CPaaS Strategy For Enterprise & Telcos

CPaaS Strategy & Opportunity for Enterprise 

CPaaS bridges the gap between development and telecoms

In this case, CPaaS providers aim to remove bottlenecks and simplify the process for companies looking to add communication services to their back-end systems. CPaaS providers take a specific approach by targeting developer engagement by offering communication APIs, resources, online service delivery, pricing and pay-as-you-go, contract-free business models, and facilitating access to global communications networks. This approach allows developers and enterprises to use enterprise APIs and platforms more quickly to test and deploy use cases.

Flexible and Faster Time to Market 

As CPaaS providers are growing, it is possible for customer interactions to be two-way or actionable using tools that facilitate the building of communication flows called visual editors. This tool enables knowledge workers and enterprise developers to create communication workflows that are integrated with information technology systems. An example of a user-enabled case with a communication workflow is an interactive appointment reminder that can trigger automatic interaction if a customer is unable to attend an appointment allowing the company to offer a new appointment.

Enterprises benefit from taking a staged approach to CPaaS

CPaaS has one advantage for enterprises they don’t have to make significant commitments to the CPaaS provider to access the services offered. The company can develop a use case and if it is well received by the target audience and provides measurable benefits, the company can use CPaaS to scale the target to a wider audience. Measurable benefits here mean an increase in customer satisfaction, business productivity, or an increase in revenue. The CPaaS platform allows enterprises to take this step-by-step approach to develop new use cases.

Selecting the Right CPaaS Provider 

There are four categories of CPaaS providers that companies can choose from. When selecting a CPaaS provider, developers and enterprises should consider the following:

• Number and types of APIs provided by CPaaS providers
• Availability of other developer resources, such as visual editing tools for building communication workflows and use case templates
• Size of developer base and customer base
• Business model flexibility
• Have access to global communications
• Number of CPaaS provider partnerships with relevant ISVs
• Access to local phone numbers
• If the company is already connected to a CPaaS provider, it should be noted that the vendor is a messaging provider or an enterprise communications specialist

CPaaS Opportunity for Telcos 

Telcos can harness CPaaS to their own networks

Telecommunications companies have the opportunity to provide their own CPaaS services to users. Telecommunications companies are already supplying enterprise customers with basic communication services such as broadband, mobile, and internet, value-added services such as UC, IoT, cloud security, contact centers, productivity applications, and so on. These attributes are the basis for communication companies to become CPaaS providers, which if this business is developed will become a B2B business model, other companies are clients. Telecommunications companies can take two steps to enter the CPaaS provider market, they can develop APIs into their own networks and operate their own CPaaS services, or partner with other CPaaS providers to package and operate CPaaS services.

Control and Challenges for Telcos 

Since most telecommunications companies already have their own customer base and have built their own network, it will be quite easy for telecommunications companies to add CPaaS and use APIs. Plus some of them have developed in-house or acquisitions. However, the success of these telecommunications developers and API initiatives is very diverse, there are main challenges that need to be considered, including the following:

• There is a disconnect between developer priorities and telecommunications company priorities.
• Telco’s APIs and developer programs are usually centered on a single telecommunications company whereas developers want their applications and services to be exposed to a wide audience.
• Telco APIs can be owned by telecommunications companies so developers need to learn how they work with limited applications.

Benefit Partnering with a CPaaS provider for Telcos

As previously mentioned, telcos have another option to enter the CPaaS market which is to partner with CPaaS service providers to offer white-label services. Partnering with a CPaaS provider enables telecommunications companies to provide added value services to their enterprise customers, reducing business risk and costs. Another benefit telecom companies also get from offering white-labeled services is that they can be more flexible about adding, subtracting, or upgrading services for their enterprise customers. As for the CPaaS providers themselves, partnering with telcos makes it possible to expand the reach of new customers.