The Unified Communications (UC) and Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) markets have experienced a remarkable growth trajectory over recent years and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.4% from 2021 to 2028 (source: Grand View Research).
These markets, characterised by a complex web of interactions, offer vast opportunities for businesses worldwide driven by changing customer demand. As the ecosystem evolves, the role of telecoms operators remains vital. Netaxis, a leading solutions provider, plays a pivotal role in enabling these operators and also CPAAS players to thrive in this complex landscape with its enabling platforms.
To fully understand the intricacies of the UC and CPaaS market, it’s important to examine the value chain. The attached image by the CPAAS alliance presents an overview of the UC and CPaaS value chain. It shows a multi-tiered system with diverse actors, including software providers, telecom operators, service providers, and end-users. Each actor has a role in delivering value across the chain.
Here are some key points on the roles and challenges of the different actors in the ecosystem.
In common challenge for UC & CPAAS & Telecoms:
Technological evolution: The rapid pace of technological advancement means that CPaaS providers must continually innovate and adapt. They need to update their platforms frequently to incorporate new features and maintain a competitive edge.
Integration: Ensure that their platforms can integrate seamlessly with a wide variety of systems and software. This can be challenging, given the diversity of technology used by different organisations.
Security & quality of service: Given the sensitive nature of communication data, all actors must prioritise security and offer a high quality of service.
Regulatory compliance: Actors must navigate a complex web of regulations that vary by country and industry. They need to ensure compliance with these regulations while still offering flexible and effective communication solutions.
Customisation and scalability: Different businesses have different communication needs. CPaaS providers must offer customizable solutions that can scale with the growth of their clients’ businesses.
CPaaS (Communication Platform as a Service) and UC (Unified Communication) providers
- Market competition: The CPaaS market has seen a surge in competition as more players enter the field. Providers must differentiate their offerings and demonstrate unique value to stand out and attract customers.
- Customer ownership and brand recognition: Many UC providers are ‘behind-the-scenes’ operators, meaning they don’t always have direct relationships with the end users of their services. This can make it challenging for them to establish brand recognition and loyalty among consumers.
Telecoms operators
Telecoms operators, situated in the middle of this chain, play an important role. They are often key intermediaries that ensure the smooth delivery of communication services to the end-users both from a customer service and ownership point as well as the provisioning of the underlying voice and data networks.
Telecoms operators facilitate communication services: They often act as the conduit for delivering UC and CPaaS services from software providers to service providers and end-users. They often manage a large customer basis and have a lot of legacy systems.
Telecoms operators deal with complex routing issues: They have to manage a sophisticated web of connections in and across networks , both fixed and mobile, to ensure optimal service delivery.
They must ensure regulatory compliance: With a constantly evolving regulatory landscape, operators must keep up to date with changing rules and regulations impacting their processes.
In order to unleash the opportunities in this growing industry all players need to work together and become truly partners. Standardisation and ecosystem thinking are basic requirements.
The role of Netaxis: The enabler
In this complex ecosystem, Netaxis provides critical solutions (low and no code platforms) that enable telecom operators and CPAAS service providers to excel. Leveraging their innovative orchestration (APIO), service routing platforms (SRE), and docking solution Fusion, Netaxis empowers these actors to navigate the complexities of the UC and CPaaS markets successfully.
Here’s how:
Netaxis’ APIO provides orchestration capabilities: APIO helps telecoms operators and CPAAS providers to manage their services more efficiently. It allows for the seamless integration of various communication services, enabling operators to deliver superior value to their customers.
SRE ensures optimal routing: The Service Routing Engine (SRE) provided by Netaxis addresses the complex routing issues faced by telecom operators. It ensures the efficient delivery of services across the network.
Fusion offers an effective docking solution: Netaxis’ Fusion enables smooth communication between different systems and UC solutions. It allows for the integration of diverse software solutions into the telecom operators’ infrastructure, simplifying service delivery through automation. It’s benefits are enhancing performance by improving the life cycle management.
In conclusion, the UC and CPaaS markets offer a complex but rich landscape of opportunities. Telecoms operators, as critical intermediaries in this value chain, must navigate these complexities to deliver quality services to end-users. With innovative solutions from Netaxis, including APIO, SRE, and Fusion, telecom operators and service providers are equipped to thrive in this evolving ecosystem, delivering superior value to their customers and driving the market forward.
