Unified Communications (UC) has become the backbone of hybrid work. But while employees depend on voice, video, and messaging every day, organisations face growing pressure to control costs. Hardware refresh cycles, licence sprawl, and reactive IT support can all push budgets in the wrong direction.

The challenge is finding savings without sacrificing the employee experience. Here are five practical ways to do just that.

5 Practical Ways to Control Costs

1. Shift CapEx to OpEx

Big upfront investments in meeting room technology or voice infrastructure lock budgets into long cycles. By moving to a subscription-based model, organisations spread costs predictably over time, eliminating CapEx spikes and aligning spend with actual usage.

2. Automate Monitoring and Management

Every IT ticket raised for “video not working” or “meeting room offline” drains time and money. Proactive monitoring, automated diagnostics, and remote management reduce incidents before they impact users — freeing IT teams to focus on innovation instead of firefighting.

3. Consolidate Platforms and Licences

Running multiple overlapping tools (for example, video platforms alongside separate messaging apps) drives up costs and fragments the user experience. Consolidating onto integrated platforms reduces duplication, improves adoption, and lowers the total cost of ownership.

4. Bake Security and Compliance into the Service

Security breaches are expensive. So are compliance failures. Embedding encryption, patch management, and certified service frameworks from day one avoids costly remediation down the track and ensures that collaboration remains both secure and compliant.

5. Ensure Future Upgrades are Built In

Technology moves fast. AI-driven collaboration, real-time translation, and immersive experiences are already emerging. Rather than paying for disruptive upgrade projects every few years, look for services that include continuous updates as part of the subscription. This keeps costs predictable and technology current.

Conclusion

Cutting costs in UC doesn’t have to mean cutting corners. By adopting smarter service models, automating management, and eliminating duplication, organisations can reduce spend while actually improving the experience for employees. In the end, the best cost control strategy is one that delivers long-term value and keeps collaboration effortless.