UC and contact center total cost of ownership

See also

Sources

1. 1
   At list prices, one US agent's median annual pay ($44,770) is roughly 25 times a year of Twilio Flex named-user licence at its $150 per month starting price ($1,800), so staffing assumptions move contact center TCO far more than platform seat price.inferred

   Customer Service Representatives: Occupational Outlook Handbook · Quick Facts > 2025 Median Pay (combined with twilio-flex-pricing > Named User) · Checked 2026-10-02
2. 2
   Under Amazon Connect Customer Basic, conversational analytics for voice ($0.015 per minute), end-customer self-service ($0.008 per minute) and real-time agent assistance ($0.008 per minute) are charged separately from the voice service rate.

   Amazon Connect Customer Pricing Appendix · Customer Basic (A la carte) > separately charged capabilities · Checked 2026-10-02
3. 3
   Amazon Connect Customer Basic (a la carte) pricing charges $0.018 per voice minute for the voice service.

   Amazon Connect Customer Pricing Appendix · Two pricing options > Customer Basic (A la carte) > Voice · Checked 2026-10-02
4. 4
   Amazon Connect capacity planning Hiring plans estimate long-term FTE needs up to 64 weeks ahead, while Scheduling plans give headcount needs in 15-minute or 30-minute intervals.

   Capacity planning in Connect Customer · Capacity planning in Connect Customer (intro paragraphs) · Checked 2026-10-02
5. 5
   Amazon Connect capacity planning accepts an optional import of estimated future shrinkage and available FTE data, which the documentation says can improve the accuracy of the capacity plan.

   Capacity planning in Connect Customer · Getting started > step 2 (Import estimated future shrinkage and available full-time employees) · Checked 2026-10-02
6. 6
   The Amazon Connect pricing appendix Example 2 totals $0.456 for a single call, composed of $0.38 voice service, a $0.03 DID daily charge, $0.022 inbound telephony and $0.024 outbound telephony.

   Amazon Connect Customer Pricing Appendix · Pricing example > Example 2 · Checked 2026-10-02
7. 7
   Modelling Amazon Connect voice cost from the headline voice service rate alone understates per-call cost, because telephony per-minute charges and per-day number charges are billed in addition.inferred

   Amazon Connect Customer Pricing Appendix · Telephony rates (US); Pricing example > Example 2 · Checked 2026-10-02
8. 8
   Amazon Connect Customer is priced on consumption with no minimums, no long-term contracts and no seat-based licensing requirement.

   Amazon Connect Customer Pricing · Pay only for what you use, without compromise / Pricing · Checked 2026-10-02
9. 9
   The Amazon Connect per-minute voice service rate does not include telephony; the pricing page states that standard telephony rates apply in addition.

   Amazon Connect Customer Pricing · Pricing > Voice · Checked 2026-10-02
10. 10
    Amazon Connect Customer (Unlimited AI) pricing charges $0.038 per voice minute for the voice service, with AI capabilities included in the channel rate.

    Amazon Connect Customer Pricing Appendix · Two pricing options > Connect Customer (Unlimited AI) > Voice · Checked 2026-10-02
11. 11
    Amazon Connect charges $0.03 per day for each US DID phone number claimed, independent of call volume.

    Amazon Connect Customer Pricing Appendix · Telephony rates (US) > DID numbers > per-day charge · Checked 2026-10-02
12. 12
    Amazon Connect US DID inbound telephony is priced at $0.0022 per minute on top of the voice service rate.

    Amazon Connect Customer Pricing Appendix · Telephony rates (US) > Inbound (DID) > per-minute · Checked 2026-10-02
13. 13
    Amazon Connect outbound telephony to a US destination is priced at $0.0048 per minute on top of the voice service rate.

    Amazon Connect Customer Pricing Appendix · Telephony rates (US) > Outbound > per-minute to US destination · Checked 2026-10-02
14. 14
    BLS counts 2,666,000 US customer service representative jobs in 2025 and projects a 5% decline (about 141,800 jobs) from 2025 to 2035.

    Customer Service Representatives: Occupational Outlook Handbook · Quick Facts: Number of Jobs, 2025; Job Outlook, 2025-35; Employment Change, 2025-35 · Checked 2026-10-02
15. 15
    The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 2025 median pay for customer service representatives of $44,770 per year ($21.53 per hour).

