Enterprise Connect this year left me with a strong feeling that our industry is entering a real transition moment.
AI dominated almost every conversation. Every keynote touched it. Every vendor referenced it. Every enterprise discussion circled around experimentation, adoption, and change management.
But underneath those conversations, something deeper is happening.
The communications industry is being disrupted by AI faster than many of its players seem ready for. The technology is moving incredibly quickly, while the strategic narrative of the industry is still catching up.
Personally, I was fortunate to moderate a panel at the end of the event, with Michael Brandenburg (RingCentral), Jacques Klick (Sinch), and Paolina White (Speechmatics). That timing turned out to be perfect — it allowed us to reflect not just on Voice AI, but on the keynotes, announcements, and conversations that had unfolded during the week.
Before diving into those reflections, it’s also fair to say that Enterprise Connect itself feels like it’s in transition — much like the industry it represents.
The event was noticeably smaller than in previous years, and the new location and format created a somewhat different atmosphere. With another move planned for next year, the show itself seems to be adapting as the communications landscape evolves.
But the real value of the week still lies in the conversations.
There were great meetings with old friends and new faces, analyst catch-ups, and plenty of hallway discussions with vendors and innovators. Our CPaaSAA member cocktails on Tuesday evening were a perfect example — the kind of informal setting where people openly discuss what’s really happening in the market.
One thing that stood out to me this year was meeting a few interesting AI voice startups. Not many yet, but enough to show that a new generation of builders is entering the communications space — experimenting with speech-to-speech models, conversational agents, and entirely new interaction models.
That actually made me think: this might be an opportunity for Enterprise Connect itself. Events like Mobile World Congress created spaces such as 4YFN to showcase startups and early innovation. A similar AI and communications innovation pavilion could bring fresh energy to the show and connect established platforms with the next wave of builders.
And that dynamic — platforms opening up to innovators — was visible throughout the event.
Here are five reflections from the week.
1. AI has taken over the agenda — but the industry still needs a North Star
There is no question anymore: AI now defines the conversation in enterprise communications.
From contact centers to collaboration platforms to developer ecosystems, every vendor now positions itself through the lens of AI.
What is still missing in many discussions, however, is a clear strategic North Star.
Most sessions focused on adoption — how enterprises can experiment safely, how they can introduce AI step by step, and how they can manage organizational change.
Those conversations are important. But they do not yet fully answer the bigger question:
What does communications become in an AI-native world?
During our panel, Michael Brandenburg from RingCentral framed this well. AI in communications is not just about experimenting with tools — it is about embedding intelligence directly into business processes and customer journeys. AI becomes part of everyday operations.
The companies that define that operational future will shape the next phase of the industry.
2. The real moat is not AI. It is Voice AI
If everyone has access to powerful AI models, the real differentiation must come from somewhere else.
One of the clearest places is real-time voice interaction.
Voice AI is fundamentally different from the AI experiences we see in chatbots or productivity tools. Real-time conversations introduce a completely different set of challenges: latency, speech accuracy, interruption handling, contextual awareness, and seamless transitions between AI and humans.
Paolina White from Speechmatics explained how critical the speech layer is. If speech recognition struggles with accents, noisy environments, or speaker separation, the entire downstream AI experience becomes unreliable.
Jacques Klick from Sinch highlighted the infrastructure perspective. AI agents interacting with customers depend on communications networks and orchestration layers that can operate globally with extremely low latency.
And Michael Brandenburg emphasized the enterprise side: AI becomes powerful when it connects directly to real workflows — from AI receptionists to agent assist and automated customer journeys.
Put these layers together — speech, orchestration, and business context — and the picture becomes clear.
The moat is not just the model.
It is the real-time interaction layer around AI.
3. Software itself is becoming less defensible
AI is quietly changing the economics of software.
When powerful AI models become widely available, the traditional advantage of software companies — building larger feature sets or more complex platforms — becomes less durable.
Customers increasingly care about outcomes, orchestration, and integration.
This perspective also came through clearly during the panel.
Speechmatics focuses on delivering specialized speech capabilities through APIs that other platforms can embed. Sinch emphasized interoperability with the rapidly evolving AI ecosystem. And RingCentral highlighted the importance of integrating AI deeply into enterprise workflows rather than treating it as a standalone tool.
That shift is also visible in how platforms are positioning themselves.
Five9, for example, highlighted the evolution of its Fusion ecosystem, positioning its platform as a way to connect AI agents, enterprise data, and partner technologies across the customer experience stack.
RingCentral and Sinch are taking similar approaches — leaning into open APIs and partner ecosystems rather than closed stacks.
Interestingly, several of the conversations I had with platform vendors pointed in the same direction: the next wave of innovation in communications will likely come from startups and new ecosystem players building on top of open platforms.
4. Trust, governance, and identity will decide adoption
Trust came up repeatedly throughout the week.
Enterprises are interested in AI, but they are also cautious. Many deployments begin in controlled environments as organizations try to understand the risks around governance, security, hallucinations, and data management.
During our panel, Jacques Klick from Sinch made a particularly important observation: many AI initiatives stall not because the technology fails, but because the trust framework around it is not ready yet.
This is where communications infrastructure becomes strategically important.
Identity verification, branded calling, consent management, and secure communications channels all become essential when AI begins interacting directly with customers.
Trust is no longer just a compliance topic.
It is becoming a core layer of AI-powered communications.
5. The competitive landscape is about to change
Perhaps the biggest announcement of the week came from outside the traditional communications vendors.
Salesforce announced it is building its own CCaaS platform.
That is a major development.
Salesforce already sits at the center of many enterprise customer engagement strategies. If it moves deeper into contact center infrastructure, the competitive dynamics of the market could change significantly.
More broadly, AI is likely to reshape the structure of the industry itself.
New players will enter. Platform boundaries will blur. And the traditional separation between CRM systems, communications platforms, and AI infrastructure will start to disappear.
In times of disruption, innovation rarely comes from a single platform.
It comes from ecosystems.
A reset moment for communications
Despite the disruption, I left Enterprise Connect feeling optimistic.
The communications industry sits at the intersection of several powerful trends: AI, real-time interaction, voice, identity, trust, and enterprise workflows.
Those pieces together create enormous opportunity.
But the industry will need to move beyond simply adding AI features. It needs to define its role in the AI ecosystem more clearly.
As our panel discussion made clear, the companies that succeed will not just adopt AI.
They will help shape how AI interacts with people in real-time — through voice, messaging, and trusted communications.
That is where the next wave of innovation will happen.
My lifetime in IT and telecoms has been dedicated to innovation, building bridges and creating change. From the early days of cloud communications to working with operators on innovations and business development, and currently emphasizing APIs, CPaaS/CX and AI, my journey has been one of continuous evolution.
As founding partner at CPaaS Acceleration Alliance and The Next Cloud I'm privileged to help global telcos and techcos thrive in a fast changing world - through events, community building, strategy and global business development. I thrive on challenges and change, strategizing in cloud communications, and bringing people together for mutual success. Travel and continuous learning are my passions.
I believe the global communications industry is pivoting to prioritize customer experience and impactful solutions over mere technology and platforms, and we can tackle societal challenges by merging the strengths of corporates and innovators within new ecosystems.
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