Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q3 2026 was $185 million, with service revenue at $179.7 million, both exceeding guidance by approximately $3 million and growing 3.4% and 3.6% year-over-year respectively [17] - Operating income reached $21.7 million, resulting in an operating margin of 11.7%, significantly above the guidance range of 9%-10% [19] - Net income was $17.1 million with fully diluted EPS of $0.12, which was $0.03 above the high end of guidance [20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Usage-based offerings grew nearly 60% year-over-year and now represent over 21% of service revenue, up from approximately 14% in Q3 2025 [17][7] - Service revenue, excluding Fuze customers, rose approximately 6% year-over-year, maintaining a growth rate similar to the previous quarter [17] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company is experiencing a shift in customer preferences from pure SaaS subscriptions to hybrid and tokenized pricing models, which is reflected in the increased consumption of usage-based solutions [8] - Voice AI interactions increased more than 200%, now representing a vast majority of all AI interactions on the platform [7] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on operational efficiency, innovation, and distribution, with a multi-product strategy gaining traction among top customers [9] - Investments are being made to enable simplified, consumption-based pricing and AI-driven automations to enhance customer success [9] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's momentum entering Q4, highlighting the return to top-line growth and the importance of execution in the upcoming quarters [15] - The company acknowledges the competitive landscape and aims to accelerate installed base expansion and drive stronger channel momentum [15] Other Important Information - The completion of the Fuze customer base upgrade to the 8x8 platform marks a significant operational milestone, allowing the company to focus on growth and customer success [13][27] - The company has reduced its debt principal by $224 million, or 41%, since August 2022, leading to a more than 50% reduction in annualized interest expense [20] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on fiscal Q4 service revenue guidance considering Fuze headwinds - Management confirmed that the service revenue guidance for Q4, excluding Fuze, implies a year-over-year increase of over 5% [31][32] Question: Operating margin sustainability and targets for 2027 - Management indicated that while gross margins on usage-based business may be structurally lower, operating margins are expected to improve with scale, targeting a return to double-digit operating margins [34][36] Question: Adoption of voice AI and customer interactions - Management noted a significant shift towards production use of voice AI technologies, with customers increasingly adding use cases as they see positive ROI [42][43] Question: Revenue impact from Maven Lab and operational headwinds - Maven Lab had no contribution to revenue for the quarter, and any revenue headwinds were minimal, under $1 million [45][55] Question: Customer projects and monetization strategies - Management discussed the transition from pilot projects to larger scale deployments, emphasizing the importance of micro use cases in driving customer engagement and revenue [63][64]