    Customer Service Representatives: Occupational Outlook Handbook · Quick Facts: Customer Service Representatives > 2025 Median Pay · Checked 2026-10-02
16. 16
    Cisco's end-of-sale date for Version 14 perpetual on-premises calling applications, including Unified CM 14, Unity Connection 14 and Expressway X14, was April 7, 2025.

    End-of-Sale and End-of-Life Announcement for the Cisco Version 14 of On-premises Calling applications (including Cisco Unified Communications Manager) — Perpetual · Table 1. End-of-Life Milestones > End-of-Sale Date: App SW · Checked 2026-10-02
17. 17
    Cisco's last date of support for Version 14 perpetual on-premises calling applications, including Unified CM 14, is April 30, 2027.

    End-of-Sale and End-of-Life Announcement for the Cisco Version 14 of On-premises Calling applications (including Cisco Unified Communications Manager) — Perpetual · Table 1. End-of-Life Milestones > Last Date of Support: App SW · Checked 2026-10-02
18. 18
    Cisco's Version 14 end-of-life notice names the latest on-premises calling release or cloud calling under Collaboration Flex Plan 3.0 as the migration options.

    End-of-Sale and End-of-Life Announcement for the Cisco Version 14 of On-premises Calling applications (including Cisco Unified Communications Manager) — Perpetual · Product Migration Options · Checked 2026-10-02
19. 19
    Cisco's end of software maintenance releases date for Version 14 perpetual on-premises calling applications is April 7, 2026.

    End-of-Sale and End-of-Life Announcement for the Cisco Version 14 of On-premises Calling applications (including Cisco Unified Communications Manager) — Perpetual · Table 1. End-of-Life Milestones > End of SW Maintenance Releases Date: App SW · Checked 2026-10-02
20. 20
    Cisco states that basic support is included at no additional cost for the duration of a Flex 3.0 subscription.

    Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan 3.0 and Webex Suite Data Sheet · Support · Checked 2026-10-02
21. 21
    Under the Cisco Flex 3.0 Enterprise Agreement, common area devices are included at 50% of the knowledge worker count, with add-on licences for more.

    Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan 3.0 and Webex Suite Data Sheet · Enterprise Agreement > Common Area entitlement · Checked 2026-10-02
22. 22
    The Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan 3.0 Enterprise Agreement buying model covers all knowledge workers, requires a minimum of 250 knowledge workers and includes a 15% growth allowance on new subscriptions.

    Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan 3.0 and Webex Suite Data Sheet · Buying models > Enterprise Agreement (EA) · Checked 2026-10-02
23. 23
    Cisco Flex 3.0 lets customers mix deployment models, for example Webex Meetings with on-premises calling and/or Webex Calling, under one subscription.

    Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan 3.0 and Webex Suite Data Sheet · Deployment flexibility · Checked 2026-10-02
24. 24
    The Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan 3.0 Named User buying model is a per-user subscription, with a minimum of five users for Webex Suite Named User.

    Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan 3.0 and Webex Suite Data Sheet · Buying models > Named User (NU) · Checked 2026-10-02
25. 25
    PSTN service is not part of the base Cisco Flex 3.0 calling entitlement; Cisco Calling Plan is a separate subscription.

    Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan 3.0 and Webex Suite Data Sheet · PSTN / Cisco Calling Plan section · Checked 2026-10-02
26. 26
    GAO states that the best practices in GAO-20-195G apply equally to capital and non-capital project cost estimates, including technology systems.

    Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Developing and Managing Program Costs · Product page summary · Checked 2026-10-02
27. 27
    GAO's Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide (GAO-20-195G, March 2020) sets out cost estimating steps that include ground rules and assumptions, sensitivity and risk analysis, and updating estimates with actual costs.

    Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Developing and Managing Program Costs · Product page summary ('What GAO Found' / description) · Checked 2026-10-02
28. 28
    Microsoft Teams Calling Plans, which make Microsoft the PSTN carrier, are available as Domestic, International and Pay-As-You-Go plans, either bundled with Teams Phone or as a separate add-on to Teams Phone Standard.

    Microsoft Teams add-on licenses · Teams Phone with PSTN connectivity licenses > Teams Phone with Microsoft Calling Plans · Checked 2026-10-02
29. 29
    Microsoft Communication Credits is an add-on prepaid pool of PSTN minutes, used for example when Calling Plan minutes run out or for toll-free numbers on Audio Conferencing, auto attendants and call queues.

