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8x8 Business Solutions

UCaaS, contact center, and communications APIs with global reach.

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About 8x8

8x8 (NYSE: EGHT) is one of the longest-running companies in cloud communications — founded in the late 1980s and an early VoIP pioneer, it has sold hosted business phone service since the 2000s. Today it positions its portfolio as XCaaS (eXperience Communications as a Service): unified communications (UCaaS), contact center (CCaaS), and communications APIs (CPaaS) delivered from one platform, with the argument that employee communications and customer communications belong on the same cloud.

The employee-facing side is 8x8 Work: cloud calling, video meetings, team messaging, and SMS delivered through desktop and mobile apps, with desk phone support for offices that want them. The customer-facing side is 8x8 Contact Center, covering inbound and outbound routing across voice and digital channels, analytics, and workforce tools. Because both run on one platform, mixed deployments — back office on UCaaS, service teams on CCaaS — share administration, directories, and call flows rather than bridging two vendors.

The third pillar is 8x8's communications APIs (CPaaS): programmable SMS, voice, chat apps, and video that developers embed into applications and customer journeys — appointment reminders, verification codes, notifications, and in-app calling. 8x8 is more committed to this API business than most UCaaS vendors, which makes it relevant for businesses that want communications embedded in their own software as well as a phone system for staff.

Global reach is a genuine 8x8 differentiator. It offers local numbering and, in many countries, full PSTN replacement — meaning 8x8 can be the actual phone service rather than a softphone layered over a local carrier — across a footprint that is broader than many US-centric competitors. For multinationals consolidating communications vendors across countries, that coverage is often the reason 8x8 is on the shortlist. Country-by-country capabilities and regulatory status vary, so confirm the specific countries you need in the proposal.

8x8 sells directly and through a substantial channel of technology advisors, agents, and aggregators. Its pricing is quote-based for most business tiers, and promotions, bundling of UCaaS and CCaaS seats, and contract terms all move — so as with any provider in this category, the written quote at your seat counts and countries matters more than anything on a web page.

8x8 solutions

8x8 Work — UCaaS (Voice, Meetings, Messaging)

8x8 Work is the unified communications app: business calling with auto attendants, ring groups, and call queues, plus HD video meetings, team chat, and SMS in one client. Users work from desktop or mobile apps under their business number, and offices can mix in supported desk phones. The UCaaS tiers are generally packaged so that calling plans, meeting capacity, and analytics scale with the tier — confirm which features (recording, analytics depth, integrations) attach to the tier you're quoted, since entry and advanced tiers differ meaningfully.

8x8 Contact Center (CCaaS)

8x8 Contact Center covers inbound and blended contact centers: skills-based routing, IVR, omnichannel support across voice, chat, email, SMS, and social messaging, quality management, and analytics. Because it shares the platform with 8x8 Work, agents can reach back-office experts on the same directory without external bridging. It fits small-to-enterprise contact centers, though very large or highly specialized operations should benchmark it against dedicated CCaaS vendors on workforce management depth, AI features, and per-seat economics.

Communications APIs (CPaaS)

8x8's communications APIs let developers embed messaging and voice into applications: SMS and chat-app notifications (WhatsApp, RCS, and similar channels where supported), number verification, voice calling, and video. This is the less-known part of 8x8's portfolio and one of its stronger differentiators — businesses building customer notifications, reminders, or in-app communications can get APIs and their phone system from one vendor. API pricing is usage-based and separate from UCaaS seats, so model volumes before assuming the bundle saves money.

Voice for Microsoft Teams

For organizations standardized on Microsoft Teams for collaboration, 8x8 sells certified direct routing and integration options that add enterprise-grade PSTN calling to Teams — Teams stays the user interface while 8x8 provides the phone service underneath. The comparison to run is 8x8's Teams integration against Microsoft Teams Phone (Microsoft's own calling plans) and against other providers' Teams voice offers: differences show up in per-country coverage, contact center connectivity, support model, and total cost, especially across multi-country deployments.

