Make Every Conversation Count: Inside the 2025 Forrester Wave™ for Contact-Center-as-a-Service

Every conversation your organization has with a customer is a chance to build—or break—trust. And in 2025, when customer expectations are higher than ever and technology is evolving faster than most teams can implement it, the pressure to “get it right” in every interaction has never been greater.

That’s exactly what the latest Forrester Wave™: Contact-Center-as-a-Service (CCaaS) Platforms, Q2 2025 sets out to explore. This year’s evaluation is packed with insights into how leading providers are shaping the next era of customer experience—with AI, global scalability, and usability at the core.

And here’s the kicker: the field is tighter, smarter, and more innovative than ever before.

Before you dive into the full report, let’s unpack a few key takeaways—and why they matter for IT and CX leaders who are ready to make every customer conversation count.

The CCaaS evolution: From contact center to conversation intelligence hub.link to this section

The 2025 Forrester Wave makes one thing crystal clear: the modern contact center isn’t just a place where customer issues are handled—it’s the central nervous system for your brand’s customer experience.

This year’s report highlights a major trend: AI is no longer an add-on—it’s foundational. The leading CCaaS platforms are infusing AI throughout their ecosystems, from intelligent routing and agent assist tools to conversational analytics and predictive engagement.

The result? Teams are more empowered, customers feel heard, and organizations can adapt at the speed of change.

But here’s the challenge: not every provider is doing this equally well. Forrester’s analysis shows a growing gap between vendors that bolt AI onto legacy architectures and those that are building truly unified, AI-native platforms that simplify workflows and accelerate insight.

This distinction matters—especially for IT and CX decision-makers evaluating long-term ROI and operational agility.

Simplicity + speed = competitive advantage.link to this section

Let’s face it: enterprise technology often has a usability problem. Complexity slows down innovation, frustrates teams, and erodes customer confidence. That’s why the report calls out vendors that are excelling in platform simplicity—those making it easier for nontechnical teams to manage and scale customer engagement without constant IT intervention.

Forrester specifically recognized 8x8 as a Strong Performer in this year’s report, citing its simple, intuitive platform and global telephony network reliability. In other words, 8x8 isn’t just delivering advanced technology—it’s delivering it in a way that actually works for the people using it every day.

That’s a big deal for organizations trying to balance innovation with practicality. In a landscape where every second counts, the ability to quickly adapt to customer demands and operational shifts can make or break CX success.

And 8x8’s unified communications foundation—bringing together voice, video, chat, and contact center capabilities on one platform—shows how simplicity can actually drive sophistication.

AI that adds clarity, not complexity.link to this section

The report underscores that clarity and confidence are the new differentiators in customer experience. Customers don’t want to repeat themselves. Agents don’t want to juggle six dashboards. And leaders don’t want to wonder if their AI insights are actually reliable.

That’s why the next generation of CCaaS platforms are designed not just to automate, but to illuminate. They’re turning AI into an enabler of empathy—helping businesses anticipate needs, personalize interactions, and make better decisions, faster.

For 8x8, that’s where the “intelligent communications platform” vision comes to life: empowering organizations to unify operations, streamline conversations, and make data-driven CX decisions without drowning in complexity.

In practical terms? Less guesswork, more impact.

Why this report matters for decision-makers.link to this section

If you’re in IT or CX leadership, you’ve probably seen your fair share of “market overview” reports. But the Forrester Wave™ for CCaaS isn’t just another comparison chart—it’s one of the most comprehensive, independent evaluations of how top vendors are executing today and preparing for tomorrow.

This year’s report helps you:

• See how vendors stack up on key criteria like architecture, AI integration, usability, and global reach.
• Understand where the market is heading, including the shift toward unified, intelligent engagement ecosystems.
• Identify which platforms align best with your organization’s current maturity and future CX ambitions.

Whether you’re upgrading legacy systems, consolidating communication tools, or looking to unlock the full potential of AI-driven engagement, this report gives you the data and context you need to move forward confidently.

The takeaway: It’s time to reimagine what every conversation can do.link to this section

Customer experience isn’t just a business function any more—it’s the battleground for loyalty and growth. The organizations leading the charge are those investing in platforms that combine intelligence, simplicity, and reliability in one seamless ecosystem.

And that’s exactly what this year’s Forrester Wave™ for CCaaS highlights.

If your team is exploring how to future-proof your contact center, elevate agent performance, and create meaningful connections at scale, this is the must-read report of the year.