Impact of Customer Optimization on Cloud Revenue Growth
Large customers' optimization efforts have led to consumption growth below prior years' levels.
An AI-native customer is shifting towards self-management, reducing their cloud usage, which is expected to dampen Q4 cloud revenue growth by low single digits.
Despite short-term headwinds, the company remains confident in long-term growth, with a 31% increase in RPO indicating deeper customer commitments.
Management notes a cautious but steady market environment, with some hesitancy in discretionary spending across industries, leading to a revenue growth forecast of 2-3% for 2025.
Despite cautiousness, strategic deals and digital transformation projects continue, indicating resilience in core markets.
The company observes ongoing consolidation in telecom and broadband markets, which can create both challenges and opportunities for CSGS.
The move away from bulk hardware sales is part of a broader effort to align revenue with customer buying cycles, which should benefit revenue predictability starting in 2026.
This transition has caused a temporary decline in hardware margins but is expected to improve overall margin profile as SaaS and recurring revenues grow.
The company booked over 24,000 new units in Q2, the highest in over a year, indicating early positive traction from the new sales approach.