Clique API Whitepaper

Communications Platforms
as a Service:
The Future
of Business
Communications

Introduction .....................................................................................................................3
Business Communications Problems in Today’s World.............................. 4
What Is CPaaS?...............................................................................................................5
Benefits of CPaaS.......................................................................................................... 6
How to Select the Right CPaaS Provider............................................................ 8
Clique API.......................................................................................................................... 9
The Future of CPaaS....................................................................................................10
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................10
CONTENTS

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Clique API Whitepaper 2019
Introduction
Business communications, whether business-
to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer
(B2C), have changed drastically over the past
20 years. The internet has become the great
leveler, allowing small businesses to have the
same access to resources and the consumer
as mediumand large-sized businesses. Where
communications once had to be face-to-face
or via the telephone, we can now also email,
SMS text message, and instant message each
other or communicate via social media, apps,
and blogs.
B2B communications and collaboration
frequently happen via platforms that allow
teams and co-workers to instant message
each other, share data and computer screens,
hold conference calls, and co-create and co-
edit documents. B2C communication has
largely been taken to social media and blogs,
where the consumer can interact directly with
the brand, although push notifications and
chatbots1
are becoming more popular.
Perhaps the most significant impact of the
change in communication technology has
been the fact that, whether B2B or B2C,
communications can happen instantaneously
on a global scale. This means a company can
have a 100%-remote workforce and a business
can have customers and suppliers spread
around the globe. When it comes to working
remotely:2
• Close to 25% of the U.S. workforce works
remotely at least some of the time
• Employees at Fortune 1,000 companies are
away from their desk 50% to 60% of the time
• 80% to 90% of the U.S. workforce would like
to work remotely at least part-time
A remote workforce increases the need for
conference calls and virtual meetings. Loopup
commissioned a Research Now survey that
was conducted in 2015 and surveyed business
people in both the U.K. and the U.S.3
On
average, 73% of respondents in these two
countries attended between one and five
conference calls per week, and another 17%
attended six to 10 calls per week. Loopup
also reports that the average conference call
length was 38 minutes.
When it comes to B2C communications, it
is clear that it has become a multi-channel
event. RR Donnelley in the U.K. surveyed
leaders in marketing and technology to find
out where they thought B2C communications
were headed.4
Of those surveyed, 99% believe
mobile will be critical and 87% plan to give
multi-channel, synchronized customer
experience the highest priority.
Advancements in technology have improved
B2B and B2C communications significantly.
However, there are still noteworthy problems
when it comes to having a streamlined
communication experience. This whitepaper
explores one of the primary challenges that
comes with business communications in
today’s world and offers a solution that will
help address that challenge, particularly in
the voice communication and meeting space.
1
Britt, K. 2016. CPaaS: The future of omnichannel marketing. Fourth Source.
http://www.fourthsource.com/cloudcomputing/ cpaas-future-omnichannel-marketing-21611. Accessed
July 7, 2018.
2
Global Workplace Analytics. Updated 2017. Latest Telecommuting Statistics.
http://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/telecommuting-statistics. Accessed June 29, 2018.
3
Loopup. 2015. Understanding the Impact of Conference Calls on Business.
https://loopup.com/app/uploads/2016/11/Research-Now-2015-Survey.pdf.
Accessed June 28, 2018.
4
RR Donnelley. 2016. Future of B2C Communications. http://www.rrdonnelley.co.uk/insights/future-of-
b2ccommunications. Accessed June 28, 2018.

