“Can I make money selling AI… or should I give it away to sell more of something else?” — Irwin Lazar, President and Principal Analyst, Metrigy

In this special preview podcast for the upcoming Cloud Communications Alliance (CCA) Financial Summit, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, sits down with Irwin Lazar, President and Principal Analyst at Metrigy, to discuss how AI is reshaping the economics of cloud communications—and how that impacts everything from vendor strategy to company valuations and M&A activity.

As part of a diverse panel at the CCA Financial Summit, October 7–8 at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., Lazar brings the voice of the buyer to the discussion. Drawing from Metrigy’s extensive buyer-side research, he offers a data-driven look at how AI is being implemented, monetized, and evaluated across the communications and contact center landscape.

Key Insights from the Podcast:

• The Monetization Dilemma: Vendors face tough choices—charge premiums for AI features or offer them for free to drive core product adoption.
• Strategic M&A: Recent deals, like NICE acquiring Cognigy, suggest buyers are favoring tech-focused acquisitions over ego-driven, market-share plays.
• Build vs. Buy: With AI coding tools becoming more accessible, enterprises face classic tradeoffs—develop internally using models like OpenAI and Anthropic, or accelerate capability through acquisitions.
• Risks on the Horizon: Lazar identifies power availability, data trust, and model disruption (e.g., DeepSeek’s entry) as potential speed bumps for future AI adoption.
• Avoiding the Avaya-Nortel Trap: Today’s acquirers appear more cautious, focused on adding capabilities—not just size.

With AI influencing everything from product development to boardroom decisions, Lazar’s perspective will be a highlight of the CCA Financial Summit’s finance-focused programming. His message is clear: AI isn’t just a tech trend—it’s a business driver that’s rapidly influencing enterprise strategy, investor sentiment, and go-to-market approaches.

Learn more about Metrigy at https://metrigy.com
Learn more about the Cloud Communications Alliance at https://cloudcommunications.com