Top Moments in Unified Communications from 2020

How can we sum up 2020?

The words “unexpected,” “unpredictable” and “unprecedented” have become so commonplace over the last 12 months that they just seem clichéd. It’s safe to say that this isn’t the start to the new decade that we were planning for. Though most of us jumped into January with the resolution to make 2020 “our year”, that vision was quickly scrubbed out.

Instead of a year of positivity and opportunities, we’ve had month after month of new challenges to contend with. Yet somehow, amidst all the panic and confusion, the world still evolved. The stresses of 2020 have arguably pushed us to innovate faster than ever.

As we prepare to say a final farewell to 2020, let’s look back at all of the incredible things that have happened in UC this year. After all, if nothing else, this year has certainly been eventful.

January

• Comcast acquires Blueface: January was a fresh start for many of us, and there was plenty of positivity about the year ahead. The start of a new decade promised endless opportunity. On the 27^th, Comcast completed its purchase of Blueface, creating a powerful new force in unified communications
• Layoffs at BlueJeans and Fuze: Elsewhere, companies were starting the new year with a focus on “trimming” the excess weight. Fuze and BlueJeans both announced some significant layoffs, leaving people concerned about the future of the UC landscape

February

• Avaya and RingCentral deliver Avaya Cloud Office: With the demand for cloud flexibility in full swing, Avaya continued its journey outside of the legacy communications landscape. The company doubled down on its new relationship with RingCentral and delivered a flexible RingCentral-powered UCaaS solution. Avaya Cloud Office was born
• Crestron and Logitech join forces: Logitech and Crestron, two leaders in the collaboration space, partnered to deliver new meeting room experiences. The partnership paired the Crestron Flex series with Logitech Rally, Rally Plus, and MeetUp

March

• COVID-19 disrupts tech events: In early March, the pandemic was just beginning to rear its head, demonstrating an ability to disrupt the workplace. Companies started to cancel technology events, and everyone was feeling concerned about what the coronavirus might mean to the future of work
• Avaya Spaces is launched: Meanwhile, Avaya continued to double-down on its cloud strategy, delivering a new collaborative experience for the workplace. Avaya Spaces arrived as a new way to connect teams, wherever they were
• Microsoft Teams thrives: Microsoft, the world’s leading provider of technology solutions, continued to prove its mettle in the collaboration space. The Teams application hit a massive 44 million daily active users, demonstrating the company’s potential in the space
• Lifesize and Serenova align: Leading communications companies, Serenova and Lifesize, decided to combine their efforts this month. The merger saw the connection of two companies with incredible potential and market expertise for video conferencing and contact centre

April

• Vendors deliver COVID offers: By April, COVID-19 was in full-swing, and vendors in the cloud environment were keen to help. Free video conferencing and collaboration tools emerged from virtually every provider. The world of work was starting to change
• Microsoft Teams consumer edition: Microsoft recognised the need for more immersive communication between families, as well as employees. Microsoft Teams consumer edition helped to keep groups connected during quarantine and isolation
• Verizon announces intent to buy BlueJeans: As companies panicked and the workplace evolved, consolidation in the UC environment continued. Verizon looked to purchase BlueJeans as a new cloud-based video conferencing solution
• Zoombombing blows up: Whilst tackling the influx of new users, leading video conferencing company Zoom slipped up on security, and Zoombombing hit the mainstream news
• Cisco hosts 20 billion meeting minutes: Cisco announced that in April, it hit 20 billion meeting minutes, highlighting the growing need for new collaboration and meeting tools

May

• Microsoft to acquire MetaSwitch: Microsoft announced the decision to buy MetaSwitch, further increasing its position as a true UCaaS provider for the modern age
• Virtual backgrounds for Teams: To spruce up meetings from home, Microsoft added virtual backgrounds as an alternative to background blurring
• Google Meet introduces gallery view: On Google Meet, consumers started accessing gallery view options for easier and more convenient group meetings

