I recently recounted an Enterprise Connect keynote panel in which I asked execs from 3 UCaaS providers about the impact of AI on the future of the market and how technology transformations might change the nature of collaboration. In that panel we also discussed vendor lock-in, and No Jitter has a piece up that combines these issues, offering some useful insights about how the addition of AI to UCaaS platforms could increase the risk of vendor lock-in.
First-generation (i.e., pre-AI) UCaaS introduced its own risks around lock-in and governance. Number portability emerged as a major stumbling block, along with data residency and ownership. Now, according to No Jitter writer Terri Coles, experts are warning that to the extent you implement AI features in your UCaaS deployments, you’re introducing a whole new layer of lock-in risk.
Coles quotes Druv Patel, director of incubation at AI vendor UiPath: “‘AI turns switching [providers] into more than a migration. It becomes a rebuild of intelligence and reliability.’” An enterprise may be forced to revisit how it handles prompts, operations, and guardrails, among other factors, according to Patel.
The provider’s underlying AI systems may present barriers to making a switch. “Changing platforms, and therefore AI models, means not just retraining those [new] models but also investigating and reconfiguring their related integrations, guardrails, and governance policies,” Coles writes.
Ironically, a successful AI integration may harden an enterprise’s lock-in to the UCaaS provider, Coles writes: “AI-enabled platforms can support workplace productivity and efficiency when they’re well integrated into workflows, so it follows that changing those platforms can also disrupt those workflows.”
The larger issue that enterprises will increasingly face is the question of AI capabilities’ role in the collaboration environment. AI is the shiny object at the moment, but for most enterprises, the core communications functionalities – call quality, system uptime, user interface – will be more continue to be more critical. And of course there’s maybe the most important factor of all: Cost. UCaaS providers will likely try to use AI features as a differentiator and therefore as a revenue driver. But the challenges of implementing these AI features and protecting against AI tech debt will weigh on the opposite side of the balance against AI’s benefits. Which means AI features will need to demonstrate surpassing value, whose lack would truly put the enterprise at a competitive disadvantage.
AI in a vacuum can look impressive. AI in an enterprise will need to not only solve business problems, but work in harmony with the realities of how the business runs. It’s a new facet of risk for IT to add to its list of factors to consider as the collaboration technology estate evolves.
Reimagine Collaboration and Communications with Enterprise Connect
All In on What’s Next
For over 35 years, Enterprise Connect has been the premier event where IT leaders, solution providers, and industry analysts come together to define the future of enterprise communications. As the most trusted conference in the industry, we deliver cutting-edge insights, world-class networking opportunities, and hands-on solutions that drive real business success.
Enterprise Connect is more than an event—it’s an experience that empowers enterprise communications leaders to reimagine the future of work. With elevated content, curated networking, and an engaging atmosphere, it remains the must-attend conference for professionals shaping the industry’s evolution.
Our mission is to equip you with the tools, strategies, and actionable insights needed to address your organization’s unique challenges. With industry transformation in mind, this year’s program introduces fresh new conference tracks, including:
- Legacy Unleashed: Optimizing Your Communications Backbone
- Workplace Reimagined: Engineering Tomorrow's Collaboration
- Tech Disruption Zone: Implementing Without Imploding
- Achieving Transformation: Architecting Your 3-5 Year Roadmap
- Future Shock: Communications Tech Beyond the Horizon
Featuring the most comprehensive program of objective content and an expansive vendor-neutral expo hall, Enterprise Connect is your ultimate resource for advancing collaboration, CX, and AV strategies. Join us to stay ahead, connect with industry trailblazers, and lead the transformation of enterprise communications.