In 2026, the mandate I’m seeing for IT leaders is paradoxically simple yet incredibly difficult: innovate faster, but spend less. As budgets tighten and the “do more with less” mentality solidifies, I know many of you are scrutinizing every line item. But surprisingly, one of the most effective levers for cost reduction and operational efficiency is hiding in plain sight: Enterprise Voice.
I recently sat down with Doug Jones, AVP of Product Management & Development – Collaboration at AT&T, to dig into why fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) – or what we’re now calling “Mobile UC” – is no longer just a nice-to-have. It’s a strategic necessity that allows us to eliminate complexity and drive better collaboration without sacrificing compliance.
The Hidden “Double Tax” on Enterprise Comms
When I asked Doug where he sees enterprises leaking money in their current setups, he pointed to a legacy redundancy that many of us have simply accepted as the status quo.
“First and foremost, it’s having multiple telephone numbers with multiple calling plans. Enterprises, in far too many cases, have a desk phone in their office and a phone number on their mobile at a minimum. You don’t really need both of them, obviously, since it’s duplicative.”
It struck me that this isn’t just about the monthly bill. The hidden costs lie in the infrastructure overhead. Maintaining legacy PBX systems alongside modern cloud platforms creates a “double tax” on our IT resources. By consolidating these into a single identity via AT&T Cloud Voice, organizations can immediately stop paying for hardware and lines they don’t need.
The “3 Cs” of Modern Voice
Doug argues that moving to a Mobile UC model isn’t just a cost-cutting exercise; it’s about delivering on what he calls the “3 Cs”: Collaboration, Compliance, and Cost.
We often assume “voice is voice,” but Doug warned me that in an AI-driven world, quality is the differentiator.
“Any over-the-top app can make a VoIP call these days, but only the best ones… are the ones that prioritize the voice. Collaborating benefits from better call quality. AT&T prioritizes that voice to provide a better experience.”
We also touched on compliance, which remains a massive blind spot. I see this constantly in industries like finance and healthcare – employees using personal mobiles for client calls create a regulatory nightmare. Doug explained how their solution closes this gap by extending corporate compliance policies – recording, logging, and security – directly to the native dialer of the mobile device.
Meeting You Where You Are
One of the things I really appreciated about AT&T’s strategy is its platform neutrality. Whether your enterprise is committed to Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, or RingCentral, Doug emphasized that they integrate their wireless network directly with the UC platform you already use.
“It really provides customers the ability to meet them where they are. AT&T has the same wireless network that we bring and integrate with the leaders in the unified communication industry.”
This is particularly relevant for the Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile offering. By integrating the native mobile dialer with Teams, IT teams can provision users in minutes, ensuring that a single business number follows the employee everywhere.
Why You Can’t Afford to Wait
For those of you reviewing your 2026 roadmaps, the message from our conversation was clear: modernizing voice is a foundational step toward AI readiness and hybrid work security. It is, as Doug put it, a “silver bullet” that solves for user experience and budget constraints simultaneously.
He concluded:
“It’s never been a better time to embrace mobile UC. It’s never been easier to use, easier to buy, and easier to manage. You don’t want to be left behind.”
Watch the Full Conversation
If you want to see exactly how AT&T Cloud Voice can consolidate your vendors and unlock real savings, I highly recommend watching our full discussion.
Click here to watch the full video interview where Doug and I break down exactly how to future-proof your communications stack for 2026.