June

• Cisco collaboration welcomes new leader: In June, Cisco welcomed Jeetu Patel as the new Senior Vice President and General Manager of security and applications
• Microsoft Teams achieves 75 million users: Demand for Microsoft Teams continued to grow, with the daily active user count now reaching 75 million
• Vonage taps new CEO: Keen to stay ahead of the curve in the evolving communications environment, Vonage tapped former Dell executive Rory Read as their new CEO and the latest member of the board of directors

July

• RingCentral Delivers Cloud PBX for Teams: RingCentral, a leading cloud communications provider already, introduced a new cloud PBX option for Microsoft Teams users, leveraging the growing demand
• Atos and RingCentral partner: RingCentral also engaged in a new partnership with Atos to create the Unify Office solution

August

• Zoom noise suppression: Zoom added to the remote working experience in August with the arrival of noise suppression for Zoom Phone and Video. Zoom Phone also became available in more than 40 countries
• Cisco to purchase Babble Labs: Cisco also announced its intent to improve noise suppression options for meeting participants, by acquiring BabbleLabs
• Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise partners with RingCentral: Unified Communications leader, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, joined forces on a new experience with RingCentral
• Salesforce Announces Cloud Voice: Salesforce, the number one in CRM, announced Generally Available services for Cloud Voice

September

• Microsoft Goes All Out: Microsoft pulled out all the stops at Ignite 2020 with announcements about new features in Microsoft Teams, updated meeting recap experiences, new membership limits and more
• Dialpad buys HighFive: Consolidation in the market continues with communications brand Dialpad purchasing HighFive for enhanced UC solutions
• Gartner MQ for Meeting Solutions: Gartner revealed it’s Meeting Solutions 2020 Magic Quadrant, helping companies to choose the best product for collaborative meetings
• StarLeaf partners with Poly: StarLeaf, a company committed to collaboration in the modern workplace, partnered with Poly on a strategy to help support the modern workforce

October

• Zoom’s Zoomtopia: For the annual Zoomtopia event, Zoom introduced a fantastic range of updates for teams, including access to new Zoom app experiences, OnZoom, and a range of enhancements to the Zoom Phone, Meeting, and Chat platforms
• Twilio purchases Segment: Twilio announced their decision to purchase Segment – a leading customer data platform, for $3.2 billion
• Microsoft Teams hits 115 million users: Microsoft continues to excel in the communication and collaboration segment, earning a massive 115 million daily active users. The company also announced record-breaking meeting minutes
• Avaya celebrates a 20^th anniversary: Despite ups and downs over the years, Avaya celebrated a successful 20^th anniversary and looked back on the transition it has been making into the cloud world
• Microsoft takes on Twilio: Not content to stay squarely in the UCaaS environment, Microsoft began to take on Twilio with a new offering in the CPaaS space

November

• Five9 acquires Inference Solutions: Leading customer engagement and CCaaS company, Five9, purchased Inference Solutions to further expand its offering
• Gartner MQ for CCaaS: Gartner announced its Magic Quadrant picks for CCaaS in 2020, which offered a combined view of Western Europe and North America for the first time
• Gartner MQ for UCaaS: The Gartner Magic Quadrant for UCaaS also appeared in November, showcasing companies like Microsoft Teams and RingCentral at the head of the pack

December

• Salesforce acquires Slack: Salesforce finally made the decision to purchase Slack, leading industry leaders to envision what might be coming next from the two companies in response to Team Collaboration and CRM experiences
• Cisco makes TWO acquisitions: Cisco stepped up its CX game in December with the acquisition of Slido and IMImobile for new customer engagement opportunities
• WebexOne astounds attendees: Cisco also hosted its WebexOne event in December, revealing a host of updates to the Webex platform, along with new partnerships and innovations on the horizon
• Panasonic Closes Down its Business Communications Arm: Panasonic announced its decision to close the Business Communication segment of the brand, marking the end of an era
• Facebook acquires new startup: Facebook announced its impending purchase of Kustomer, a customer relationship management startup, for a value of $1 billion

Keen to learn what 2021 could have to bring to the UC space?

Find out what’s in store for the months ahead at the UC Summit 2021 Annual Conference and Expo!

We’ll see you there.