8x8 looks set to focus more on CCaaS and CPaaS products and services over UCaaS, seemingly asserting they represent better growth avenues.
During the Q&A portion of its Q4 2024 earnings call, 8x8 CEO Samuel Wilson was asked about the company's CCaaS pipeline compared to its UCaaS outlook. Wilson noted growth and momentum in 8x8's contact centre and CPaaS business but was cautious about UCaaS, describing it as a "tough market" and saying later on in the call that 8x8 needed to grow beyond "being known as that stodgy UCaaS company".
Wilson said:
Well, contact centre business, we've been seeing more growth. It's hard, there's a little bit of a fuzz on that call. Contact centre, we've definitely been seeing solid momentum, particularly when we think about the CPaaS partnership around it, the add-on products, those kinds of things. And then UCaaS, it's a tough market out there."
Wilson cited accelerating innovation in CCaaS as a strategic imperative, namechecking solutions like its AI-powered intelligent customer assistant as underpinning impressive customer resolution rates at 80 percent.
Wilson also discussed establishing CPaaS leadership in the Asia Pacific region as a strategic imperative while stating that 8x8 was "broadening" its CPaaS products globally while establishing a "renewed focus" on CPaaS.
“I believe our industry is at an inflexion point," Wilson said. "With our increased focus and investment in research and development, we have the opportunity to leverage our XCaaS first-mover advantage, accelerate CCaaS innovation, and become a true leader across customer experience communications."
The CEO was keen to stress that 8x8's recent investments in CCaaS and CPaaS and the holistic integrations of both with UC across several solutions will distinguish it in a crowded market.
Asked later in the Q&A about 8x8's other go-to-market investments, Wilson replied that 8x8 has a "really, really good product innovation-led story. We're still somewhat known as that stodgy UCaaS company, but once we can get that story out, we have the references, we have the capabilities, we have the case studies(...). It's just a matter of getting people to realise kind of what we've evolved to, and we'll see those corresponding business improvements."
Major UCaaS wins and product releases were celebrated and strategic goals outlined in the call, however.
