Description

Frost & Sullivan defines cloud-connected calling enablement as a segment of the voice over internet protocol (VoIP) access and session initiation protocol (SIP) trunking. Cloud-connected calling enablement services provide carrier-grade managed voice and telephony services into third-party cloud private branch exchange (PBX) environments such as Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, Zoom, and RingCentral platforms. At present, these solutions are typically sold as managed session border controller (SBC) services, value-added services or features on top of existing SIP trunking services, or as discrete calling plans that bundle management and provisioning with a set of voice minutes. These are distinctly different than traditional VoIP access and SIP trunking services, which are often deployed to the customer’s business network, requiring businesses to manage the links to their chosen on-premises or cloud platform. Cloud-connected calling also stands apart from traditional telephony services with the value-added services wrapped around the voice services, including provider-managed infrastructure, user management, and automation.

The Frost Radar™ for cloud-connected calling enablement services benchmarks competitors in this nascent industry based on growth and innovation criteria including

• breadth and depth of enablement services offered,
• the number of cloud PBX platforms supported,
• user adoption and growth rates,
• technology roadmap,
• overall position in the unified communications as a service (UCaaS) and broader voice services markets, and
• geographic reach.

By design, many of the UCaaS providers offer public switched telephony network (PSTN) connectivity, direct inward dialing (DID) numbers, and calling plans along with their cloud services suites. This analysis will focus on third-party PSTN connectivity enablement and will not cover bundled UCaaS and connectivity services offered by the same provider.

The purpose of the Frost Radar™ for cloud-connected calling enablement is to provide an objective assessment of service provider capabilities, which benefits multiple constituents as follows.
• Service providers can benchmark against competitors to improve their market positions.
• End-customer decision makers can learn about evolving service provider business models and potential communications transformation partners.
• Investors and other third parties can learn about how different industry participants are adapting to new trends and capitalizing on growth opportunities.

Frost & Sullivan analyzes numerous companies in an industry. Those selected for further analysis based on their leadership or other distinctions are benchmarked across 10 Growth and Innovation criteria to reveal their position on the Frost Radar™. The publication presents competitive profiles of each company on the Frost Radar™ considering their strengths and the opportunities that best fit those strengths.