www.CliqueAPI.com4
Business Communications Problems in Today’s World
Over the past two decades, technology has
developed rapidly and nearly everything about
a business has gone digital. This includes B2B
and B2C communications. Mobility plays a
large role in the business communications
landscape, which means people are spread
between various devices and platforms.
According to VMWare, 78% of organizations
are in the process of implementing mobile
in the workplace or have already succeeded
in doing so.5
When it comes to mobility
and the consumer, the use of mobile in
B2C interactions is skyrocketing. Insurance
companies are encouraging customers to take
their own photos of an accident, including a
time stamp and a GPS stamp, and consumers
can increase the frequency of interaction they
have with eCommerce sellers, ensuring the
service they receive becomes more targeted
and personalized.6
When it comes to communications and the
transfer of information, there are a number of
issues that have been a cause for concern over
the past decade, such as:
• Security
• Poor quality
• Missed messages
• Technical resources
• Accessibility
• Misunderstood communications
The above issues with business
communications are all valid and have been
dealt with to a degree. However, there is one
outstanding issue that has been plaguing B2B
and B2C communications. This is the issue
of multi-channel communication and it is a
serious challenge in today’s high-tech world.
As discussed above, business communications
can happen in many different ways. We can
communicate with business colleagues and
customers via numerous channels, such as
telephone, email, SMS, instant messaging,
apps, social media, websites and web
forms, and newsletters. Each channel of
communication on its own is useful in the
right set of circumstances.7
However, when it comes to these multiple
channels of communication, each channel
has limitations. For example, a customer
might be on their bank’s app. Yet, if they want
to speak with a representative of the bank to
ask questions or get technical help, they need
to leave the app to phone the bank because
there is no phone, chat, or video chat feature
built into the app.
Consider the virtual meeting, having all
attendees leave what they are doing in
whatever app or platform they are using to join
a meeting with an access code via a specific
platform or the phone. Downloading the
software, remembering to sign in, and hoping
the access code works are all major issues. It
can cause delays just waiting for everyone to
get onboard for the meeting and making sure
that audio is working for everyone.
The ability to connect with colleagues and
customers from a single app is critical in
today’s fastpaced world. Yet, building this type
of technology into apps can be a huge expense
forcompanies.Fortunately,asolutionhasbeen
developed that will allow communications to
bridge applications easily.
5
VMWare. 2016. The State of the Digital Workplace.
http://campaign.vmware.com/imgs/GlobalCampaigns/39249/State_of_the_DW_2016.pdf. Accessed July
2, 2018.
6
Accenture. 2012. The New Age of Mobility. https://www.accenture.com/ca-en/~/media/Accenture/
Conversion- Assets/DotCom/Documents/Global/PDF/Technology_6/Accenture-New-Age-of-Mobility.

www.CliqueAPI.com 5
What Is CPaaS?
CPaaS stands for Communications Platform as
a Service. It is a cloud-based service that allows
real-time communication features to be used
from within applications. As discussed above,
it is important for two-way communication
between businesses and their employees,
colleagues, and customers to happen quickly
and easily. However, there are so many apps
and other methods of communication used
in today’s business world that it is often
necessary to jump from one to another to
ensure the right communication is sent to the
right people in the right format.
Communication from a single app is the
ideal situation. To accomplish this requires a
development framework that provides the
features of real-time communication with
colleagues, employees, and customers from
directly within a single app. However, it can be
cost-prohibitive for a company, small or large,
to have that communications framework built
into their business apps.
7
Nagy, M. On the Problem of Multi-Channel Communication. http://ceur-ws.org/Vol-848/ICTERI-2012-
CEUR-WSpaper- 40-p-128-133.pdf. Accessed July 2, 2018.
CPaaS has changed the communications
landscape by allowing developers to integrate
pre-built communications features into their
existing communications software, allowing
them to provide their employees, colleagues,
and customers with the benefit of real-time
voice, SMS, and video without the need
to build and maintain that framework.8
This is accomplished through the use of
application programming interfaces
(APIs), allowing businesses from small to
large to implement this type of real-
time communications framework in less
time and for a significantly lower cost
because they can piggyback it onto the
applications and platforms they and their
contacts are already using.

