Cloud-based communication and collaboration platforms have become vital for small businesses aiming to increase productivity, efficiently engage customers, and enable seamless remote work. This technology is no longer considered nice-to-have, but rather core infrastructure enabling organizational agility.
Industry analysts project strong growth ahead for the global cloud communication platform market, which according to Fortune Business Insights will expand at a 12.6% CAGR from 2022 to 2029, reaching $24.44 billion. What’s driving rapid adoption? The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated remote interactions, while capabilities are better than ever before alongside rising security/reliability.
This definitive guide explores the 9 top cloud communication platforms helping small businesses compete in an increasingly digital-first world. You’ll discover core features sought, evaluate pros and cons of leading solutions, and gain actionable advice for implementation. Let’s dive in!
Contents
- Key Benefits of Cloud Communication Platforms
- Critical Capabilities to Look For
- Leading Platform Reviews and Comparisons
- Connecteam
- ZEGOCLOUD
- Twilio
- Vonage
- RingCentral
- Dialpad
- Telnyx
- Plivo
- Exotel
- Key Trends Shaping the Future of Cloud Communications
- Best Practices for Adoption & Implementation
- The Bottom Line – Which Option is Right For You?
Why Cloud Communication Platforms Are Essential for Small Businesses
First, let’s explore key reasons small businesses are embracing these solutions to engage customers and connect distributed workforces.
Enhanced Agility With Remote Teams
The work-from-anywhere paradigm is here to stay. A 2022 Upwork study found that nearly 40% of the U.S. workforce is now fully remote – a number steadily rising. Cloud software enables collaboration minus geographic constraints.
"Adoption of cloud communications by smaller businesses is accelerating as more realize the flexibility and productivity gains in being untethered from physical offices. Solutions with excellent mobile apps in particular make interacting from anywhere frictionless." – Mary Johnson, Principal Analyst, Wainhouse Research
Omnichannel Customer Engagement
Buyers expect to engage brands when and how they want – via phone, email, messaging apps, social media and more. Cloud platforms provide unified omnichannel experiences.
"Customers overwhelmingly want more channels to communicate with businesses. Those providing seamless omnichannel options see much higher satisfaction scores." – 2022 Zendesk Customer Experience Trends Report
Cost Savings & Scalability
For growing startups to mid-size companies, cloud software eliminates costly hardware investments. Instead, you scale subscriptions up or down based on workforce size. Pricing is also very competitive compared to traditional on-premise systems.
Enhanced Data Security & Compliance
Leading cloud communication providers leverage robust measures like end-to-end encryption, SOC 2 compliance and data centers spanning the globe for redundancy. For many, this exceeds on-premise capabilities.
Most Important Features and Capabilities to Look For
With fundamentals covered, let’s explore key features and functionalities to evaluate:
While needs vary by business, core pillars like omnichannel customer engagement, mobility and collaboration features, easy scalability and reliability are universal.
Prioritizing these facets helps narrow suitable options that align with small to mid-size business needs and budgets. Now let’s explore leading solutions in detail…
Reviews of the Top 9 Cloud Communication Platforms
1. Connecteam – Best All-in-One Communication & Collaboration
Connecteam brings together everything small businesses require for communication, task management and employee management in a single platform.
Highlights
- Very easy to use interface and implementation
- Robust mobile experience across devices
- Scales up to 100+ users
- GDPR compliant
- 24/7 support via email, chat and phone
Key Features
- Messaging
- Calling & video meetings
- File sharing
- Task checklists
- Timesheets
- Custom forms
Ideal For
Connecteam suits mobile and deskless workforces needing an all-in-one employee communication and productivity solution that’s intuitive yet powerful.
Pricing
- Free plan offering basic features
- Premium plans starting at $8 per user/month
Bottom Line
Connecteam provides unmatched breadth packed into a cohesive, easy to use platform. It brings together capabilities typically requiring multiple tools – perfect for streamlining team workflows.
2. ZEGOCLOUD – Secure, Reliable Global Communication
ZEGOCLOUD is an emerging leader in reliable and secure cloud communication solutions trusted by customers worldwide.
Highlights
- Excellent global uptime and quality
- Ultra low latency ideal for gaming
- Scales easily to large volumes
- SDKs simplify custom integrations
- No long term contracts
Key Features
- Cloud telephone numbers
- HD video meetings
- Team messaging
- Gaming-optimized audio
Ideal For
ZEGOCLOUD suits businesses needing highly reliable communications across regions, those building custom voice/video apps via provided SDKs, and organizations scaling calls internationally.
