, was caused by a mistake from GoDaddy. A “server block” was mistakenly placed on the zoom.us domain due to a communication error between Zoom’s domain registrar, Markmonitor, and GoDaddy Registry, which manages the .us domain space. This mistake made Zoom’s main services, including meetings and VoIP phones, inaccessible — even Zoom’s status page was down.

Cisco’s ThousandEyes confirmed the outage was a DNS problem, and restoring access required users to flush their DNS caches manually. Zoom, GoDaddy, and Markmonitor collaborated to fix the issue and stated there was no security breach or DDoS attack. They are now working on steps to prevent this kind of problem from happening again.

You can read the full article here.

​Zoom has introduced “Zoom Tasks,” an AI-powered task and project management feature designed to enhance business productivity. This tool allows users to create, assign, and track tasks directly within the Zoom platform, streamlining workflows and reducing the need to switch between applications. By integrating task management into its suite of services, Zoom aims to provide a more cohesive and efficient user experience. Learn more on UC Today.

​8×8, Inc. has introduced 8×8 Engage™, an AI-powered solution designed to enable all customer-facing teams within an organization to deliver superior customer experiences across digital channels. This platform allows employees to engage with customers on their preferred channels, aiming to enhance customer satisfaction and drive business outcomes. Learn more at Yahoo News.

Zoom is advancing its AI capabilities by introducing agentic AI features across its platform, enabling the AI Companion to perform tasks on behalf of users, such as scheduling meetings, generating documents, and creating video clips. These enhancements aim to streamline workflows and boost productivity within the Zoom ecosystem.

Additionally, Zoom is expanding AI functionalities across its services, including Zoom Meetings, Team Chat, Docs, Phone, Whiteboard, and Contact Center. The AI Companion now features skills like calendar management, clip generation, and advanced writing assistance. Furthermore, specialized agents like the Zoom Virtual Agent are being introduced to deliver empathetic, contextual conversations and resolve complex issues autonomously, enhancing customer self-service experiences. ​Learn more at UC Today.

Make sure to visit our AI Guide for great content and use-cases around AI Adoption.

Genesys has unveiled its most comprehensive Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) bundle to date, priced at $240 per user per month. This offering encompasses all of Genesys’s core CCaaS solutions, providing businesses with a unified platform to enhance customer interactions and streamline support operations. By consolidating essential contact center tools into a single package, Genesys aims to deliver exceptional value and simplify the deployment of advanced customer experience technologies. Learn more at CX Today.

Zendesk has introduced “Zendesk for Contact Center,” a new Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) platform aimed at redefining the contact center landscape. This launch follows Zendesk’s recent acquisition of Local Measure, a customer experience platform, indicating a strategic move to enhance its offerings in the customer service sector. The new platform is designed to provide businesses with advanced tools to improve customer interactions and streamline support operations. More information is at CX Today.

Microsoft has rebranded its contact center workspace to “Copilot Service workspace” in an effort to better align with modern customer experience trends. As part of this shift, the company has stopped using the term “agent” for live representatives, opting for terminology that reflects a more dynamic and customer-centric role. This change likely stems from the growing integration of AI-driven automation, which is reshaping traditional contact center functions. By repositioning its workspace and language, Microsoft aims to create a more seamless and intelligent environment where human representatives work alongside AI to enhance customer interactions and improve efficiency. More information at CX Today.

GoTo has launched the GoTo Connect AI Receptionist, an AI-driven call-handling solution designed to enhance customer interactions for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). This 24/7 virtual assistant automates routine tasks, provides immediate responses to common inquiries, and intelligently routes calls to the appropriate departments or personnel. By integrating with existing knowledge bases and FAQs, the AI Receptionist ensures accurate and efficient customer service, reducing operational inefficiencies and ensuring that no customer inquiries are missed. The system supports over 10 languages and allows businesses to customize its voice and personality to align with their brand identity. Notably, the AI Receptionist requires minimal setup, offering immediate value to businesses without extensive configuration.

This launch signifies GoTo’s commitment to integrating practical generative AI technologies into their services, aiming to complement human employees and enhance overall customer experience. By handling peaks in call volume and supporting agents during off-hours, the AI Receptionist allows staff to focus on more complex tasks, thereby improving efficiency and customer satisfaction.

In a similar move, RingCentral recently introduced its own AI Receptionist, reflecting a broader industry trend towards incorporating AI to transform business call handling.

To read more, visit UC Today.

Zoom is set to enhance its AI Companion with new “agentic” capabilities, enabling it to autonomously identify and execute tasks on behalf of users. This upgrade allows the AI Companion to schedule follow-up meetings, generate meeting-related documents, and create video clips, all accessible through a new “Tasks” tab in Zoom Workplace.

Additional features include a voice recorder in the Zoom Workplace mobile app, which can record, transcribe, and summarize in-person meetings, and live notes that provide real-time summaries during meetings and calls. These enhancements aim to streamline workflows and boost productivity for Zoom users.

Furthermore, Zoom plans to introduce a Custom AI Companion add-on, allowing users to personalize their AI experience with custom avatars and integrations with third-party tools. This move underscores Zoom’s commitment to integrating AI across its platform to enhance user experience and efficiency. Learn more at CX Today.