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Benefits of CPaaS
CPaaSisagoodoptionforbusinessesofanysize
and it offers a host of benefits over traditional,
disjointed forms of business communication.
The primary goal of CPaaS is to provide
seamless communications for businesses,
either B2B or B2C, without being overly costly
or requiring a dedicated infrastructure. CPaaS
delivers on these requirements by offering the
following benefits:
It Is More Affordable
When using CPaaS, there is no need for an
organization to hire developers to create the
frameworks needed to build communications
into their apps and there is no need to
expand their current infrastructure. Instead,
the communications platform is offered as a
service that can be paid for on a monthly, as-
you-use-it basis. This can save companies
50% to 60% in the first year of using CPaaS.9
This is particularly meaningful for small
companies, only 19% of which have full-
time, in-house IT staff, while the rest rely
primarily on external contractors.10
It Makes Communications More
Accessible
It is estimated that about 15% of the
world’s population has special needs.11
Many of these people have a difficult
time with communications due to
hearing, sight, or speech limitations.
CPaaS makes it possible to integrate different
modes of communication into an app that
make it easier for people to communicate
with a business or special needs employees to
communicate with co-workers.
The options of voice for visually impaired
people and SMS for hearing impaired people
open up communication with segments of
the population that might not otherwise have
access to communication with a business
or within the setting of a virtual meeting.
In addition, CPaaS allows businesses to
send push notifications to employees and
customers, which can help people with
memory challenges receive important
reminders about time-sensitive information.

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8
CSO. CPaaS Explained: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Improve Communications.
https://www.csoonline.com/article/3247824/leadership-management/cpaas-explained-what-it-is-why-
it-mattersand- how-it-can-improve-communications.html. Accessed July 2, 2018.
9
Hipp, A. 2018. Addressing the wholesale voice ‘Efficiency, Scalability and Agility’ paradox using
Cataleya’s CPaaS solutions. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/addressing-wholesale-voice-efficiency-
scalability-agility-hipp/. Accessed July 2, 2018.
10
McCabe, L. 2014. Why Vendor Definitions of SMB Matter. https://lauriemccabe.com/2014/05/05/why-
vendordefinitions- of-smb-size-matters/. Accessed June 30, 2018.
11
World Health Organization. World report on disability.
http://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/report/en/. Accessed July 2, 2018.
Improved Engagement
Customers and employees can easily
communicate with a business from wherever
they are. There is no need to leave one app
or platform and go into a separate one to
communicate. The entire process is simplified
and seamless, so everything can happen
from a single app. This means customers and
employees can be more engaged throughout
their interaction with a business.
It Offers Easy Integration
CPaaS easily integrates voice, video, and
SMS with existing software and applications,
making all communications streamlined
without the investment in additional
infrastructure or in-house development staff.
It Is Easily Scalable
Since CPaaS is offered as an as-needed
service, it can be scaled as a business grows.
Ideally, the CPaaS offers a fee structure that
accommodates small-, medium-, and large-
sized businesses. This allows a business, even
a start-up, to start small and expand their
communications as their customer and/or
employee base grows.
It Is Flexible
CPaaS offers flexibility that makes it easy for a
business to choose the right communications
options for their needs. Some businesses
may want push notifications and others may
not. Some businesses want to build voice
capabilities into their app while others want to
ensure an SMS chat feature is available. With
CPaaS, a business can choose the options that
work best for them and change those options
as the business grows and changes.
It Allows 24/7 Service
Businesses are no longer restricted to the
traditional 9-5 communication window, which
is particularly important in light of the fact that
many operate on a global scale. Companies
can have staff in various time zones who can
answer calls, conduct chat sessions, or attend
meetings or they can employ AI chatbots and
push notifications to keep their customers
and employees in the loop no matter the time
of day.
It Makes Communication Fully
Mobile
With CPaaS, there is no need to be tied to a
desk phone, a desk top computer, or even a
laptop. Communications can take place in
a fully mobile manner because the CPaaS
APIs are designed to work with mobile
communications apps.
With these benefits it makes a lot of sense to
implement CPaaS to improve and streamline
business communications. The key is to
understand what to look for when it comes to
selecting the right provider to suit the needs
of the business.

