UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service)
Business calling, video meetings and messaging delivered as one cloud service.What Is UCaaS?
UCaaS stands for unified communications as a service. It’s a cloud platform that brings a business’s communication tools together: phone calls, video meetings, team chat, voicemail and sometimes contact center features. Because a provider hosts it, there’s no phone system to install on site, and employees use the same number and tools from a desk phone, a laptop or a mobile phone.
What’s Included in UCaaS
- Business phone service over VoIP, with auto attendants, call routing and hunt groups
- Video meetings and screen sharing
- Team chat and messaging
- Voicemail, often transcribed and sent to email
- Presence, so you can see who’s available
- Integrations with tools like Microsoft 365 and CRM software
UCaaS vs VoIP vs CCaaS
| Term | What it is |
|---|---|
| VoIP | The technology that carries voice calls over the internet |
| UCaaS | A cloud platform that combines VoIP calling with video, chat and messaging |
| CCaaS | A cloud contact center for teams that handle large volumes of customer calls and chats |
VoIP is a building block of UCaaS. Every UCaaS platform uses VoIP, but not every VoIP service includes video and chat.
Benefits of UCaaS
- One system for employees to learn instead of several
- Work from the office, home or the road with the same number
- Add or remove users as the team changes
- A predictable monthly cost
- No on-site phone hardware to maintain
UCaaS With Microsoft Teams
Many businesses already use Microsoft Teams for chat and meetings. Adding Teams calling turns it into a complete UCaaS setup, with real business phone numbers inside the app people already use. ALLO Business offers Microsoft Teams Voice for this, and Cloud Voice for businesses that want a hosted phone system with desk phones.
Bring calling, chat and meetings together.
FAQs
What does UCaaS stand for?
Unified communications as a service: business communication tools delivered from the cloud as a subscription.
What's the difference between UCaaS and VoIP?
VoIP is the technology for internet phone calls. UCaaS is a full platform that uses VoIP and adds video meetings, chat and other collaboration tools.
Is Microsoft Teams a UCaaS platform?
Teams handles chat and meetings on its own. With a calling service like Teams Voice added, it works as a complete UCaaS platform with business phone numbers.
Do I need new phones for UCaaS?
Not necessarily. Most UCaaS services work through a computer or mobile app, and many support existing IP desk phones.
How much internet does UCaaS need?
Voice calls need very little. Video meetings need more, especially upload speed. A connection with matching upload and download speeds keeps calls and meetings clear when several people are on at once.
