Recently, I was going through a Forrester guide on Unified Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS) and found some very practical insights worth sharing. The report looks at how organisations buy UCaaS, the different licensing approaches available, and what buyers should consider before making a decision.
Key data point
According to Forrester’s 2023 data, 72% of telecom decision-makers who adopted UC technology still rely on multiple point solutions, instead of one integrated platform. This means that while UCaaS is supposed to streamline communication, many organisations still experience fragmentation.
Common UCaaS Licensing Models
Based on Forrester’s research, UCaaS providers typically offer licensing in one of the following ways:
1. Standalone UCaaS Subscriptions
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A per-user monthly subscription that usually includes voice, video, and messaging.
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Some providers allow different licence tiers for different employees (e.g., basic messaging for knowledge workers, advanced calling features for sales teams).
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Works best for organisations that want a dedicated UCaaS platform without tying it to other software bundles.
2. UCaaS Bundled with Productivity Apps
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UCaaS is included as part of a wider productivity suite (e.g., collaboration and email tools).
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This approach often delivers the tightest integration between communication and daily workflows.
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Phone features (like international calling or IVR) may require add-on licences.
3. Phone System Add-Ons
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Some providers offer UCaaS as an optional add-on to existing systems.
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The base licence includes a phone number for domestic calls, with advanced features like queuing, IVR, or analytics available at higher tiers.
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A flexible option for organisations that want to gradually expand capabilities.
4. Standalone Phone Licensing
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For organisations that only need phone services, some providers sell phone-only licences without the full UCaaS suite.
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Features usually include basic PBX capabilities like internal calling and voicemail, but advanced collaboration tools are excluded.
5. Meeting Room Licences
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UCaaS licences can also extend to meeting rooms and shared spaces.
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This typically requires additional per-room licences for advanced features like smart whiteboards, audiovisual integration, and shared room phones.
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Larger organisations often incur extra costs for connecting multiple rooms.
How to Choose the Right UCaaS Licensing Model
Forrester recommends that businesses start by clearly defining their buying objectives rather than just comparing pricing tables. Here are some of the most common considerations:
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Collaboration First: If your priority is seamless collaboration across teams, consider models that bundle UCaaS with productivity tools. Research shows that companies using integrated collaboration platforms see a 20–25% improvement in employee productivity (Forrester, 2023).
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Flexibility in Licensing: For businesses with diverse roles, a licensing model that allows mixed tiers is ideal. Forrester notes that this can reduce UCaaS costs by 15–20%, since not all employees need advanced calling features.
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Phone Reliability and Uptime: If your business still relies heavily on phone systems, focus on providers that offer high uptime SLAs (above 99.9%). Even small differences in uptime can lead to dozens of hours of lost availability per year in large organisations.
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Modern Meeting Experience: Organisations aiming to improve meetings should look at providers with strong in-room device support and AI features such as automated note-taking or real-time translation. This is becoming a differentiator as hybrid work grows.
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Customer Engagement (UCaaS + CCaaS): Businesses that want to connect their contact centres with internal collaboration tools should consider hybrid UCaaS/CCaaS offerings. According to Forrester, companies adopting integrated UCaaS + CCaaS can improve customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) by 20–30%.
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AI Readiness: Forrester highlights that AI will increasingly shape UCaaS. Features like AI-powered transcription, summarisation, and meeting analytics are no longer futuristic — they’re already being rolled out. Buyers should look for platforms that can scale with AI developments.
Final Takeaway
The main message is clear: choose UCaaS based on your business goals, not just the cheapest licence. Think about whether you need collaboration, phone reliability, AI-driven features, or customer engagement — and pick a model that aligns with that.
Licensing is not one-size-fits-all. The right model depends on your organisation’s size, scale, and priorities. Small businesses may do well with bundled packages, while large enterprises often need flexible tiering and advanced add-ons.
Reference:
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Forrester - https://www.forrester.com/
