The article provides a snapshot of the vendors featured in our UC Platforms Marketplace.
UC platforms have become a must-have component of the modern business technology stack. Combining numerous forms of communication with collaboration and productivity tools, these comprehensive ecosystems streamline and enhance business management.
In 2024, UC platforms are growing increasingly advanced, offering more solutions for custom workflow automation, integrations with existing business tools, and even artificial intelligence.
The evolving functionality of these platforms, combined with changing business needs for the “future of work,” is driving rapid growth in the UC sector. By 2032, the value of UC platforms is expected to reach $583.8 billion, growing at a CAGR of 17.7%.
So, in a competitive landscape, which UC platforms really stand out from the crowd? We’ve analyzed the top market leaders to create this map of the ultimate platforms to consider in 2024:
- 8×8
- Avaya
- Webex by Cisco
- Dialpad
- Intermedia
- Microsoft Teams
- Mitel
- RingCentral (MVP)
- Vonage
- Zoom (One)
8×8
8×8’s flexible approach to UC platform development empowers companies to create an all-in-one solution for their communication needs. The 8×8 Experience Communications Platform combines an integrated contact center with voice, video, chat, and embeddable communications.
Companies can access everything from business phone capabilities to team chat and video conferencing. Plus, APIs for SMS, Voice, video, and external chat apps offer comprehensive extensibility. The platform comes with in-depth insights and analytics, mobile app accessibility, and flexible deployment options to suit every business need. New features include AI-generated summaries for 8×8 meetings and an intuitive analytics dashboard for team supervisors.
Avaya
Avaya Cloud Office, alongside Avaya Spaces, offers companies a combination of simplicity, ease of use, and flexibility with various customization options. On a single platform, employees can connect through calls, messages, and video/audio meetings. Plus, automatic maintenance provides businesses with constant upgrades without manual intervention.
Avaya allows companies to tailor their cloud migration to their needs, leveraging traditional telephony tools alongside an all-in-one virtual office app. The solution works on any device and allows for comprehensive file sharing, integrations with other tools (like Salesforce and Microsoft Teams), and one-click video calling. Plus, there are AI tools for changing meeting backgrounds, eliminating noise during discussions, and streamlining productive work.
Webex by Cisco
The Webex Suite by Cisco ensures business teams have everything they need to communicate and collaborate seamlessly. From automatic upgrades to analytical insights and dashboards, the platform combines simplicity with feature-rich performance. Users can access calling, meeting, and messaging capabilities in a single platform alongside webinars, polling, events, and video messaging tools.
There are also built-in whiteboarding tools and access to the Webex AI assistant, which can instantly summarize meetings with key takeaways, translate messages, and offer productivity recommendations. Like many UC platforms, the Webex solution is highly secure and extensible, with various apps and integrations available and solutions like Webex Rooms for meetings.
Dialpad
Dialpad’s AI-powered communication and collaboration tools combine business phone systems with AI messaging (chat and SMS) and intelligent meetings. The UC platform makes it simple to manage projects in a single environment, share files and content through any device, and interact consistently with team members and generative AI assistants.
The AI solutions can assist with message summarization, productivity suggestions, transcription, translation, and more. Plus, unlike most UC platforms, Dialpad offers a 100% uptime SLA for peace of mind. The platform integrates with various apps, from Salesforce to Zendesk, and also provides real-time insights into call volume, usage, and adoption across global offices.
Intermedia
Cloud IT application provider Intermedia offers the Intermedia Unite solution for communication and collaboration. The platform supports business phone capabilities with over 90 features, including unlimited domestic calling and HD voice. It also enables video conferencing, team chat capabilities, and cloud-based file management.
There’s automated data capture for compliance, powerful contextual search features, and apps for mobile devices and desk phones. Users can access integrations with their favorite business tools and contact center systems, set up auto-attendants, and leverage comprehensive presence insights. Plus, Intermedia offers powerful administration tools, analytics capabilities, and enterprise-grade security. The system can even integrate with Microsoft Teams.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams, the proprietary cloud communication app, is among the most popular UC platforms. The solution supports file sharing, messaging, video and voice calling, meetings, events, and more. Users can also choose whether to use Microsoft’s own phone system solutions or implement their own through direct routing and operator connect.
Microsoft Teams now includes XR features, like Microsoft Mesh and Immersive Spaces for meetings and AI support from Copilot for Teams. This allows companies to summarize meetings and messages, access support in the flow of work, and even improve scheduling strategies. Additionally, Teams also integrates with a huge range of other business apps and tools.
Mitel
Offering on-site and cloud-based communications solutions, Mitel supports companies in over 100 countries with extensive UC solutions. Mitel’s MiVoice solution provides access to business voice capabilities, while MiVoice Office 400 supports global teams with communication and collaboration capabilities. Users can choose the features they want with a highly customizable ecosystem.
Mitel’s UC solution combines file and screen-sharing capabilities with conferencing, messaging, audio, and video. Plus, companies can leverage advanced call controls and analytical features. There’s the MiCollab system for productivity and conferencing, as well as various options to connect your Mitel ecosystem to business hardware and other essential apps.
RingCentral MVP
Available in over 110 countries, RingCentral MVP combines messaging, video, and phone capabilities into a single platform for collaboration. The UC solution can adapt to suit your business with a custom workflow builder and automation options. Companies can also complete their RingCentral plan with add-ons like RingCentral Rooms and RingCentral Webinar.
RingCentral supports events and video webinars and offers in-depth reports and analytics to business leaders. The platform can integrate easily with various tools and services through integrated apps, the RingCentral app gallery, and APIs. RingCentral is also experimenting with AI APIs for enhanced collaboration.
Vonage
The turnkey Vonage UC platform focuses on offering companies extensive flexibility. The platform provides extensive security and compliance features and 99.999% uptime reliability. It also gives users access to video calling, collaboration tools, team messaging, calling features, and more, for a single pane of glass work environment.
Users can plug new applications into their ecosystem in seconds with the Vonage app center, and the company also supports virtualization capabilities. Vonage also offers mobile apps for its UC platform, a comprehensive admin portal for team management, and AI tools, such as the AI virtual assistant to add intelligence to any conversation.
Zoom One
Zoom One is one of the most popular UC platforms available today, combining virtual meetings with team chat, VoIP telephony, email and calendaring tools, and virtual working spaces. It includes an appointment scheduling solution, and an online whiteboard for creative collaboration. Zoom also offers access to an AI companion for meeting summarization, scheduling, and more.
The platform has workspace reservation tools for hybrid teams and robust integrations with a range of apps, devices, and room systems. Users can also access Zoom to create webinars and online events and add their own phone system to the technology. Zoom One’s administration tools make it easy to leverage rich analytics, security and privacy tools, and access controls.