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How to Select the Right CPaaS Provider
As with any other service, not all CPaaS
providers are created equal. In addition,
every business comes with a unique set of
communication needs, and it is important to
choose the CPaaS provider that can best meet
the needs of your business. To accomplish
this goal, there are a number of important
considerations when choosing a CPaaS
provider. Keep in mind that not all
of these will be applicable to the needs of
every business.
Is the cost structure flexible? It is important
to avoid platforms that charge a flat fee for
their service. There should be flexibility built
into the platform so that small businesses
don’t have to pay unreasonable fees for the
small amount of resources they use. At the
same time, there should be discounts for
larger businesses that have a high volume of
communications, whether that is B2B or B2C.
Is the platform scalable? The CPaaS service
must be able to grow with the company.
Small, medium, or large in size, companies
can acquire large numbers of customers or
grow their staff in a short period of time and
the platform must be able to accommodate
that.
Does the provider own and operate their
own infrastructure? If the provider does have
their own infrastructure, they can provide
their own Service Level Agreement that will
guarantee their level of service in terms of
reliability, response times, and quality of audio
and video. If the provider uses a third-party
network, they won’t be able to offer these
guarantees. In addition, going through a third-
party might result in a business paying higher
fees for their CPaaS.
Do they have the features and APIs you need?
You might need just voice and messaging
capabilities, primarily for conference calls
and other intra-business communications, or
you might require video in addition to these
more basic methods of communication.
The provider you choose needs to have
the features and APIs to meet your current
communication needs, as well as those of the
immediate future.
Do they offer flexible deployment options?
CPaaS is a cloud-based service, but the provider
should have the flexibility and the capability
to work with you if you have an on-premise
or hybrid communications infrastructure. Be
sure the provider can offer you the option of
integrating with on-premise infrastructure or
creating a hybrid communications model.
Do they offer data analytics? Businesses
benefit most when they can learn from their
communications with both customers and
employees. The provider should offer the
ability to analyze the data collected from
communications, so you can improve and tailor
your communications to better meet the needs
of your customers and employees.
Is there Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity? By
2020, the number of connected devices
is estimated to reach nearly 41 billion.12 That
number was just 16 billion in 2014. Providers
need to be able to accommodate
these devices, which includes the
standard laptops, mobile phones and
tablets, as well as smart technology, such
as wearable tech, smart meters and grids,
televisions and monitors, and robotics.
Do they offer the right geographic coverage? This is
important particularly if a business operates on
an international level because some providers
operate locally. The provider must be able
to accommodate communications in
different countries, supply the appropriate phone
numbers, and handle phone numbers coming
in from various carriers.
With the above considerations in mind, the
key is to choose a CPaaS provider that
is at the top of their game when it comes
to the communication needs of the
business. Not every business is going to need
video or SMS. When it comes to business
communications, particularly when it comes to
virtual meetings and other intra-company
communications,one of the leading providers
of CPaaS voice communications is Clique API.

www.CliqueAPI.com 9
Clique API
Clique API is a leader in CPaaS voice
communications and is backed by a team of
world-class engineers in the communications
industry. Clique API offers high-definition (HD)
voice features that will integrate seamlessly
with a number of applications and platforms,
such as:
• Salesforce
• Slack
• Teams
• G Suite
• Microsoft Office
• Unity
• Unreal Engine
Clique API offers APIs and SDKs for:
• Cross-platform integration
• On-demand phone numbers
• Call logging
• Text-to-voice
• Voice-to-text
• SMS security
Call bridging
• Sending SMS alerts
• Recording and storage of calls
These APIs and SDKs make it possible to use
high-quality voice no matter what operating
system, device, location, format, or application
environment the target audience is using.
There is no need to download software or
remember a PIN to connect a call. All that is
required is clicking a link, which can be done
from within any communications application
or platform then are using, even custom
applications. Even if a meeting participant is
using a landline phone, their phone number
can be entered into Clique API and the
application will automatically call them so
they can join the meeting. In addition, Clique
API customers have used their APIs to add a
voice component to VR and AR systems, game
engines, and collaboration platforms.
Clique API sets itself apart in the CPaaS space
with the unique meeting features it provides
users. Despite the fact that meetings and
conference calls are increasingly necessary
as we spread the workforce out, there are
aspects of meetings that have always been a
challenge for the organizers and participants.
These include:
• Scheduling the meeting
• Setting the agenda
• Taking notes
• Assigning tasks
Clique API makes use of artificial intelligence
(AI) to automate many of these processes.
Using voice APIs, many tedious, yet necessary
businesses tasks are automated behind the
scenes. The Clique bot will:
• Schedule meetings based on everyone’s
schedules
• Follow up with participants to make sure
they are aware of the meeting
• Dial everyone into the meeting at the
appropriate time
• Provide the agenda and let each participant
know what is required of them
• Take notes
• Record action items
• Automate translations and transcriptions
• Allow for real-time assessments by
participants
• Arrange for follow-up meetings
• Deliver transcripts and action items
• Offer a survey to participants to improve
future meetings
This makes it possible for everyone involved in
the meeting to spend less time managing the
tedious tasks, so they can focus on the actual
meeting. Plus, it works whether the meeting
participants are spread out geographically or
sitting in the same room.
12
ABI Research. 2014. The Internet of Things Will Drive Wireless Connected Devices to 40.9 Billion in
2020. https://www.abiresearch.com/press/the-internet-of-things-will-drive-wireless-connect/.
Accessed July 2, 2018.

