The Latest News on the State of SaaS, the AI Hype-ometer, Recent Microsoft layoffs, and More

UC Today

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On this episode of the UC Big News Show, host Kieran Devlin is joined by an expert-packed panel including Jon Arnold, Blair Pleasant, Craig Durr, Evan Kirstel, Mel Brue, and newcomer Derrick Kelly, Vice President of Solutions Enablement at AVI-SPL.

The panel tackles the shifting tides of the SaaS and UCaaS landscape in 2025, questioning whether we've hit a saturation point, and whether AI is living up to the immense hype, and what Microsoft's layoffs might mean for both the business's strategy and the future of the jobs market.

• Is the SaaS market in decline, or just evolving? And is AI revolutionising the workplace - or just overpromising? In this wide-ranging and insightful discussion, industry leaders explore:
• Why UCaaS growth is flattening, while CCaaS continues to outperform—and what that means for vendors like Zoom, Cisco, RingCentral, and NICE.
• The growing backlash against SaaS sprawl and why CIOs are prioritising vendor consolidation and tighter spend controls.
• A reality check on AI adoption: hype vs. genuine enterprise deployments, especially in smaller businesses and government.
• Why successful AI integration demands strategy, guardrails, and realistic expectations—plus cautionary tales of botched implementations.
• This candid debate shines a light on the challenges and opportunities facing unified communications and enterprise tech in 2025.
• Watch the full video to hear how leaders like Blair Pleasant and Jon Arnold are advising clients on navigating the AI hype cycle.

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