Pricing
- Free trial
- Pay only for what you use (per minute rates)
Bottom Line
ZEGOCLOUD delivers exceptional global communication infrastructure that is versatile for common and unique usage scenarios alike.
3. Twilio – Customizable Cloud Communication APIs
Twilio is the market-leading CPaaS (Communication Platform as a Service) empowering developers to embed voice, messaging, video and email capabilities via flexible APIs.
Highlights
- Global infrastructure reaching 200+ countries
- Trusted security and regulatory compliance
- Support for 70M+ phone numbers
- 200K+ customer apps built on the platform
- WhatsApp API for business messaging at scale
Key Features
- Programmable cloud calling
- Scalable messaging via SMS, WhatsApp and Chat
- Contact center tools
- Cloud-based email APIs
- Flexible SDKs and helper libraries
Ideal For
Twilio excels where highly customized communications and messaging integrations are key – especially for external customer engagement contexts.
Pricing
- Pay as you go based on usage, starts free up to $0.01 per message
Bottom Line
For advanced custom communications apps, programmatic messaging at scale, or omnichannel customer engagement infrastructure, Twilio leads the pack.
4. Vonage – Unified Voice, Video and Customer Engagement
Vonage (formerly Nexmo) provides unified cloud communications spanning voice, messaging, video, contact center solutions and programmable APIs.
Highlights
- 99.999% globally reliable network uptime
- Full-featured VoIP phone system
- Integrated telephony CRM apps
- Flexible APIs for customization
Key Features
Voice & Video – Reliable VoIP phone system with HD video meetings
Messaging – Team chat, integrated business SMS
Contact Center – Advanced call routing, agent management
APIs – Voice, SMS, social channels and more
Ideal For
Vonage suits larger teams needing enterprise grade voice/video communications, integrated telephony CRM capabilities, and options to build custom solutions via API access.
Pricing
- Several pricing tiers by capabilities needed
- Starts at $19.99/month per user
Bottom Line
For turnkey yet customizable cloud communication capabilities matching advanced telephony needs, Vonage is a trusted choice.
5. RingCentral – All-In-One Cloud Phone System
RingCentral converges team messaging, video meetings, cloud PBX phone capabilities and more within its all-in-one platform.
Highlights
- Seamlessly switch calls anywhere
- Mobile and desktop apps
- Integrates with business tools
- Robust customer support options
Key Features
- Cloud VoIP phone system
- Audio/video meetings
- Team chat with SMS
- Shared inboxes & call routing
Ideal For
RingCentral works for larger companies up to 200 employees needing a full-featured business phone system merged with collaboration tools.
Pricing
- Multiple price tiers by # of users
- Starts at $19.99 per user/month
Bottom Line
RingCentral brings together robust cloud PBX calling with messaging and meetings for a unified workstream communications suite.
6. Dialpad – AI-Powered Cloud Communications
Dialpad incorporates AI capabilities for real-time transcription and insights making business communications more efficient.
Highlights
- AI powered voice intelligence
- Real-time analytics dashboards
- Intuitive web and mobile apps
- Natively integrates with G Suite and Office 365
Key Features
- Cloud business VoIP
- Video conferencing with live transcripts
- Team messaging and chat
- Shared inboxes and call monitoring
Ideal For
Dialpad suits modern organizations wanting an AI-powered productivity boost merged into their phone and meeting workflows.
Pricing
- Starts at $15 per user / month
- Volume discounts available
Bottom Line
Dialpad brings machine learning productivity dividends to VoIP calling and meetings – excellent for tech forward teams.
7. Telnyx – Complete Communications APIs
Telnyx delivers a developer-first platform for programmatically controlling voice, messaging, numbers and telephony infrastructure using flexible APIs.
Highlights
- Customize and control entire call flows
- Scale globally while optimizing costs
- Enterprise grade reliability and security
- SIP trunking capability
- Integrate communications data into business systems
Key Features
- Global VoIP calling
- Cloud contact center features
- Messaging via SMS, WhatsApp and more
- Local/toll-free numbers in 200+ countries
- End-to-end encrypted calls & messages
Ideal For
Telnyx excels for medium or larger businesses wanting maximum control to customize a complete communication platform using APIs.
Pricing
- Pay only for what you use model
- Average between $0.008 – $0.045 per minute
Bottom Line
Telnyx provides ultimate flexibility to tailor a secure, global communications system via API access and SIP trunking support.
8. Plivo – API-First Cloud Communications
Plivo delivers reliable voice calling, global SMSmessaging and more through developer friendly APIs.
