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Phone systems built for the cloud 6 companies

These companies sold the office phone system as a monthly subscription from the start. There is no hardware in the office: calls ring on a laptop, a mobile app or a desk phone, and the same service also runs video meetings and team chat. This is called UCaaS (unified communications as a service).

Cloud phone systems

The whole office phone system on one subscription: calls, video meetings and team chat.

Nextiva logoNextivaNextiva, from Arizona, sells cloud phone systems to small businesses, and has added a customer care centre to its platform.Bengaluru
RingCentral logoRingCentralRingCentral is the largest company in the world that sells only cloud phone systems. It also sells, through partners, a customer care centre that runs on the same system. Its engineering in India is in Bengaluru.
Zoom logoZoomZoom, the video-meetings company, is here for Zoom Phone, its office phone system.
Dialpad logoDialpadDialpad was built around AI from the start: its software writes down each call as it happens and analyses it.BengaluruHired recentlySee alsoContact centre software (CCaaS)
GoTo logoGoToGoTo is best known for its remote-support tools, which IT staff use to fix your laptop from far away. Its phone system, GoTo Connect, grew out of Jive, a company that GoTo bought.See alsoIT service management (ITSM) and IT operations software

Recorded business numbers on personal phones

Banks and brokers must record every business call their staff make, even on the staff's own phones.

Movius logoMoviusMovius gives an employee a second, business phone number on their own phone. Every call and message on that number is recorded and stored, as the rules require, while the personal number stays private.
The tech, explainedCloud phone system (UCaaS)Video conferencing and team chatCall transcription and AI summariesCommunications compliance and archiving↗ Governance, risk and compliance (GRC)
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Phone systems moving from hardware to the cloud 4 companies

These companies sold PBX hardware: a box kept in a cupboard in the office, wired to every desk phone, with one line out to the operator. They are now moving their buyers to the cloud in steps: first hardware only, then a mix of hardware and cloud, then fully cloud. Each step is slow, because the buyer has to buy new equipment, retrain staff and make sure that calls do not fail during the change.

Office phone systems (PBX)

The makers of the office phone systems themselves.

Avaya logoAvayaAvaya makes office phone systems. It grew out of AT&T's old telephone equipment business.PuneHiring now
Mitel logoMitelMitel is a Canadian maker of office phone systems.
Cisco logoCiscoCisco is one of the largest sellers of office phone systems and meeting-room equipment in the world, through Webex and its call-management software.Bengaluru · Hyderabad · PuneHiring nowSee alsoEnterprise networking

Equipment that connects old phone systems to the internet

A session border controller connects an old phone system safely to the internet.

Ribbon Communications logoRibbon CommunicationsRibbon Communications makes session border controllers, and equipment that handles voice calls inside operators' networks.BengaluruSee alsoTelecom equipment and operators
The tech, explainedOffice phone system (PBX)Session border controller (SBC)
How it all worksBusiness phone systemsRings the right desk, records and writes up calls.
See how it works →

What's changing

Phone systems now write up each call.

Cloud phone systems can now write down every call as it happens, and then use AI to summarise it: what the customer asked for, what was agreed and what to do next. The summary is saved without anyone typing it. Dialpad was built around this from the start, and the others are adding it.

Read moreCall transcription and AI summariesCloud phone system (UCaaS)
← Previous in Business communicationsCPaaS and business messagingCheck out →Cloud platforms and developer tools

Companies: ingrid's company map. Hiring signals: postings feed of 5 Nov 2026.