The Bring Your Own Carrier (BYOC) model relies on a pretty simple principle: moving your business communication to the cloud while continuing to use the services of the local provider of your choice. While BYOC is nothing new, its accelerated adoption among SMEs following the pandemic is opening new opportunities for end users and CPaaS, UCaaS and CCaaS providers alike. 

The Shift in BYOC Adoption

The BYOC model has been invested in by large organizations for years, but what’s shifted, causing growing adoption among SMEs as well, is the “why” part. 

“In the past, multinationals and large organizations have been investing in BYOC due to reasons of technical complexity and scale, but these are no longer the only reasons to consider that model,” notes Thomas Laboulle, CEO of leading APAC cloud communications provider Toku. 

Other than Digital Transformation increasing, driving a change in traditional telephony models, there’s also a greater emphasis nowadays on reinforcement of telecom regulations. In regions where regulations are particularly strict, BYOC is a great fit for both the users and the cloud communications providers. 

“Over the past years, the reinforcement of telecom regulations and data protection legislations in APAC has been driving the adoption of the BYOC model for a growing number of SMEs here,” Laboulle notes. 

What’s in It for the Business User?

In one word: flexibility. 

“BYOC allows companies to benefit from the flexibility and interoperability of cloud communications platforms, without compromising on cost-efficiency, quality control and regulatory compliance of traditional telcos. In other words: getting the best of both worlds,” Laboulle explains. 

What’s in It for the UCaaS Providers?

In three words: more market share. 

While leading UCaaS providers like Zoom and Microsoft Teams still maintain their own calling plans, where they provide both the UC platform and the connectivity, the BYOC model is playing an increasingly growing part in their go-to-market strategies.  

“This is their way to avoid the hassle of managing regulations or being held accountable for the quality of local connectivity, while accelerating the adoption for use cases that are too complex, penetrating more complicated markets,” Laboulle adds. 

Toku joins Zoom Phone Provider Exchange 

When it comes to pairing the BYOC model with a local carrier, Toku is the obvious choice for APAC-based businesses. Their rich telecommunications experience and cloud offerings along with a regional specialty and understanding of local regulations, make them a go-to connectivity provider in the area.   

As a natural continuation of Toku’s partnerships with various cloud communications providers including Microsoft Teams, Toku is now partnering with Zoom as part of the Zoom Phone Provider Exchange, recently announced at the Zoomtopia Partner Connect conference. Zoom will be collaborating with some new providers worldwide as part of this effort. This will in fact manifest in the form of a new Zoom Phone marketplace, allowing users to pair the Zoom Phone app with a local carrier as part of a self-serve experience.   

“Toku is collaborating with Zoom to enable companies in APAC to continue using Zoom Phone while using Toku as the underlying provider for the connectivity in over 15 markets,” shares Laboulle.

“What it means for customers is that they can have access to our coverage while still enjoying all Zoom Phone features”   

Zoom is not new to the BYOC model. What’s new, however, is the ease with which it will be available to Zoom Phone users from now on. Thanks to the new Zoom Phone Provider Exchange, users will be able to connect with the local carrier of their choice from inside the Zoom app, saving time-consuming backend integrations.  

 

 



from UC Today https://ift.tt/3znl1cD