It’s been widely held that the future of communications lies in software. That’s not to say that the hardware won’t exist — of course it will. But, ultimately, communications hardware, and endpoints, in particular, are limited in what they can do. At least they were, until developers realized they could build their products with the ability to leverage various communications applications directly from those endpoints.

 

That was only the beginning, but it was a sure sign that application innovation was going to experience significant growth. After all, it is much less expensive to develop new apps and update existing ones than it is to develop and install new hardware. That same fundamental is what has driven the growth of the hosted communications market.

 

Companies like IntelePeer, however, saw a much greater opportunity — a combination of the application world and the hosted space — and embarked on its mission to develop its Communications-as-a-Service platform. CaaS effectively takes the communications capabilities we’ve all become accustomed to and places them on the Web, into the applications we use on a daily basis. It effectively creates an outsourced model for communications, from VoIP to IM to collaboration capabilities to video conferencing, and even mobile communications.

 

The approach is an ideal alternative today, especially in light of the economic pressures facing every business. A CaaS solution inherently significantly reduces the CAPEX, as well as a large portion of recurring communications and administration costs and time that can hinder the ability to enhance communications capabilities today. In addition, it enhances a business’ ability to grow its communications abilities because it doesn’t require an overhaul of its infrastructure or a significant investment in resources. In fact, the CaaS model provides maximum investment protection, because it relies on software, which can be upgraded easily and inexpensively to add new features and capabilities.

 

But more importantly, it is more than a simple hosted VoIP solution. It seeks to leverage the World Wide Web and IP networks to create a more efficient communications and collaboration environment. The CaaS fundamental is largely responsible for the growth of many of the Web-based communities and social networks that have become immensely popular today, combining Web-based communications with various applications in both business and consumer environments.

 

So, when we talk about the intersection of these different applications, like social networking, conferencing services, and other enterprise applications, they have an underlying commonality, which is discussed in a new white paper produced by IntelePeer’s (News - Alert) senior vice president of Business Development and Marketing John Hart, and Joseph Hofstader, senior architect in Microsoft’s (News - Alert) Communications Sector.

 

Hart and Hofstader begin by explaining just that, what links these different communications applications. Their explanation is that all three application types “are being revolutionized and transformed by adding next-generation voice and rich media features through CaaS,” resulting in a new, simpler, and inherently more efficient way for people to communicate directly from within these applications, to which their providers have added the ability to connect the desktop application to any phone.

 

In essence the paper develops the three fundamental advantages of the CaaS model, which, not coincidentally, mirror the goals of communications solutions providers and developers today — as well as reflecting the needs of the end user community:

 

 

“CaaS has the ability to foster bold, swift innovation that creates new revenue opportunities, drives efficiencies, and reduces operating expenses,” they write. “Regardless of the motivation — cost reduction or innovative new applications or business models — the result is the same. CaaS drives business forward.”

 

The truth is, most service providers, developers, and enterprises are motivated by both all three, which is why CaaS presents an ideal opportunity for them to expand their capabilities and to make the most of the innovation that is only going to continue.

 

To find out more about CaaS and IntelePeer’s AppworX platform, its already successful CaaS platform, visit IntelePeer’s CaaS Community. And be sure to download the white paper, Communications as a Service: The Cloud Computing Revolution to Transform Software and Services. You’ll gain a general understanding of the principles that are driving the CaaS phenomenon, as well as specific details about its uses in the business world, in social networking, and a look into the how CaaS can be leveraged in the growing mobile space.

 

As Hart and Hofstader write, “To survive in today’s challenging economic environment, vendors and service providers must introduce groundbreaking new services or risk losing to competitors who do. Simply put, businesses must innovate or die.”

 

CaaS is your opportunity to ensure your business not only survives, but excels.  

comments powered by Disqus