This isn’t some vague “AI is coming” narrative—we’re in the middle of the disruption right now.
Last week, I had a powerful conversation with Ramy Riad from Webex by Cisco during our latest CPaaSAA Talk. And the message was clear: the lines between UCaaS, CCaaS, and CPaaS are blurring fast—and the rise of autonomous, AI-powered agents is driving this transformation.
Cisco’s recent launch of the Webex AI Agent isn’t just another bot upgrade. It marks the beginning of a shift toward agentic AI—intelligent, goal-oriented assistants that can evolve from task-based support to true autonomy over time. This isn’t about replacing people, but about reshaping how we engage across the customer experience.
🔁 From Channels to Outcomes
Traditional CCaaS systems focused on routing. CPaaS gave us channels. But this new layer? It’s about intent and outcomes.
The Webex AI Agent is designed to help businesses start building autonomous experiences today. These agents don’t just respond—they act. They understand goals, work across systems, and resolve issues in real time. They’re the first step toward delivering intelligent outcomes at scale.
This changes everything—from self-service design to agent assist to backend orchestration.
🧠 Context Is King—And CPaaS Is the Enabler
What makes the AI Agent actually useful (and not just hype) is context—and that’s where CPaaS comes in.
Ramy shared how APIs and programmability are key to making these agents work in real-time. They need access to CRM, ERP, collaboration tools, and telco-grade infrastructure. And CPaaS, long seen as just a delivery layer, is evolving into the intelligence layer that glues everything together.
It’s how the agent understands, connects, and takes action.
🧩 The Converged Platform Play
One of the most compelling points from our chat was how Webex by Cisco is positioning itself—not just as a CCaaS player or UCaaS vendor, but as a converged cloud communications platform.
• UCaaS: Real-time collaboration and communication (with BroadSoft legacy still supporting it)
• CCaaS: Omnichannel customer engagement
• CPaaS: Programmable integration and automation
Webex is actively blending these layers to power smarter, more seamless interactions—both for customers and agents. The introduction of the AI Agent sits right at the intersection of these capabilities, supporting a long-term vision for more autonomous, intelligent experiences.
🧭 What This Means for the Industry
This isn’t just a Cisco story—it’s a signal to every telco, vendor, and enterprise in the cloud comms space.
• For telcos: The shift to programmable, intelligent services is accelerating. Network APIs and real-time data must move from theory to practice.
• For CPaaS providers: There’s a new opportunity to move up the value stack—embedding intelligence and context into every interaction.
• For enterprises: This is the moment to align CX, comms, and AI strategy—and start experimenting with autonomous agents now, not later.
The Webex AI Agent shows what’s possible. It’s a building block for the next wave of digital customer engagement.
📅 See It All Come Together at CASA25
If you’re wondering where this is all heading, the answer is CASA25.
In September, we’ll bring the entire ecosystem together—telcos, UCaaS and CCaaS providers, CPaaS enablers, and AI innovators—for two unique days of insights, inspiration, and impact.
We’ll explore how agentic AI is becoming reality, how convergence is reshaping the landscape, and how every player can create value in this new era of cloud communications.
Because the future of CX isn’t siloed.
It’s intelligent, agent-enabled, and converged.
And CASA25 is where we build it—together.
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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