Global Reach & International Coverage

8x8 operates global cloud infrastructure and offers phone numbers and full PSTN replacement in a large number of countries — a materially broader footprint than many US-first UCaaS vendors. That matters in three scenarios: multinationals consolidating dozens of country-specific carriers onto one contract, companies expanding into countries where their current provider has no numbering, and global contact centers needing local presence. Capabilities differ by country (number types, emergency calling, porting rules), so verify each country you operate in rather than relying on a global coverage claim.

AI & Analytics

8x8 has been adding AI across the XCaaS platform — capabilities such as speech analytics, transcription, summarization, and AI-assisted agent tools in the contact center, plus conversation analytics on the UCaaS side. As with the whole category, the AI roadmap moves faster than contract cycles: which capabilities are generally available versus beta, which tiers include them, and how recordings and transcripts are stored and used should be confirmed in the current documentation and your agreement, not assumed from marketing pages.

Who 8x8 is a good fit for

  • Mid-size and enterprise businesses wanting UCaaS and contact center from a single vendor
  • Multinational organizations consolidating communications across many countries onto one platform
  • Companies standardized on Microsoft Teams that need certified PSTN calling added to it
  • Businesses that want communications APIs (SMS, verification, in-app voice) alongside their phone system
  • Service and support teams that need omnichannel contact center without a separate CCaaS vendor
  • Organizations replacing legacy on-premise PBX or contact-center systems across several countries
  • Buyers who want an advisor to quote 8x8 against comparable global UCaaS/CCaaS platforms

Coverage and availability

8x8's coverage story is about global reach rather than physical plant. It operates a distributed cloud platform and offers local numbering — and in many countries full PSTN replacement, where 8x8 is the phone service itself — across a footprint that is broader than most US-centric competitors. The operative question is per-country: number types available, whether your existing numbers port, emergency-calling support, and regulatory requirements all vary. Get country-by-country confirmation in the proposal for every location you operate in.

Number porting follows the usual pattern but with an international wrinkle: US and Canadian ports are routine; international ports depend on the country and losing carrier and can take weeks to months. A migration plan should sequence ports, use temporary numbers where needed, and avoid canceling any incumbent service until ports complete. For multi-country rollouts, the porting schedule is usually the critical path.

On uptime, 8x8 publishes SLAs for its platform with financially backed commitments on applicable tiers — read the current SLA document for the uptime figure, the measurement method, and the remedy, since terms differ by product and tier. As with all cloud communications, your internet connectivity is outside the vendor's SLA: sites running voice should have resilient primary circuits and failover, which is a connectivity decision separate from choosing the UCaaS platform.

Common use cases

  • Consolidating UCaaS and contact center onto one vendor for shared administration and call flows
  • Replacing multiple country-specific phone carriers with a single global communications platform
  • Adding enterprise PSTN calling to a Microsoft Teams deployment via certified direct routing
  • Embedding SMS notifications, verification, or in-app voice into customer-facing applications via APIs
  • Migrating an on-premise PBX and contact center to the cloud across several countries
  • Equipping hybrid and remote employees with business calling on desktop and mobile apps
  • Running a blended inbound/outbound contact center with omnichannel routing and analytics

Questions to ask before choosing 8x8

  1. For each country we operate in: what number types are available, do our numbers port, and is full PSTN replacement supported?
  2. What uptime SLA applies to the specific products and tiers we're quoted, and what are the measurement method and remedies?
  3. Which features — recording, analytics depth, AI capabilities, integrations — are included at our tier versus add-ons?
  4. What is the total cost including taxes, regulatory fees, international calling rates, and any usage-based API charges?
  5. What are the contract term, auto-renewal, and early termination provisions?
  6. For Teams integration: which integration method is proposed, and how does it compare to Microsoft Teams Phone on cost and features for our countries?
  7. How is emergency calling handled per country and for remote workers?
  8. What does the number porting timeline look like across all our locations, and who manages it?
  9. What support model comes with our account — dedicated success manager, 24/7 support channels, escalation path?
  10. If we start with UCaaS and add contact center seats later, how do licensing and pricing change?

