Businesses are facing up to rising costs and fast-moving market conditions. In their search for solutions that can address a large share of their needs – including streamlining processes and expenses while addressing workforce demands – many are looking to UCaaS.
Despite this, some resellers and VARs are missing out on the opportunity of this market. They don’t need to. They can flip the script – adding more value and simplicity in line with customers’ demands.
UCaaS demand remains high
How many tech solutions do you think UK businesses are using? I’d confidently say that the last several years have demanded many increase the number of solutions they rely on – some data shows that it could be upwards of 40 applications per department.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, there are two sides to this coin. As the number of applications and solutions regularly used by businesses goes up, their desire to simplify their tech stack and its associated costs and processes has shot up too. This is due to the lower accounting and contract costs, reduced admin overheads and fewer audits that come with consolidating their suppliers. A figure I’ve heard mentioned in conversation is that almost nine out of 10 tech buyers now want to reduce the number of suppliers they work with.
Naturally, businesses want everything they use to function at its best, including telephony, external calling, video, messaging, and plug-and-play abilities. They’re looking for simple, user-friendly solutions and they’re growing restless working with a laundry list of suppliers to get those things. Comms systems are ripe for consolidation and streamlining. Predictions suggest that in the next five years, 75 per cent of companies will use UCaaS. VARs and resellers with the right UCaaS offer can help businesses to integrate and consolidate, taking advantage of this growing market as a result.
Alongside consolidation, many businesses are turning to USaaS to improve their security posture and disaster recovery abilities while coping with the biggest driver for change: transformed working locations.
Flexible working is here to stay
The biggest driver for UCaaS adoption has been the unprecedented transformation of our working patterns and locations. Most organisations today have hybrid workforces, incorporating a large share of remote employees, coupled with core but flexible working hours.
Yes, there have certainly been some headline news stories over the last few months as large London firms have tried to implement return-to-the-office mandates. However, when it comes to the big picture trend – comparing 2025 to 2015, for example – such mandates have barely moved the needle.
On top of this, demanding a return to the office is likely bad for business. The ability to work flexibly and remotely is a huge benefit for most employees, one that has transformed people’s lives. Just recently, half of UK professionals said they would think about quitting their jobs if mandated to return to the office. That’s a large share of the workforce willing to leave based on their working location. Amid a skills shortage, this level of churn could make or break a company.
As I said, UCaaS is also transformative for some people. It enables opportunities for those who can’t work in an office but have the skills to continue contributing to the workforce. This, as we know, helps to promote diversity within the workforce, which is also good for business.
UCaaS provides a seamless experience for employees in different locations. Without it, organisations will be hard pressed to sustain a remote and flexible workforce that the future is demanding of them. It also enables the equality of access for different employees, and it ensures company-level security, compliance and data sharing for all. For VARs and resellers, the call to action should be clear.
Adding value
The writing is on the wall. UCaaS is becoming a necessity for businesses if it isn’t one already. As such, UCaaS is a genuine value driver for VARs and resellers who need to access new market opportunities. It allows them to create a portfolio of solutions that resonate with the needs of customers on the ground who are dealing with demands for more connectivity, security and flexibility from today’s hybrid workforce.
But that’s not the end of the story. Adding UCaaS does more than let VARs and resellers sell UCaaS. Why? Because of what businesses’ demand for consolidation tells us when we dig a little deeper.
Businesses are looking to reduce the number of suppliers they work with. The fewer the better, and, ideally, one. That’s what their desire for consolidation tells us. They want trusted partners who understand their business and that can act as their single point of contact to provide the best and right solutions for their needs.
For many businesses, they need more than just solutions too. They need advice, insight, support, training and more. In fact, Gartner research shows that 66 per cent of tech buyers are overwhelmed by the change they’re up against. This is a challenge that VARs and resellers are primed to address. By being able to offer full-service capabilities to customers, VARs and resellers can position themselves as the single point of contact that businesses want while creating a richer, value-based comprehensive provider.
The road ahead
VARs and resellers must recognise the convergence of market forces: businesses want simplified tech stacks, fewer suppliers and solutions that support hybrid work. Those who adapt by filling UCaaS portfolio gaps will position themselves as indispensable partners rather than replaceable vendors. The question isn't whether to add UCaaS to your portfolio, it's how quickly you can transform to meet the evolving needs of today's businesses and become their trusted, single point of contact.