629 - RingCentral: Cloud Migration, AI and the Future of Voice Communications in Australia

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Steve Saunders, Healthcare Principle at RingCentral, about what is really at stake for Australian healthcare organisations still running on legacy phone systems and why the move to cloud-based communications is becoming increasingly urgent.They cover the risks of relying on ageing PABX infrastructure, the barriers that slow down migration decisions and how a modular, evolutionary approach to modernisation can reduce risk and build confidence across an organisation.The conversation also gets into the role of AI and automation in transforming how healthcare manages calls, appointments and patient interactions, as well as the critical importance of data sovereignty, privacy and security when moving to cloud-based platforms.Steve shares why voice remains the most important communication channel in healthcare, why general-purpose tools are not built for clinical environments, and what healthcare leaders should look for when choosing a long-term technology partner rather than a one-off supplier.For more information check out RingCentral at www.talkinghealthtech.com/ringcentralHave a question about this episode? Reach out directly to Steve:Steve SaundersHealthcare Principle | RingCentral📞 +61-2-9157-6831✉️ [email protected] Takeaways📞 Voice communication remains the number one application in healthcare, with unique requirements compared to other sectors.☁️ Healthcare is at a crossroads, moving away from legacy on-premise PABX phone systems towards resilient, cloud-based communications platforms.🤖 AI tools are being used for pre-interaction triage, live transcription, translation, and post-call analytics to improve efficiency and patient experience.🛡 Data sovereignty and security are top priorities, with strict compliance with Australian regulations and onshore data processing for AI.🔄 Major barriers for adoption are fear of change and complacency, not just competition from other vendors.Timestamps00:00 - Introduction & guest background00:37 - Why voice is critical in healthcare03:41 - Unique challenges for healthcare phone systems07:31 - Transitioning from legacy to cloud11:25 - AI & efficiency in communications16:25 - Data sovereignty & security18:39 - Industry landscape & barriers to change22:09 - Advice for healthcare providersCheck out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.If you’re enjoying the show and want access to exclusive healthtech discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealth.tech/solo_shownotesAnd if this episode was useful, leaving a review or sharing it with someone in the industry always helps.Mentioned in this episode:Sign Up to the Free Talking Healthtech NewsletterSign up to the free Talking HealthTech newsletter for weekly digital health news, events, jobs, partner updates and Pete’s take on what matters across the sector: talkinghealthtech.com/newsletter