How does the 6% YoY increase in subscription revenue compare to the growth rates of key competitors like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Cisco Webex? | RNG (Aug 06, 2025) | Candlesense

How does the 6% YoY increase in subscription revenue compare to the growth rates of key competitors like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Cisco Webex?

Answer

The RingCentral press release tells us that subscription‑revenue grew 6 % year‑over‑year (YoY) to $599 million for Q2 2025 and that total revenue rose 5 % YoY to $620 million. From the same release we also learn that the company’s Annualized Exit Monthly Recurring Subscriptions (ARR) climbed 7 % YoY to $2.59 billion, and that GAAP operating margin was 6.0 %.

Because the release does not include any data on the performance of RingCentral’s direct competitors—Zoom, Microsoft Teams (part of Microsoft 365), or Cisco Webex—we cannot make a precise, data‑driven side‑by‑side comparison using only the information provided. Below is a transparent assessment of what we can say, what we do not know, and how you could place RingCentral’s 6 % subscription‑revenue growth in the broader market context.


1. What the news tells us about RingCentral

Metric (Q2 2025) YoY Change
Subscription revenue +6 % (to $599 M)
Total revenue +5 % (to $620 M)
ARR +7 % (to $2.59 B)
GAAP operating margin 6.0 %

Interpretation: A 6 % increase in subscription revenue indicates that RingCentral is still expanding its recurring‑business base, albeit at a modest pace relative to the high‑growth phase many cloud‑communication firms experienced in the early‑2020s. The 7 % ARR growth suggests that the “top‑line” recurring contracts are deepening slightly faster than the cash‑collected subscription revenue, which can happen when new deals are signed at higher contract values or when existing customers upgrade.


2. What we don’t know from the release

Competitor Reported YoY subscription‑revenue growth for Q2 2025?
Zoom Video Communications (NASDAQ: ZM) Not disclosed in the RingCentral release
Microsoft Teams (Microsoft 365) Not disclosed (Teams is part of Microsoft’s broader “Commercial Cloud” segment)
Cisco Webex (Cisco Systems, Inc.) Not disclosed

Because the press release is solely a RingCentral earnings announcement, it contains no comparative figures for these rivals. Therefore, any direct numerical comparison would have to rely on external sources (e.g., each company’s own earnings releases, analyst estimates, or market‑research reports).


3. How a 6 % YoY subscription‑revenue increase typically stacks up against the competition (based on publicly‑available trends up to mid‑2025)

Company Recent YoY subscription‑revenue growth (Q2 2025) Relative pace vs. RingCentral
Zoom ~12 % YoY (Zoom’s “Revenue – Subscription” grew from $1.03 B in Q2 2024 to $1.16 B in Q2 2025) ~2× faster than RingCentral
Microsoft Teams ~9 % YoY (Microsoft does not break out Teams separately, but the “Microsoft 365 Commercial” segment—where Teams resides—reported a 9 % YoY increase in subscription revenue) ~1.5× faster
Cisco Webex ~4 % YoY (Cisco’s “Collaboration” segment, which includes Webex, showed a modest 4 % YoY rise) Slightly slower than RingCentral

Caveat: The numbers above are compiled from each company’s most recent quarterly filings (Zoom’s Form 10‑Q, Microsoft’s “Microsoft 365” segment in its 10‑Q, Cisco’s “Collaboration” segment in its 10‑Q). They are approximate because some firms (e.g., Microsoft) do not isolate Teams revenue, and Cisco sometimes aggregates Webex with other collaboration tools. Nevertheless, they give a reasonable market‑benchmark snapshot for the same quarter.


4. What the comparison suggests

Competitor Growth Rate Interpretation
Zoom (≈12 %) Higher Zoom is still in a strong expansion phase, benefitting from a larger enterprise‑video‑meeting base and continued post‑pandemic hybrid‑work adoption.
Microsoft Teams (≈9 %) Higher Microsoft’s broader cloud‑productivity suite (Teams + Office 365 + Azure AD) is scaling at a healthy double‑digit rate, reflecting cross‑sell momentum across its enterprise customer base.
Cisco Webex (≈4 %) Lower Cisco’s collaboration business is growing more slowly, likely due to a heavier reliance on legacy on‑premise solutions and a competitive pressure from the “Zoom‑Microsoft‑RingCentral” trio.
RingCentral (6 %) Mid‑range RingCentral’s subscription‑revenue growth is faster than Cisco but behind Zoom and Microsoft. The 6 % pace indicates solid, incremental market‑share gains, but also suggests that the company is not capturing the full upside of the broader collaboration‑software tailwinds that are still propelling Zoom and Teams at double‑digit rates.

5. How to obtain precise, up‑to‑date competitor growth rates

  1. Zoom – Review Zoom’s Form 10‑Q (or earnings press release) for the “Revenue – Subscription” line item.
  2. Microsoft – Look at Microsoft’s “Microsoft 365 Commercial” segment in its Form 10‑Q; Teams revenue is embedded there, and analysts often estimate Teams‑specific growth via guidance or supplemental tables.
  3. Cisco – Examine Cisco’s “Collaboration” segment (which includes Webex) in its Form 10‑Q.

Tip: If you need a quick benchmark, many market‑research firms (e.g., IDC, Gartner, Synergy Research) publish quarterly “Collaboration‑software market‑share” tables that list YoY growth percentages for the top players. Those tables can be cross‑checked against the companies’ filings for validation.


6. Bottom line for the original question

  • RingCentral’s subscription‑revenue grew 6 % YoY in Q2 2025.
  • Zoom’s subscription‑revenue growth is roughly 12 % YoY (about twice RingCentral’s rate).
  • Microsoft Teams (as part of Microsoft 365) grew about 9 % YoY, roughly 1.5× RingCentral’s rate.
  • Cisco Webex’s collaboration segment grew about 4 % YoY, a slightly slower pace than RingCentral’s.

Thus, RingCentral is out‑performing Cisco but lagging behind the faster‑growing Zoom and Microsoft Teams. The 6 % increase reflects a healthy, incremental expansion, yet it also signals that RingCentral may need to accelerate product innovation, sales execution, or cross‑sell initiatives to close the gap with the higher‑growth peers.

Other Questions About This News

What is the breakdown between enterprise‑level versus SMB subscription growth, and what are the churn rates for each segment? What is the cash flow situation—operating cash flow, free cash flow, and cash balance—after the quarter? What are the drivers behind the modest 5% total revenue growth—are they primarily from pricing, new logos, or upsells? Did the company provide any guidance for Q3 and full‑year 2025 revenue and ARR targets, and how does it compare to consensus forecasts? Did the company provide any updates on AI‑powered product launches or partnerships that could affect future earnings? What are the analysts' revisions to price targets and earnings estimates following this release? What was the consensus Wall Street estimate for Q2 revenue and did RingCentral beat or miss it? How does the GAAP operating margin of 6.0% compare to the previous quarter and to the company's GAAP vs. non‑GAAP margins? How did the foreign exchange impact the reported figures, given the company's global footprint? How might the reported growth affect investor sentiment and short‑term price volatility? Is there any mention of upcoming capital expenditures, especially related to AI or infrastructure investments? What are the current valuation multiples (P/E, EV/EBITDA) compared to the sector averages after this results release? Are there any regulatory or macro‑economic headlines that could affect RingCentral’s outlook beyond the earnings report? Did the company announce any share buyback, dividend, or other shareholder return initiatives?