Experts Share: The Shift From VoIP To UCaaS

Business communication has undergone major transformations in the past decade, particularly Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). What started as a replacement for traditional landlines has gradually shifted into something far bigger and more integrated.

At first glance, it seemed like VoIP was the ultimate tool to have. It slashed phone bills and could be used from anywhere and any device, as long as there was an Internet connection. However, as businesses became increasingly digital, the limitations of VoIP began to show.

Companies needed more than just phone calls over the Internet. They required instant messaging, file sharing and collaboration between teams. This is where Unified Communications As A Service (UCaaS) has stepped in, offering one communication ecosystem that brings together all of those elements.

A few industry experts have shared their thoughts on how UCaaS will shape communications going forward.

Our Experts

• Daniel Harding: Director at MaxContact Australia.

• Herve Andrieu: CloudCom Solutions Expert at Proximus Global.

• Chris Sorensen: CEO of PhoneBurner and ARMOR Dial.
• Jason Hishmeh: Co-Founder of Varyence & Increased.

Daniel Harding, Director at MaxContact Australia

Over the previous couple of years, we’ve seen a large number of companies transitioning from traditional VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) systems to more advanced UCaaS platforms. As the name suggests, Unified Communications as a Service platforms bring more than just the traditional voice channel into the business.

Migrating to a UCaaS platform allows companies to engage with their customers over a variety of channels, such as; voice, email, SMS, web chat, conversational AI and even social media. This trend allows companies to better service their customers, and provide a better experience, by allowing the customer to choose their preferred method of communication.

Whilst voice is still king, there are numerous scenarios whereby another channel of communication is preferred. I anticipate that we’ll continue to see this trend grow over the coming years with most traditional VOIP providers now integrating other channels into their base solution to keep up with the large UCaaS providers.

Herve Andrieu, CloudCom Solutions Expert at Proximus Global

The shit from traditional copper networks to VOIP was about reducing costs and adding flexibility into the company telecom infrastructure.

The switch from VOIP to a UCaaS solution is a logical next step that allows to remove the need for maintenance of a technical infrastructure, it gives access to the services of the phone solution in your office, on your laptop and on your mobile phone depending on your needs thanks to complete solutions and finally it allows for the faster addition of more and more complex suites of value added features, greatly accelerated with AI-computing on the cloud.

A UCaaS solution allow business to gain scalability, resilience and a future-proof communication solution without the requirement for in-house technical specialists to make this evolution possible.

Chris Sorensen, CEO of PhoneBurner and ARMOR Dial

Safe to say that as VoIP matures, the shift toward UCaaS is a natural evolution, driven by the need for flexible, integrated communications tool that support today’s hybrid and distributed teams. VoIP was a game changer for replacing traditional phone systems, but UCaaS has taken it even further by unifying voice, video, messaging, an collaboration into one seamless platform.

At PhoneBurner we have seen how businesses want more than just a voice. They really do want context rich communication that properly integrates with CRMs, productivity tools, and support platforms.

This shift is definitely driven by a changing workforce expectations. Remote and hybrid teams expect frictionless communication, jumping from chat to call to video without juggling separate tools. UCaaS is able to deliver that continuity.

Jason Hishmeh, Co-Founder of Varyence & Increased

The shift from VoIP to UCaaS isn’t just a tech upgrade, it’s a reflection of how modern businesses now operate. VoIP gave us flexibility and cost savings over traditional phones, but UCaaS does the critical work by integrating voice, video, messaging & collaboration tools into one seamless platform. That’s critical for distributed teams that need real-time decision-making, not just call quality.

At Varyence, we transitioned early to UCaaS to support our globally distributed dev teams & startup clients. The result? Less platform-switching, better documentation of internal conversations & a measurable increase in project velocity. UCaaS doesn’t just unify communications, it unifies culture across time zones. It’s not just about replacing the phone system; it’s about future-proofing how we work.