8x8 alternatives

  • RingCentral — the most common head-to-head comparison for global UCaaS plus CCaaS from one vendor
  • Vonage — UCaaS and CCaaS with a comparable communications-API business
  • GoTo — simpler, often lower-cost unified communications where deep CCaaS and APIs aren't needed
  • Crexendo — a US UCaaS alternative worth quoting for domestic-first deployments
  • Five9 — a dedicated cloud contact-center platform where CCaaS depth outweighs the single-vendor argument

How SmashByte helps

TechSellers International is an independent technology advisor — we don't work for 8x8, and no provider ranks higher in our recommendations because of compensation. When you engage us on a communications project, we quote 8x8 alongside the comparable UCaaS, CCaaS, and Teams voice options matched to your seat counts, countries, and feature requirements, and we normalize the proposals — per-seat pricing, usage-based charges, included tiers, SLA terms — so you're comparing like with like. That comparison is free to you; advisors are compensated by the providers.

For multi-site and multi-country deployments we also run the parts vendors don't: the per-country serviceability and porting matrix, the migration sequence so no site loses service, the Teams-versus-native-client decision, and the connectivity underneath — resilient internet and failover at each location, since the UCaaS platform's SLA stops where your broadband starts. We put contract terms and renewal clauses on the table before signature, and we stay engaged through installation and cutover. Our incentive is a platform that still fits at renewal, because that's when you decide whether to work with us again.

Frequently asked questions

What is 8x8 XCaaS?

XCaaS (eXperience Communications as a Service) is 8x8's name for running unified communications (8x8 Work — calling, meetings, messaging), contact center (8x8 Contact Center), and communications APIs on one cloud platform. The practical benefit is a single vendor and shared administration for both employee and customer communications; the practical question is whether one-vendor convenience outweighs best-of-breed depth for your specific requirements.

How much does 8x8 cost?

8x8 pricing is largely quote-based, with per-user monthly tiers for UCaaS and separate per-seat pricing for contact center, plus usage-based pricing for APIs. Promotions, bundling, and term length all move the number, and taxes and regulatory fees are additional. Confirm current pricing in a written quote at your actual seat counts and countries — an advisor can source competing quotes at the same time so the number has context.

Does 8x8 work internationally?

Yes — global reach is one of 8x8's stronger differentiators. It offers local phone numbers and, in many countries, full PSTN replacement through a globally distributed platform, which lets multinationals consolidate communications onto one vendor. Capabilities vary by country — number types, porting, emergency calling — so confirm each country you need in the proposal rather than relying on the global claim.

Can 8x8 add phone service to Microsoft Teams?

Yes. 8x8 offers certified Teams voice integration (direct routing) so Teams users get enterprise PSTN calling with 8x8 as the carrier underneath. The comparison to run is 8x8 Teams voice versus Microsoft Teams Phone's own calling plans and other providers' integrations — differences show up in country coverage, cost structure, and contact center connectivity. For multi-country Teams deployments this comparison often decides the deal.

Can I keep my existing phone numbers with 8x8?

In most cases, yes. US and Canadian ports are routine; international ports depend on the country and losing carrier and can take considerably longer. Inventory every number (main lines, toll-free, fax, direct dials), sequence the ports, and never cancel the incumbent service until ports complete. Multi-location and multi-country migrations should have the porting plan managed as a project, not a footnote.

Is 8x8 good for contact centers?

8x8 Contact Center is a full CCaaS product — omnichannel routing, IVR, quality management, analytics — with the advantage of sharing a platform with its UCaaS, so agents and back-office staff are on one directory. It serves small through enterprise contact centers. Very large or specialized operations should benchmark it against dedicated CCaaS vendors on workforce management, AI depth, and per-seat economics before committing.

Should I buy 8x8 direct or through an advisor?

The platform, pricing structure, and support contract are 8x8's either way; advisors are compensated by the provider, not by you. Going direct gets you 8x8's quote for 8x8's portfolio. An independent advisor gets you 8x8 quoted alongside competing UCaaS/CCaaS and Teams voice options, normalized so you can compare, plus managed porting and connectivity planning across your locations — at no cost to you. For anything beyond a single small office, that comparison is usually worth the conversation.