Business communications have evolved. The expectations around flexibility, AI, hybrid work, and customer experience have changed dramatically. But for many organizations, legacy phone systems and fragmented tools are still introducing unnecessary cost, complexity, and operational friction.
In our recent webinar, “Modern UC Without the Complexity: Introducing AscendOne and AscendOne Teams,” Chris Ford, VP of Product at First Communications, breaks down what modern unified communications should look like—and how organizations can simplify without sacrificing capability.
Watch the full webinar replay below.
Traditional phone systems weren’t built for today’s workplace.
They come with:
Aging hardware and expensive upgrade cycles
Ongoing maintenance costs
Limited support for hybrid and remote work
Slow innovation cycles
Difficulty integrating AI and advanced analytics
As discussed in the webinar, many organizations are stuck in 3–6 year hardware refresh cycles similar to outdated mobile device upgrades just to keep pace with basic functionality.
At the same time, modern teams expect voice, messaging, meetings, SMS, analytics, and AI-driven insights to work together seamlessly, not across disconnected applications.
That’s where AscendOne comes in.
AscendOne was designed to deliver enterprise-grade unified communications without unnecessary complexity.
It consolidates communications into a single platform with:
Voice and PBX functionality
Meetings and messaging
SMS
Call recording
AI-powered transcription and summaries
Built-in contact center capabilities
The goal? One application. One pane of glass.
Instead of juggling multiple tools (and multiple invoices), organizations can centralize their communications experience for both end users and IT teams.
Different organizations operate differently. That’s why AscendOne is available in two configurations.
A complete UCaaS collaboration suite delivered through a single application—ideal for organizations looking to consolidate tools without relying on Microsoft, Zoom, or Webex.
Purpose-built for organizations that live inside Microsoft Teams.
This solution embeds a full PBX and contact center experience directly within Teams via a side-loaded app, while avoiding the need for additional Microsoft Phone System licensing.
One of the most common questions we received during the webinar was:
How is AscendOne Teams different from Direct Routing or Operator Connect?
The biggest differentiator:
No additional Microsoft Phone System license required.
For many organizations, this represents meaningful cost savings—especially for users who don’t require full E5 licensing.
Beyond cost, AscendOne Teams:
Delivers PBX features directly within Teams
Maintains real-time presence synchronization
Provides voicemail, SMS, call recording, and call center tools
Enables business continuity through web or physical phone access—even if Microsoft services are disrupted.
It’s a seamless experience for users—without adding administrative overhead.
AI isn’t just a buzzword—it’s becoming a core differentiator in communications platforms.
AscendOne includes built-in AI capabilities such as:
Automated call and meeting summaries
Full transcription downloads
Sentiment analysis
Performance scoring
Supervisor insights
Virtual assistant functionality (with an AI receptionist agent planned as an upcoming add-on).
One standout capability is real-time sentiment indicators—helping supervisors quickly identify positive or negative customer interactions without listening to every call.
This shifts the contact center strategy from simply measuring wait times to truly understanding customer experience.
Instead of manually reviewing recordings for hours—or days—teams gain immediate, actionable insight.
AscendOne also includes built-in archiving and retention capabilities:
30 days of archiving included
90 days of call recording retention
Archiving options scalable up to 10 years for compliance
Call history, SMS, recordings, and related data are centralized—eliminating the need for separate storage systems or external archiving tools.
Technology matters, but support matters just as much.
As highlighted in the webinar, First Communications has supported more than 7,000 customers across the U.S. for over 25 years.
Our 24/7 U.S.-based support teams operate out of Akron and Chicago, delivering real human assistance when it matters most.
Modern UC shouldn’t mean more complexity.
It should mean better performance, greater flexibility, and smarter insight—without adding operational burden.
If you’re evaluating your current phone system, consolidating tools, or exploring how AI can improve customer and employee experience, AscendOne offers a modern path forward.
Watch the webinar replay above
Interested in a live demo?
Connect with your First Communications account team or click here.