The Bring Your Own Carrier (BYOC) model relies on a pretty simple principle: moving your business communication to the cloud while continuing to use the services of the local provider of your choice. While BYOC is nothing new, its accelerated adoption among SMEs following the pandemic is opening new opportunities for end users and CPaaS, UCaaS and CCaaS providers alike.
The Shift in BYOC Adoption
The BYOC model has been invested in by large organizations for years, but what's shifted, causing growing adoption among SMEs as well, is the "why" part.
"In the past, multinationals and large organizations have been investing in BYOC due to reasons of technical complexity and scale, but these are no longer the only reasons to consider that model," notes Thomas Laboulle, CEO of leading APAC cloud communications provider Toku.
Other than Digital Transformation increasing, driving a change in traditional telephony models, there's also a greater emphasis nowadays on reinforcement of telecom regulations. In regions where regulations are particularly strict, BYOC is a great fit for both the users and the cloud communications providers.
"Over the past years, the reinforcement of telecom regulations and data protection legislations in APAC has been driving the adoption of the BYOC model for a growing number of SMEs here," Laboulle notes.
What's in It for the Business User?
In one word: flexibility.
"BYOC allows companies to benefit from the flexibility and interoperability of cloud communications platforms, without compromising on cost-efficiency, quality control and regulatory compliance of traditional telcos. In other words: getting the best of both worlds," Laboulle explains.
What's in It for the UCaaS Providers?
In three words: more market share.
While leading UCaaS providers like Zoom and Microsoft Teams still maintain their own calling plans, where they provide both the UC platform and the connectivity, the BYOC model is playing an increasingly growing part in their go-to-market strategies.