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The Future of CPaaS
CPaaS is picking up steam as the future of
business communications and it is projected
to grow at a phenomenal rate, with CPaaS
spend reaching $6.7 billion by 2022,
up from more than $1.6 billion in 2017.13
This growth is, in part, fueled by the
multinational corporations that are
beginning to use CPaaS technology to
enhance their multi-channel
communications.
Along with this growth in CPaaS
spend, will come a number of
developments in the industry, including the
following:14
• CPaaS will go serverless
• The use of omnichannel communications
will grow so that customers and employees
will be able to communicate with a business
on the channel they prefer
• Programming of CPaaS will rely more on
visual IDE
• CPaaS developers will rely more on AI and
machine learning
• CPaaS will move in the direction of virtual
reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)
• CPaaS will begin to integrate more bots into
their omnichannel presence
•CPaaSwillbegintoconformtodataprotection
regulations in the EU and other locations
With this future development, it will be critical
for every business to have an online
communications presence that makes
communications more accessible and
convenient for employees and customers. If
they don’t, they may be left behind.
With the increasingly diverse methods
of communication and the increasingly
numerous types of devices through which
people communicate with businesses,
whether they are employees, colleagues, or
customers, B2B and B2C communications
have become fragmented. It is often a
nuisance to have to leave one app or platform
to contact a business via phone, chat, SMS
text message, or IM.
Now, thanks to the advent of CPaaS, these
disjointed forms of communication have been
brought together in a seamless integration
that allows communications to happen from
within any app. CPaaS allows voice, text, and
video communications to happen from within
an app or platform, eliminating the need for
employees and customers to jump from one
app or platform to another to connect with a
business.
When it comes to communications within a
business, particularly the virtual meeting,
businesses need to have a way to ensure that
anyone can attend the meeting easily from
within any application they are using and that
they can focus on the meeting itself, without
the need to deal with tedious tasks that can
easily be automated, so their attention can be
where it needs to be. Clique API provides that
virtual meeting space, connecting everyone to
the meeting via the app or platform they are
using or via the telephone. The entire process
is fully automated.
It’s time for businesses to bring
communications to where the employee
and customer are, instead of expecting them
to come to the business. CPaaS makes that
possible, and that makes CPaaS the future of
business communications.
Conclusion
13
Globe News Wire. 2018. Enterprise CPaaS spend set to quadruple to $6.7bn by 2022,
estimates Juniper Research. CLX Communications. https://globenewswire.com/news-
release/2018/02/20/1361605/0/en/Enterprise- CPaaS-spend-set-to-quadruple-to-6-7bn-by-2022-
estimates-Juniper-Research.html. Accessed July 7, 2018.
14
Levant-Levi, T. 2018. 7 CPaaS Trends to Follow in 2018. Blog Geek.Me. https://bloggeek.me/7-cpaas-
trends- 2018/. Accessed July 7, 2018.

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