As UCaaS continues to evolve, the conversation is moving past dial tone and into something more strategic. Voice is no longer just infrastructure. It is becoming a data layer, a workflow engine, and increasingly, an AI surface.
That shift was clear in a recent in person discussion at an industry event with Jason Uslan, Chief Commercial Officer, and Jeff Winnett, GM Americas at Wildix.
The company is coming off what executives described as a strong start to the year, driven largely by partner engagement.
“It’s been a productive show,” Winnett said. “We’ve had a lot of meetings with existing partners and some new ones as well.”
That partner focus is not new.
Wildix operates a 100 percent channel model, but what is changing is the type of partner it is targeting and the conversations those partners are having.
“The telephony conversation is now moving to solutions, AI, and outcomes,” Uslan said.
That evolution is reshaping the channel.
Historically, many partners operated under an agency model, earning modest residuals by referring business to vendors.
That model is starting to show its limits.
“In an agency model, you might be making 15 to 18 percent,” Winnett said. “In a resale model, that can be 40 to 50 percent.”
That delta is driving interest.
Partners are exploring ways to take more control of the customer relationship, even if it requires additional infrastructure such as billing systems, support, and sales engineering.
Wildix sees itself as part of that transition.
“We’re giving partners a route to bring more of the solution together,” Winnett said.
That includes voice, but extends well beyond it.
Many partners are now dealing with projects that span multiple domains. Security. Applications. Customer experience. Collaboration tools.
Managing those projects across multiple vendors can create friction.
“We allow them to have a broader conversation with the customer instead of breaking everything into separate pieces,” Winnett said.
Verticalization is a key part of that strategy.
Wildix is focusing on industries where traditional UCaaS platforms may not be as well suited, including education, dentistry, and hospitality.
“We’re building more vertical specific capabilities that give us measurable, repeatable wins,” Uslan said.
That focus allows partners to differentiate.
Rather than offering generic communications tools, they can bring solutions tailored to specific workflows and operational needs.
At the same time, the company is being more selective.
“We want partners that are embracing solution value,” Winnett said.
That means moving beyond simple migrations or price driven deals.
The emphasis is on long term value, ROI, and deeper integration into customer environments.
Voice plays a central role in that vision.
“Voice is mission critical,” Winnett said. “If your phone system goes down, you know it immediately.”
But expectations around voice are changing.
“It’s not enough for it to just work anymore,” he added.
Customers now expect voice systems to integrate with CRM platforms, generate summaries, trigger workflows, and provide insights.
“I need that voice to do more,” Winnett said.
That is where AI comes in.
Wildix is embedding AI capabilities directly into its platform, enabling features like call summaries, follow ups, and contextual data integration.
“These are becoming baseline expectations,” Winnett said.
The implication is that voice is becoming a foundational layer for broader business processes.
“It’s the thing that ties everything together,” he said.
For MSPs and IT focused resellers, that creates both opportunity and pressure.
Many have historically focused on infrastructure and support services, with limited involvement in communications.
But that is becoming harder to maintain.
“If you’re an MSP and you’re not bringing voice into your portfolio, it’s getting more difficult,” Winnett said.
Wildix is targeting those partners.
The company is looking for organizations with established customer bases, sales capabilities, and technical resources that can support a broader solution offering.
“We’re interested in MSPs and resellers that want to add to their portfolio, not just replace what they’re doing,” Winnett said.
That additive approach may be key.
Rather than forcing a full transition, partners can start by addressing specific use cases or vertical opportunities, then expand over time.
The broader trend is clear.
Voice is no longer a standalone product.
It is becoming part of a larger ecosystem that includes AI, data, and workflow automation.
For partners, the question is how to participate in that shift.
Wildix is betting that those who move beyond traditional models and embrace more integrated, value driven approaches will be better positioned.
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Aside from his role as CEO of TMC and chairman of ITEXPO #TECHSUPERSHOW Feb 9-11, 2027, Rich Tehrani is CEO of RT Advisors and a Registered Representative (investment banker) with and offering securities through Four Points Capital Partners LLC (Four Points) (Member FINRA/SIPC). He handles capital/debt raises as well as M&A. RT Advisors is not owned by Four Points.
The above is not an endorsement or recommendation to buy/sell any security or sector mentioned. No companies mentioned above are current or past clients of RT Advisors.
The views and opinions expressed above are those of the participants. While believed to be reliable, the information has not been independently verified for accuracy. Any broad, general statements made herein are provided for context only and should not be construed as exhaustive or universally applicable.
Portions of this article may have been developed with the assistance of artificial intelligence, which may have contributed to ideation, content generation, factual review, or editing
Because in a market where basic functionality is expected, differentiation may come down to what you build on top of it.
