By David Portnowitz, Star2Star
Unified communications is rapidly becoming a must-have for both small- and medium-sized businesses as well as large enterprises. The reasons to invest in a UC system are numerous, but it boils down to a few key pillars: it’s cost-effective, boosts productivity, enables business strategy, and benefits employee and customer satisfaction.
The benefits are enhanced when UC is delivered “as-a-service” (UCaaS). The major drivers of this market include low cost of ownership as compared to other communications tools, a pay-per-use model, growing trends towards mobility and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), and continuous service support.
The Case For UCaaS
The capability of integrating multiple functions of communication on one platform is the primary value proposition for UC. It means that IT departments have only one platform to manage; no more separate voice and data networks to worry about. It also consolidates email, instant messages, voice and video, mobility features like texting, and even faxing into one hub. These advanced features are tied together with a presence function to help employees, business partners, and clients connect more quickly and easily, using the mode that is best at any given point in time.
An Omnichannel Experience
The omnichannel aspects of UCaaS enrich the overall user experience. Voicemails can be delivered as emails, click-to-call capabilities from the presence window eliminate the need for different silos of communications, and the unified platform allows for truly seamless operations. There isn’t a separate interface to access voicemail, email, chat, faxing, and so on.
Mobility Advantages
UC in its UCaaS configuration also supports a mobile workforce. Traditional on-premises communications systems limit users to those with access to physical hardware. UC, on the other hand, can be accessed from anywhere. This means that employees on the road or telecommuting have access to the exact same set of communications functions—including presence, click-to-call, and the rest of the productivity-boosting elements—from wherever they are. This helps unite the workforce and create a sense of community across far-flung locales, enhancing collaboration that much more effectively.
Proof In The Bottom Dollar
One of the most convincing arguments for investing in UCaaS is the dollar amount you’ll actually need to invest. Hint: it’s less than you think. Savings come in many forms, including better conferencing capabilities that help cut down on travel, productivity enhancements that help organizations achieve ROI, elimination of capital infrastructure costs in favor of transparent pay-as-you-go subscriptions, and more. With UCaaS, companies can also scale the number of seats they have to allow for seasonal changes and fluctuations in business demand, eliminating over-provisioning so that organizations only pay for what they use.
Why Invest In UC? The Wrap-Up
Putting it all together, businesses are beginning to recognize the advantages of investing in a UC system: The global UC market is expected to reach $143.49 billion by 2024, according Grand View Research.
Will your company join this increasingly proven business strategy?
