Here’s a quiz for you: The percentage of business telephony users worldwide attached to multi-tenant, cloud-based UC systems is:
- Just over three-quarters
- Just over half
- Just over one-quarter
- Less than 10%
The answer is (C), 27% to be exact, according to the Cavell Group, as cited in this recent No Jitter article. And though Cavell reports the U.S. and UK to be ahead of the rest of the world’s pace, that still strikes me as a remarkably small figure for a technology that’s now over a decade old and benefitted from the force majeure of the Covid pandemic and the accompanying remote-work transformation.
Technology transitions always move slower than people think they will, and cloud communications is no exception. Still, No Jitter quotes Cavell research director Patrick Watson’s opinion that, even as laggard markets like France and Germany accelerate their cloud migrations, the case for hybrid cloud/premises deployments will remain for enterprises.
This may have less to do with telephony per se than with data residency. No Jitter’s Matt Vartabedian writes that the impetus for hybrid is, “‘Not necessarily on the PBX or call control side, but [around] keeping crucial bits of your data on prem,’” Watson said. “‘[Hybrid] might be keeping your call recording data, for example, sovereign and local to you, and controlling that.’”
It so happens that we’ve got a session at Enterprise Connect 2026 that focuses on just this issue of hybrid cloud. Veteran consultant Melissa Swartz will present, Hybrid Communication Architectures—Maximizing Value, Minimizing Risk, in which she’ll focus on investment protection and risk mitigation – always key factors in a large, complex technology migration – as well as discussing the kind of governance and security issues that Patrick Watson of Cavell highlights.
Throughout our 35 years, Enterprise Connect has always had a dual mission: Help you do your job now and in the near future; and help you understand the longer-term, strategic trends that will impact your enterprise. With Melissa’s session and similar ones in our “Legacy Unleashed” track at EC2026, we address the former mission, but we won’t just be telling you things you already know about your installed base – we’ll help you plan how to optimize that technology, extend the life and value of business-critical systems, and find new ways of using them to provide cost-efficient service to your end users and customers.
So whether your time is consumed with all-AI-all-the-time, or you’ve got responsibility for modernizing a large, complex installed base (or some of both), Enterprise Connect 2026 will have in-depth, vendor-neutral guidance to help you succeed. I hope you can join us March 10 – 12 in Las Vegas.
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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.