Highlights
- Excellent platform and support for developers
- Scale SMS globally and cost efficiently
- Multi-channel messaging integrated
- Global SMS delivery and two-way messaging
Key Features
- Voice calling APIs
- SMS & messaging APIs
- Phone number provisioning
- Omnichannel contact center features
Ideal For
Plivo thrives where the ability to fully control, customize and scale communication experiences programmatically is paramount.
Pricing
- Pay only for what you use model
- Starting at ~$0.004 per SMS message
- ~$0.006 per minute on voice calls
Bottom Line
Plivo delivers ultimate control for developers wanting to build, scale and customize cloud communications solutions.
9. Exotel – Robust Cloud Contact Center Solutions
Exotel provides enterprise-ready contact center infrastructure enabling omni-channel customer engagement.
Highlights
- Quickly launch cloud contact center operations
- Omnichannel customer engagement
- Detailed analytics for improving CX
- Robust call center specific tools
Key Features
- Voice, SMS and messaging
- IVR, whisper, call monitoring
- CRM and helpdesk integrations
- Granular analytics and reports
Ideal For
Exotel suits the needs of modern customer contact centers with its robust feature set purpose built to drive efficiency.
Pricing
- Custom quotes based on unique requirements
Bottom Line
Exotel provides rich functionality for contact centers via cloud delivery, minus the hassle of managing hardware on-premises.
Now that we’ve compared the top providers, let’s overview notable industry trends influencing the space.
Notable Trends Advancing Cloud Communication Platform Capabilities
How is this technology evolving to add more value while adapting to changing workplace norms?
Several key trends are shaping the roadmap:
1. AI & Machine Learning – Solutions are infusing features like real-time voice conversation transcriptions, semantic analysis to categorize calls, and smart routing capabilities to get customers to the right agents efficiently.
2. Enhanced Analytics – Platforms provide insights into usage, conversation sentiment analysis, talk patterns and trends to improve communications and CX.
3. API Expansion – APIs allow integrating communications data and actions into surrounding workflows (ie CRMs). More expansive options arrive regularly.
4. Multi-Tenancy – Providers make it easier to manage multiple client accounts with configurable permissions to better serve managed service providers.
5. Channel Expansion – Support for messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger continues bridging communication beyond voice and SMS.
Understanding the opportunity ahead allows smarter platform decisions aligned with future-proofing priorities. Now let’s switch gears to advice for implementation best practices.
Expert Tips for Adoption and Implementation Success
Transitioning communications to the cloud promises immense upside. Like any technology overhaul, following core best practices goes a long way towards a successful experience.
Determine Use Cases and Requirements – Audit workflows and identify where a platform would add most value – whether enhancing external outreach or connecting internal teams. Map required capabilities so chosen solutions fully address core needs.
Perform Due Diligence on Security – Don’t compromise on protections for your data. Ensure factors like encryption mechanisms match protocols you would enforce on-premise. Audit third-party attestations to compliance standards as well.
Plan for Change Management & Training – Rollouts directly impacting communications require thoughtful change management. Evaluate readiness across the organization. Plan interactive training programs catered to individual team needs teaching new workflows.
Map Integrations & Migration Steps – Determine what current apps will interconnect – whether CRMs, analytics tools or others. Outline data migration roadmaps from legacy to new systems. API access helps connect these workstreams.
Have Contingency Plans – Even the most reputable providers encounter occasional outages. Prepare contingency plans and know status page URLs to track health. Explain temporary mitigation steps if issues hit during customer interactions.
While individual platform capabilities vary, following core implementation best practices helps your organization extract the most business value from modern communications.
The Bottom Line – Determining the Best Platform for Your Small Business Needs
Cloud communications empowers immediate productivity gains plus greater agility as distributed workforces become the norm. Solutions now cover the full spectrum – from simple VoIP to customizable developer platforms and full-service contact centers.
Key takeaways in your vendor evaluation process:
- Prioritize capabilities aligning with your budget, team size, use cases and technical needs
- Balance ease of use with integration flexibility into your existing technology stacks
- Highly reputable providers match or exceed the global scale, uptime reliability and security protocols of on-premise options
- Solutions lacking traditional hardware constraints fluidly scale with seasonal demands
- Carefully scan reviews from verified users to gauge real-world performance and support experiences
While needs vary across industries, the platforms explored excel for their intended purposes whether simple or complex. Hopefully this guide serves as a valuable starting point in your search for the ideal choice matching unique requirements. Reach out if any questions arise when comparing options tailor-made for the new era of work!
