Buyers Guides for Collaborative and Communications

2025 Software Provider and Product Assessment

ISG Research defines collaborative AI platforms and suites as a comprehensive portfolio of sophisticated tools that unify the traditional capabilities of communications (voice, video, messaging), documents, email and meetings with AI-infused search, tasks, meetings and writing, along with virtual agents and digital assistants enhanced with conversational and agentic AI. These suites represent the highest tier of collaboration software, designed for enterprises with simple to complex needs and providing support for broader communication—from unstructured to structured interactions, combined with AI-powered experiences and comprehensive analytics. The suites should support broader work and productivity needs, including creating and managing any type of document, tracking interactions and following up on tasks. The market has shifted toward an experience-first approach, emphasizing seamless workflows over more features and a shift to AI-powered support for any work or team-related need.

The Buyers Guides for Collaborative AI and Communications evaluate providers across six software categories with a unique Buyers Guide and research for each category to help enterprises assess and select software providers.

• The  Collaborative AI Platforms and Suites Buyers Guide evaluates 7 software providers and products in key areas of communication platform and collaboration support with chat, meeting, phone, productivity suite with AI, analytics and insights, chat support, communication administration and integration, intelligence workflow and a marketplace for third-party applications. The guide assesses the following providers: 8x8, Cisco, GoTo, Microsoft, RingCentral, Zoho and Zoom. 
  
  
• The AI Agents Buyers Guide evaluates 20 software providers and products in key areas: platform support, intelligence and workflow, analytic and insights, AI overall, communication administration and specific AI support with agentic AI. The guide assesses the following providers: Appian, Automation Anywhere, AWS, C3.ai, Fractal, Google, Gupshup, IBM, Microsoft, Newgen, Oracle, Pega, Salesforce, SAP, ServiceNow, SS&C Blue Prism, UiPath, Verint, Zendesk and Zenvia. 
  

• The Collaborative AI Suites Buyers Guide evaluates 12 software providers and products in key areas of collaboration support with chat, meeting, phone, productivity suite with AI, analytics and insights, chat support, communication administration and integration, intelligence workflow and a marketplace for third-party applications. The guide assesses the following providers: 8x8, Avaya, Cisco, Dialpad, Google, GoTo, HCLSoftware, Microsoft, RingCentral, Salesforce, Zoho and Zoom.
  
  
• The Communication Platforms Buyers Guide evaluates 21 software providers and products in key areas, including platform support with AI, analytics and insights, chat support, communication administration and integration, intelligence workflow and a marketplace for third-party applications. The guide assesses the following providers: 8x8, Bandwidth, Bird, Cisco, CM.com, Gupshup, Infobip, Microsoft, Mitel, Oracle, RingCentral, Route Mobile, Sangoma, Sinch, Syniverse, Tanla, Tata Communications, Tencent Cloud, Twilio, Vonage and Zoom.
  
  
• The Conversational AI for CX Buyers Guide evaluates 30 software providers and products in key areas, including platform support, intelligence and workflow, agentic AI, analytics and insights, AI overall, communication administration and integration and specific AI support with conversational AI. The guide assesses the following providers: [24]7.ai, 8x8, Avaya, Cisco, CM.com, Dialpad, Genesys, Google, Gupshup, Infobip, IntelePeer, LivePerson, NiCE, OpenText, Pega, RingCentral, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Sinch, Sprinklr, Talkdesk, Tata Communications, Tencent Cloud, Twilio, Verint, Vonage, Yellow.ai, Zendesk, Zenvia and Zoom.
  
  
• The Conversational AI for Workforce Buyers Guide evaluates 18  software providers and products in key areas, including platform support, intelligence and workflow, agentic AI, analytics and insights, AI overall, communication administration and integration and specific AI support with conversational AI. The guide assesses the following providers: 8x8, Appian, AWS, Cisco, Dialpad, Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Pega, RingCentral, Salesforce, SAP, ServiceNow, Sprinklr, Tencent Cloud, Vonage, Zendesk and Zoom.

To view the executive summaries of the research, please select the report below.

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