Benefits of Unified Communications for Hybrid Work
With hybrid work being the new normal, organizations have been forced to change and make updates to their previously existing infrastructure. Once, in-person meetings and staff gatherings happened in conference rooms and throughout the office. Meetings now take place via video conferencing in a work from home (WFH) or work from anywhere (WFA) environment. During this hybrid work transition, many organizations made updates to their technology conferencing systems (including their in-office conference rooms), expanded internet bandwidth, and scaled their infrastructure to support hybrid work. To make all of these solutions, systems and remote workers even more productive, savvy businesses are looking to add the benefits of unified communications (UCaaS) to the mix.
UCaaS is a category of cloud delivery mechanisms for enterprise communications. UCaaS services can be made available from the cloud to businesses ranging in size from SMB to enterprise. UCaaS is a crucial component of digital transformation because it brings together all the mission-critical aspects of communication, like voice, video, chat, messaging, meetings and virtual collaboration, all onto one unified platform.
Benefits of Unified Communications
Cloud-based services make it easier for stakeholders to communicate and collaborate internally and externally across locations and timescales. In order to be effective, UCaaS needs to be modern, comprehensive, and tightly integrated with other business services. UCaaS falls under the category of software as a service (SaaS).
UCaaS can mostly be tied to hosted voice, cloud voice, hosted voice over internet protocol (VoIP), hosted PBX, cloud PBX and unified communications and collaboration (UCC). The adoption of UCaaS is likely to expand over the coming years as network speeds accelerate across the world. According to Transparency Market Research, the global virtual PBX market is anticipated to grow at a rate of 15.3 percent between 2018 and 2026. This growth rate is due in part to the benefits of UCaaS in a hybrid environment.
Four Benefits of Unified Communications in a Hybrid Environment
1. Integrated Tools and Applications
UCaaS helps to align key communications systems with common operating system tasks. Integrated communications systems are now included in most professional operating systems. Many types of business applications benefit from UCaaS integration, including customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, customer support, productivity and data storage and management. In a hybrid environment, voice integration with business applications is critical. Integrated communications services promote organizational efficiency and enhanced productivity across departments and staff.
2. No Hardware Costs
There are no hardware purchase costs associated with a UCaaS model (with physical handsets or headsets for voice being the exception). UCaaS enables advanced functionality without the addition of costly infrastructure. Phone systems hosted on the internet are typically charged on a per seat basis. This means you pay for users only as it’s required. In addition, UCaaS phone systems hosted in the cloud provide access to multiple high-end features and upgrades, for minimal to no extra costs.
The software nature of this type of system proves to be much more flexible and affordable over time. Businesses are able to adopt new technologies faster and scale operations more effectively without having to worry about initial expenses or outdated features.
3. Remote Access
The ability to align with and manage online resources is a major advantage of UCaaS communications. The online nature of messaging and conferencing tools makes them available at any time and from any location. This offers tremendous productivity benefits and enables a range of off-site and remote work opportunities. In a modern world increasingly defined by big data and global networks, online access to communications simply makes sense.
4. Scalability
The ability to scale and grow is the aim of most businesses. Cloud-based communications services are easy to manage and extremely scalable compared to traditional on-site solutions. You can quickly add or remove applications, update telephony resources and manage users based on access requirements and security. It’s also much easier to analyze workflows and improve functionality over time. This flexibility is a major benefit to any organization, especially during industry or seasonal fluctuations.
There are many reasons to choose UCaaS for hybrid work; the most advantageous being the ability to help your business set up and manage virtual office solutions that align with the operational needs of your organization. The benefits of unified communications can keep your company running like a well-oiled machine, both inside and outside of the office with its scalability and integrated tools and applications.
Make a Difference in the Way You Do Business
With over 400 technology and SaaS providers within our technology portfolio, ATC will help you pinpoint the right solution for your business needs while considering existing assets, network infrastructure, applications and security.
ATC helps you understand the differences between the leading UCaaS providers, their CCaaS overlays, and the pure-play CCaaS providers to augment and amplify your entire organization’s communications strategy. This insight will help you avoid confusion and can make or break your digital journey.
Contact an experienced ATC technology advisor today and let us help you make a difference. You can also download a free copy of “Unified Communications as a Service Guide” to make an informed decision on unified communications for your business.
