---
title: "AI, Valuation, and Strategic Growth: Metrigy’s Irwin Lazar Previews the CCA Financial Summit, Podcast"
description: With the influence of AI, Lazar's perspective will be a highlight of the CCA Financial Summit’s finance-focused programming.
---

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# [AI, Valuation, and Strategic Growth: Metrigy’s Irwin Lazar Previews the CCA Financial Summit, Podcast](https://www.cloudcommunications.com/podcasts/ai-valuation-and-strategic-growth-metrigys-irwin-lazar-previews-the-cca-financial-summit-podcast)

 Written by [Amy Ralls](https://www.cloudcommunications.com/podcasts/author/amy) | Aug 8, 2025 6:00:55 PM

*"Can I make money selling AI... or should I give it away to sell more of something else?"* — Irwin Lazar, President and Principal Analyst, Metrigy

In this special preview podcast for the upcoming **Cloud Communications Alliance (CCA) Financial Summit**, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, sits down with **Irwin Lazar**, President and Principal Analyst at **Metrigy**, to discuss how AI is reshaping the economics of cloud communications—and how that impacts everything from vendor strategy to company valuations and M&A activity.

As part of a diverse panel at the **CCA Financial Summit, October 7–8 at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C.**, Lazar brings the voice of the buyer to the discussion. Drawing from Metrigy’s extensive buyer-side research, he offers a data-driven look at how AI is being implemented, monetized, and evaluated across the communications and contact center landscape.

**Key Insights from the Podcast:**

- **The Monetization Dilemma**: Vendors face tough choices—charge premiums for AI features or offer them for free to drive core product adoption.
- **Strategic M&A**: Recent deals, like NICE acquiring Cognigy, suggest buyers are favoring tech-focused acquisitions over ego-driven, market-share plays.
- **Build vs. Buy**: With AI coding tools becoming more accessible, enterprises face classic tradeoffs—develop internally using models like OpenAI and Anthropic, or accelerate capability through acquisitions.
- **Risks on the Horizon**: Lazar identifies power availability, data trust, and model disruption (e.g., DeepSeek’s entry) as potential speed bumps for future AI adoption.
- **Avoiding the Avaya-Nortel Trap**: Today’s acquirers appear more cautious, focused on adding capabilities—not just size.

With AI influencing everything from product development to boardroom decisions, Lazar's perspective will be a highlight of the CCA Financial Summit’s finance-focused programming. His message is clear: AI isn’t just a tech trend—it’s a business driver that’s rapidly influencing enterprise strategy, investor sentiment, and go-to-market approaches.

Learn more about Metrigy at [https://metrigy.com](https://metrigy.com)  
Learn more about the Cloud Communications Alliance at [https://cloudcommunications.com](https://cloudcommunications.com)

[View full post](https://www.cloudcommunications.com/podcasts/ai-valuation-and-strategic-growth-metrigys-irwin-lazar-previews-the-cca-financial-summit-podcast)

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