If you’re wondering which CPaaS trends you should watch in the year ahead, you’re in the right place. The Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) market is growing at a phenomenal speed.
In 2022, it reached a value of $11.8 billion. By 2032, this number is expected to increase to $130.8 billion, largely thanks to the rapid adoption of cloud platforms.
While various factors have accelerated demand for CPaaS technologies, such as the rise of omnichannel customer service and access to easy-to-use APIs, some trends stand out. Today, we’re looking at some of the hottest CPaaS trends set to influence evolving businesses in the next year.
1. Conversational Messaging Takes Over
For some time now, omnichannel communications have been necessary for any business investing in excellent customer experiences. Today’s consumers expect to be able to interact with businesses on any channel they choose without compromising on speed or simplicity.
CPaaS offers companies an easy way to implement real-time communications into their existing apps, tools, and workflows without replacing legacy contact center tools. One of the most significant CPaaS trends vendors embrace is the demand for convenient messaging channels in the contact center. Many of the top CPaaS providers offer direct solutions for WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and a range of other tools.
These advanced conversational messaging channels don’t just allow companies to serve customers on their preferred platforms; they can also support secure transactions, self-service experiences, and more.
2. CPaaS Trends: The Rise of AI
AI has offered contact centers and customer service agents a range of valuable tools and resources for some time. With artificial intelligence, companies can more effectively map customer journeys, collect insights from calls and conversations, and even automate routine tasks.
The rise of generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, isn’t just one of the biggest CPaaS trends of the modern day. These tools are also having a direct impact on every aspect of customer communication. Increasingly, CPaaS providers are beginning to offer access to chatbot builders and customizable solutions that enhance self-service experiences.
Some leading CPaaS vendors offer a bring-your-own bot model within their platform, while others have acquired LLMs, AI, and NLP solutions or built their own. More advanced chatbots and AI tools will pave the way for more personalized interactions and cutting-edge marketing and sales automation in the future.
3. Advanced Platforms and Automation
The most significant CPaaS trends are emerging in response to a growing need for rapid, agile, and simple development. Already, many leading vendors offer access to convenient APIs, SDKs, and documentation that makes life easier for in-house developers.
However, some innovators are beginning to offer more advanced platforms with convenient new features. For instance, these solutions may provide visual workflow builders and no-code tools that allow virtually any business user to access new technology in seconds.
These advanced platforms can even open the door to new opportunities for solution providers and resellers, allowing them to automate things like number provisioning and client onboarding. Moreover, some CPaaS solution providers even work with companies to create custom apps, integrations, and tools to suit their needs.
4. CPaaS Trends: Increased Access to Customer Data
One of the biggest benefits of CPaaS platforms is their ability to unify communications and data sources in the contact center. With APIs and workflow builders, companies can improve agent productivity and create consistent customer experiences.
Integrations between CPaaS tools and CRM solutions are standard in today’s world. However, as organizations continue to recognize the value of customer insights, CDP (Customer Data Platforms) is growing more popular. CPaaS trends, which involve connecting CDPs with real-time communication tools, can be extremely valuable for growing teams.
They provide companies with a dynamic consumer intelligence environment, making it easier to build personalized marketing and sales campaigns and deliver unique services. Some CPaaS providers even offer access to their CDP solutions, while others provide third-party connectors.
5. CPaaS Providers Expand Partner Programs
Another of the significant CPaaS trends present today is the evolution of provider partner networks. CPaaS leaders are expanding their relationships with value-added resellers, developers, and systems integrators. This allows these companies to cater to small and mid-sized businesses alongside larger enterprises.
A robust partner network can help bridge the gaps between a solution provider’s offerings for companies with a vast geographical network. It can offer consumers specialist assistance and support to power digital transformation strategies.
Leading analysts like Gartner even advise CPaaS to view channel partners as a crucial resource for growth. With the right partnerships, CPaaS leaders can ensure they’re prepared to serve every business and communication need.
6. CPaaS Trends: Convergence of the Platforms
It’s no secret that today’s companies rely on various communication tools, software, and services to thrive in the modern world. Increasingly, CPaaS trends are being influenced by a growing desire to converge these tools into a single, unified ecosystem.
Many leading CPaaS vendors are beginning to bring multiple solutions together into an all-in-one service for communications. CPaaS technologies are becoming more deeply integrated with UCaaS platforms and contact centers as a service solution.
This ensures companies can upgrade their entire communication stack without compromising on the flexibility and customization offered by CPaaS. Some CPaaS enablers and vendors can even combine multiple different solutions on behalf of businesses, helping them to unify and simplify their technology stack.
7. Demand for Security Continues to Grow
Finally, security and compliance have always been crucial concerns for business leaders. Companies serving customers need to interact with them across various channels, which means they need to manage multiple forms of data in an increasingly complex space.
As compliance standards continue to evolve, CPaaS vendors are taking notice. While an increased focus on security isn’t one of the newest CPaaS trends on this list, it’s one worth watching.
Many vendors already offer specific APIs to help businesses become more compliant, covering everything from fraud detection to two-factor authentication. Additionally, these vendors invest in monitoring and reporting tools to help companies maintain complete visibility into their tech stack. This security focus will likely continue to grow in the years ahead.
Learning from CPaaS Trends
The CPaaS trends indicate we’re moving towards a world where CPaaS solutions become increasingly valuable to business leaders.
Though it’s challenging to know what the future will bring, a rising focus on flexibility, agility, and customization suggests demand for CPaaS will increase. It will be interesting to see what the vendors of tomorrow do to differentiate their technology stacks.
