Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS)

What is UCaaS?

UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) is a cloud suite that combines video meetings, team chat, and business phone into one service employees use internally. It is the set of tools employees open to do their jobs and talk to each other, delivered and maintained by the provider rather than hosted on company hardware.

For the practical side of this, check out BSG's What Is CPaaS? Communications Platform as a Service.

How does UCaaS differ from CPaaS?

UCaaS is often confused with CPaaS, but they solve different problems. CPaaS provides communication APIs that developers embed inside a product for customer-facing messaging and calls; UCaaS is a finished application aimed at internal productivity. In short, CPaaS is building blocks, UCaaS is a ready-made tool.

How does UCaaS relate to CPaaS underneath?

Many UCaaS products are themselves built on CPaaS APIs underneath, using them for the messaging and voice channels they expose to employees. For businesses choosing between models, the question is who the communication is for: internal staff (UCaaS) or your own customers inside your product (CPaaS).