RALEIGH, N.C., and LONDON, Feb. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Enterprise communications leaders across the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region are navigating a pivotal moment as they balance innovative aspirations with regulatory demands, security risks, and operational complexities. A recent report titled “The State of EMEA Enterprise Communications 2026” from Bandwidth Inc. (NASDAQ: BAND) in partnership with Cavell reveals that while advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) promise enhanced customer experiences, the focus for 2026 is on deliberate progress in simplifying enterprise communications strategies rather than making leaps driven by hype.
The report is based on insights from 500 IT and telecom decision-makers at companies with over 1,000 employees across the EMEA region. It highlights that amidst rapid technological changes, security, trust, and compliance have emerged as the leading priorities for enterprise communications. According to Finbarr Begley, Senior Analyst at Cavell, enterprises are advancing their strategies with caution, balancing the twin pressures of innovation and regulatory readiness. “Security, fraud, and compliance are different corners of the same maze in EMEA,” Begley noted, emphasizing their role in shaping the pace of modernization.
Timir Patel, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Global Voice Plans at Bandwidth, stated that enterprise leaders must “walk a tightrope” by innovating with purpose while building resilient infrastructure. As organizations strive to address the complexity associated with operating across multiple countries and regulatory frameworks, the report emphasizes that solving platform-level complexity is crucial for accelerating progress.
Key findings from the report indicate that security, fraud, and compliance risks are the most significant challenges for enterprise CIOs, with 63 percent citing these as major concerns. Additionally, 64 percent express apprehension about their voice providers’ ability to maintain uptime amid evolving regulations, underscoring the anxiety surrounding service continuity during regulatory changes. In contrast, AI and machine learning have become integral to enterprise strategy, with 49 percent of organizations prioritizing their implementation for 2026, closely followed by efforts in security and fraud prevention at 46 percent.
Regional differences also emerged in priorities, with UK enterprises focusing heavily on security and fraud mitigation, while those in France and Spain place a higher emphasis on AI. However, all markets appear to be proceeding with caution. In this environment, managed service providers (MSPs) have become crucial, with 99 percent of enterprises relying on them to navigate regulatory, operational, and vendor complexities. The report notes that while security and compliance are the top buying criteria for 53 percent of enterprises, they also rely on MSPs for end-to-end service management and cloud migration.
The landscape of enterprise communications in EMEA is further complicated by a multi-carrier, hybrid-cloud reality. With 46 percent of enterprises adopting a hybrid carrier model and 75 percent migrating parts of their contact centers to the cloud, organizations are adjusting to a varied regulatory landscape and uneven cloud maturity. This hybrid approach allows businesses to remain compliant while accommodating ongoing security requirements.
Interestingly, the report highlights a growing trend of integrating AI into workflows as organizations prioritize building on reliable communications infrastructure. EMEA enterprises are adopting AI with intention, contrasting with their North American counterparts, who, benefiting from lower complexity and earlier cloud investments, focus more on optimization and scale. This difference in approach is underscored by a concerning trend: 66 percent of EMEA enterprises report that legitimate outbound calls are often mislabeled as “spam” or “scam,” impacting customer engagement significantly.
Ultimately, adaptability has emerged as a defining characteristic of success in the EMEA enterprise communications market. Organizations that can effectively respond to regulatory changes and make strategic advances in AI and cloud technology while ensuring uptime and maintaining trust will likely outperform their peers. The findings in this report not only shed light on the current state of enterprise communications but also offer a roadmap for the future as businesses seek to navigate an increasingly complex landscape.
For further insights, “The State of EMEA Enterprise Communications 2026” report is now available for download, providing a comprehensive analysis derived from a survey of 500 decision-makers across various sectors, including financial services, retail, healthcare, technology, and manufacturing.
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