Unified Communication-as-a-Service (UC) is the new standard for business communications – not just because it offers the ability to cut communication costs, but also because it enables new capabilities that integrate voice and other digital communication channels into a single platform. Using a single UC platform, users can switch seamlessly between features like text, video conferencing, meeting collaboration, and much more – boosting overall productivity while reducing the complexity and costs of conventional business communication systems like analog lines and PBX.
With UC, users have one interface to manage all of their communications activity, allowing all communications flow seamlessly from channel to channel as a continuum. For example, UC enables this common workplace scenario: Say a salesperson starts a chat conversation with a marketing person about a slide deck. From there, the file is shared in the chat window using a link. If those two decide a quick video call is needed to edit the file, they can invite other participants directly to a conference from the chat window – saving time and supporting a seamless conversation continuum from mode to mode. Or in another example: A customer service rep may need to pull out information from a CRM to research a customer’s service history, purchases, contact preferences, and warranty information. Then, with all this information pulled up quickly, the representative can reach out to the customer, based on their preferences, directly from the UC application. From the platform, the customer service agent can also record the conversation and a customer sentiment could be assigned to determine satisfaction.
In a world where agile communication is a must-have in pretty much every industry, it’s easy to see why unified communication is a future-proof solution. But, like most technology rollouts, you may be asking:
For organizations that want the full value of UC without the deployment and management headaches, unified communications-as-a-service (UCaaS) is an ideal solution. A common UCaaS model is where a service provider hosts the UC solution in the cloud giving organizations access to premium UC features without the need to maintain the system on site. By offloading the complexities of deploying and managing an on-premise communications system, companies can enjoy advanced communication and collaboration features while minimizing the demand on internal resources and IT budgets. A cloud-based solution also eliminates upfront deployment risks by enabling companies to use functionality immediately while their existing communications system is still intact. Partners often run two systems in parallel to understand the impact of the deployment, before rolling out the UCaaS solution fully.
Let’s take a look at why UCaaS works and how it supports smarter and more efficient communication and collaboration.
UC as a service has the tremendous power to change the way people work – improving workflows and boosting productivity across big and small businesses alike. The right UC partner should bring clarity and peace of mind to your UC rollout with in-depth knowledge of all phases, from planning requirements to user training, which is key to instilling long-lasting user adoption. If you want help understanding your UC options, talk to CTG today! We’ve managed hundreds of successful UCaaS rollouts and can help you reap the full value of your UC implementation faster and without the stress!