    Microsoft Teams add-on licenses · Overview of all add-on licenses > Communication Credits row · Checked 2026-10-02
30. 30
    For Teams Common Area Phones, a Calling Plan licence is not required when Direct Routing is used.

    Plan Direct Routing · Supported endpoints · Checked 2026-10-02
31. 31
    Teams Direct Routing requires a customer-provided, Microsoft-certified Session Border Controller plus one or more PSTN trunks, a public IP, public DNS and a publicly trusted certificate.

    Plan Direct Routing · Infrastructure requirements table · Checked 2026-10-02
32. 32
    Microsoft's Direct Routing planning guide gives an example tenant that uses Direct Routing for contact centers and legacy PBXs, Operator Connect for knowledge workers and Calling Plans for small satellite offices.

    Plan Direct Routing · Example deployment table · Checked 2026-10-02
33. 33
    For Direct Routing, Microsoft recommends allocating at least two media ports per concurrent call on the SBC.

    Plan Direct Routing · Media ports > Tip · Checked 2026-10-02
34. 34
    Microsoft supports Direct Routing only with certified SBCs, expects the SBC vendor to investigate issues first, and may decline support requests involving non-certified SBCs.

    Plan Direct Routing · Support boundaries · Checked 2026-10-02
35. 35
    Microsoft states that an Audio Conferencing licence is included in the E5 subscription, while E1 and E3 customers must buy Audio Conferencing separately.

    Microsoft Teams add-on licenses · Audio Conferencing licenses (fourth paragraph) · Checked 2026-10-02
36. 36
    Since April 1, 2024 (October 1, 2023 in the EEA and Switzerland), new Microsoft enterprise customers must buy an E1/E3/E5 suite without Teams plus a separate Teams standalone licence.

    Microsoft Teams add-on licenses · Overview of all add-on licenses > Important note · Checked 2026-10-02
37. 37
    Microsoft positions Operator Connect for organisations that want managed PSTN without deploying and maintaining their own SBCs; the operator is responsible for PSTN connectivity, number provisioning and porting, and PSTN support.

    Plan for Operator Connect · Introduction; Support boundaries · Checked 2026-10-02
38. 38
    Operator Connect deployment requires users to hold Microsoft Teams Phone licences and be in Teams Only mode.

    Plan for Operator Connect · Onboarding > Step 1: Verify prerequisites · Checked 2026-10-02
39. 39
    As of April 1, 2026, Microsoft moved some features previously exclusive to Teams Premium into Teams Enterprise, while the Queues app remains a Teams Premium capability.

    Microsoft Teams Premium licensing · Important: Licensing update for Teams Premium and Teams Enterprise · Checked 2026-10-02
40. 40
    Teams Premium is a per-user subscription add-on and does not replace the user's Teams licence; users need both.

    Microsoft Teams Premium licensing · How does Teams Premium compare to Teams? (Important note); Which users should be assigned Teams Premium licenses? · Checked 2026-10-02
41. 41
    Operator Connect, Teams Phone Mobile, Direct Routing and Shared Calling each require a Teams Phone licence in addition to whatever the PSTN provider charges.

    Microsoft Teams add-on licenses · Teams Phone with PSTN connectivity licenses > Teams Phone with a separate PSTN connectivity option · Checked 2026-10-02
42. 42
    The Teams Queues app features for call queues and auto attendants (in-Teams management, real-time metrics, historical reporting, silent coaching) are Teams Premium features and also require a Teams Phone licence.

    Microsoft Teams Premium licensing · How does Teams Premium compare to Teams? > Advanced Call queue management with Queues app · Checked 2026-10-02
43. 43
    A Microsoft calling plan is not required for a Teams resource account unless that resource account needs to dial out.

    Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licenses · Introduction, third paragraph · Checked 2026-10-02
44. 44
    Microsoft instructs admins not to assign a Teams Phone Standard licence to a resource account and to switch existing ones to the Teams Phone Resource Account licence.

    Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licenses · Introduction (note before 'How to obtain'); Change an existing resource account · Checked 2026-10-02
45. 45
    Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licences, required for every resource account behind an auto attendant or call queue, no longer have any cost, though they must still be bought through the purchasing channel at zero price.

    Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licenses · Opening note; How to obtain Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licenses > step 9 note · Checked 2026-10-02
46. 46
    Microsoft Teams Shared Space, named Microsoft Teams Shared Devices before April 2026, is the add-on licence for shared devices such as common area phones.

    Microsoft Teams add-on licenses · Overview of all add-on licenses > Microsoft Teams Shared Space row · Checked 2026-10-02
47. 47
    Teams Phone requires a separate add-on licence (Teams Phone Standard), and users who make and receive PSTN calls also need a PSTN connectivity option.

    Microsoft Teams add-on licenses · Teams Phone with PSTN connectivity licenses (second paragraph) · Checked 2026-10-02
48. 48
    Vendor-commissioned ROI studies whose benefits are mostly projected user-productivity time savings can show a positive return even where hard-cost savings (retired telephony) alone would not exceed costs; a TCO comparison should separate hard cash costs from soft productivity benefits.inferred

    New Technology: The Projected Total Economic Impact Of Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile · Benefits analysis vs Costs analysis (three-year PV totals) · Checked 2026-10-02
49. 49
    Forrester's Teams Phone Mobile TEI cost model assumes $10 per user per month for Teams Phone and $50 per user per month for network provider connectivity, making connectivity the larger licence cost line.

    New Technology: The Projected Total Economic Impact Of Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile · Costs analysis > Licensing costs · Checked 2026-10-02
50. 50
    In Forrester's Teams Phone Mobile TEI study, end-user productivity gains ($8.7M to $19.6M present value) make up most of the projected three-year benefits ($10.6M to $23.4M), while legacy telephony retirement savings are $1.6M to $3.3M.

    New Technology: The Projected Total Economic Impact Of Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile · Benefits analysis (benefit categories, three-year PV) · Checked 2026-10-02
51. 51
    Forrester's Teams Phone Mobile TEI study uses a three-year analysis period and a 10% annual discount rate to compute present values.

    New Technology: The Projected Total Economic Impact Of Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile · Methodology / Financial summary · Checked 2026-10-02
52. 52
    Forrester's December 2024 Teams Phone Mobile TEI study was commissioned by Microsoft and is a projected study built from seven early-user interviews and 228 survey respondents, not from measured post-deployment results.

    New Technology: The Projected Total Economic Impact Of Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile · Study overview / Methodology · Checked 2026-10-02
53. 53
    Twilio Flex lists active-user-hour pricing starting at $1 per active user hour.

    Twilio Flex pricing · Pricing models > Active User Hour · Checked 2026-10-02
54. 54
    Twilio Flex lists named-user pricing starting at $150 per named user per month, covering agents, supervisors, administrators and developers.

    Twilio Flex pricing · Pricing models > Named User · Checked 2026-10-02
55. 55
    Twilio Flex User + Usage pricing starts at $35 per monthly active user, plus metered charges for underlying Twilio services such as Conversations, TaskRouter, Studio and Functions.

    Twilio Flex pricing · Pricing models > User + Usage · Checked 2026-10-02
56. 56
    Under 47 CFR 54.712(a), a contributor that recovers federal universal service costs through a line item may not charge more than the interstate telecommunications portion of the customer's bill times the relevant contribution factor.

    47 CFR 54.712 - Contributor recovery of universal service costs from end users · 47 CFR 54.712(a) · Checked 2026-10-02
57. 57
    Because the federal USF line item is capped at the interstate telecommunications portion times a contribution factor that FCC sets each quarter, US PSTN fee lines in a TCO model should be modelled as a variable percentage of interstate telecom charges, not a fixed per-line amount.inferred

    47 CFR 54.712 - Contributor recovery of universal service costs from end users · 47 CFR 54.712(a) · Checked 2026-10-02
58. 58
    USAC states that all US providers of telecommunications, including VoIP providers, are legally obligated to file FCC Forms 499, with a de minimis exemption from contributing directly to the Universal Service Fund.

    Who Must Contribute · Who Must Contribute; FCC Form 499-Q Exempt · Checked 2026-10-02

Documents

Cite this page

WarmTransfer. (2026, October 2). UC and contact center total cost of ownership. WarmTransfer. https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/uc-tco-modeling

@misc{warmtransfer-uc-tco-modeling,
  title  = {UC and contact center total cost of ownership},
  author = {{WarmTransfer}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/uc-tco-modeling},
  note   = {Verified 2026-10-02}
}