The Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) is a cloud-based delivery model that lets you add voice, video, and messaging features to your existing business software using APIs. CPaaS allows you to choose and take only needed real-time communications features and embed them into your apps and services. CPaaS segment has progressed rapidly beyond basic voice, messaging and video APIs with CPaaS vendors offering many innovative capabilities to enable a range of new applications that cover everything from AI/ML integration, Smart Routing, Chatbots, IoT to 5G Applications. A number of key factors, discussed below, differentiate a good CPaaS vendor from a middle of the vendor, and must be matched to your business case and current and future needs.

1. Evaluating CPaaS Vendors
Brijesh Kumar, Ph.D.
Brijesh_kumar@hotmail.com (+1 609 439 9060)
Published: May 05, 2022
New Jersey, USA
Evaluating Leaders

2. Organization
• Evolution of CPaaS
• Market Landscape - Types of CPaaS Providers
• CPaaS Capabilities Matrix
• Main Vendors To Look For
• Recommendations
Selecting a Good CPaaS vendor for Your Application Integration

3. Evolution of CPaaS
• Basic Functions: APIs for SMS (Short
Message Service), MMS (Multimedia
Messaging Service), Telephony and
Video calls
• Advance Functions: Powerful Low
Code/No Code Development
Environments & Development Tools
• Emerging Layers & New Capabilities:
Analytics, AI/ML Tools, Chatbots, 3rd
Party Application Integrations ,
Supplementary Communication and
Non-Communication Applications
Core Features APIs
SMS MMS Voice Calls Video Email
Chat
User Proxy
Development Tools
No-Code IVR Multi-Language SDKS
Web-Hooks/ Use Case
Libraries
Emerging Layers & New Capabilities
Analytics AI/ML
Smart Chat
Bots
SIP
Trunks
Authentication
User
Verification
3rd Party Apps
Serverless … More

4. Types of CPaaS Providers
Pure Play Vendors Developed CPaaS from Ground Up Tier 1: Twilio, Vonage-Nexmo, Plivo, Sinch,
MessageBird, and Infobip
Tier 2: Soprano Design, TeleSign, Zenvia and
Kaleyra.
Enterprise Equipment
Vendors
Built an API Layer to Existing
Equipment or Software
Avaya, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise (ALE), Plum
Voice, Ytel and IntelePeer.
Communication Service
Providers
Developed CPaaS As an Add-On
Capabilities
AT&T, Vonage
Public Cloud Vendors Nascent Capabilities But Strong
Financial Muscle
AWS and Microsoft Azure
Local Regional Global
Geographical Considerations

5. CPaaS Capabilities Matrix
Communications
Development Tools
General Solutions
AI/ML Integration
Scalability & Geo Reach
Security & Compliance
Operations Support
Omnichannel
(sms, Vo, Vid)
Multimedia Advanced Video User Proxying WebRTC Call/ SMS
Routing
Social Media
Messaging
Multi-Language Support
(Java, PHP,C#,Python)
Modules and Wrappers Visual Builders Web RTC SDK Software Templates
SIP Trunking Contact Center
Integration
Serverless
Functions
CRM Integrations IOT Applications Media Store
Pricing Models
AI/ML Tools Integrations Smart Chatbots
No of Data Centers Scaling Performance Under Load
Enterprise Grade Security Regulatory Compliance
Uptime Guarantees Self-Provisioning Operational Analytics Engagement Insights
Flexible Pricing Models

6. Main Vendors
1 CPaaS Current
Leaders
Twilio, Vonage, MessageBird, Sinch, Infobip, Bandwidth
2 CPaaS Emerging
Players
Soprano Design, 8x8, Syniverse, IMImobile, IntelePeer,
Avaya, Plivo, Telynx, VoxImplant, Telesign, Kaleyra, Alcatel-
Lucent
3 Public Cloud Future
Challenger
Check Out Emerging Products from Public Cloud Vendor
AWS, Azure or Google

7. Recommendations
• Match your business use cases to the core capabilities (SMS,
Voice, AI/ML, Video etc.) offered by the CPaaS.
• Consider long term operational cost of the solution deployment.
• Consider security, availability and regulatory compliance needs
of your business.

8. Thank You!!
• If you would like to discuss the contents of this article or seek any advise on
selecting software, please contact me at my personal email.