Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) can also be known as hosted or cloud-based UC. This continues to be known for its productivity benefits as it becomes more widely adopted. Its capabilities include premises-based IP telephony, integrated audio and web conferencing, mobility, collaboration, video solutions, and business application integration features delivered as a service.
The advantages of UCaaS go beyond simply transferring expenditures from capital to a predictable operating expense.
7 Reasons to Consider Cloud-based Unified Communications
1. Enterprise Agility
Many IT firms are overworked and unable to strike a balance between everyday operations and strategic projects. One of the benefits of UCaaS is the flexibility and speed with which it can be deployed. Businesses can install UCaaS without the time and resource commitments that come with a traditional deployment method.
Additionally, maintenance and support time is decreased because system updates no longer need to be planned and implemented. UCaaS enables rapid cloud updates, allowing a company to deploy new applications to all users and departments as soon as they are ready. Upgrades may be accomplished without disrupting the system, giving the IT team better flexibility with the communications system.
2. Greater Efficiencies
Hosted Unified Communications services deliver enterprise clients the communication solutions they need without the accompanying capital costs of conventional on-premises systems and the expenses related to management and support. All of this boosts both budgetary and IT resource efficiencies. With a reduced budget barrier, enterprises can evade the upfront capital outlay with UCaaS. Furthermore, the predictable monthly cost allows companies to plan more efficiently.
The IT’s efficiency also improves as there is no need to support and keep physical systems on-site. Eliminating time-consuming assignments for IT personnel helps the organization allocate resources to core competencies and provide strategic value to develop the business.
Having your communications solution in the cloud helps bypass outdated technology and the time and resources required with a large-scale technology rehaul. Cloud-based communications will provide you with a system that scales quickly. It will also be flexible enough to grow alongside your ever-changing business.
3. Enhanced Reliability
Hosted Unified Communications providers drive their UCaaS offerings forward via the cloud. The best providers have dependable data centers that are repeatedly configured and geographically separated to ensure continuous service even when catastrophic events come. They also have Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that provide uptime guarantees.
Each company’s data and user settings are backed up and reflected in various sites, producing a disaster-proof backbone for your enterprise communications. Hosted Unified Communications providers also give all-day monitoring and the latest encryption and security protocols. These will assure you that your data is safe and protected.
4. Ready for Any Calamity
In a crisis or disaster, a UCaaS service provider can quickly adapt to your altered circumstances without making you spend more. Most companies possess a Disaster Recovery Plan to guarantee that data and records vital to the company’s operations are duplicated or secured in off-site storage repositories. UCaaS now gives the capacity to ensure that your communications system is integrated into a comprehensive Disaster Recovery Plan.
5. Better Mobility
UCaaS is a powerful enabler for the mobile worker, the BYOD explosion, and remote/home office worker. It authorizes the access of users to all business communications features from any registered user device, including a smartphone, laptop, desktop, and, of course, desk phone. Organizations can facilitate users’ smartphones to transparently bridge calls from the company’s Wi-Fi networks to cellular networks and back again. This keeps on-the-go and location-agnostic users connected.
Desktop client software can turn any networked PC into a virtual desktop phone and unified messaging terminal. Users can travel with their extensions, use video conferencing, and access advanced call forwarding and web browser dialing. IT companies often have difficulty with managing applications across multiple devices. With UCaaS, users download the device application from the app store, and IT can effortlessly handle their access. Another user benefit is that the experience is identical across all devices.
6. Improved Collaboration
Real collaboration means anywhere, anytime access on any device. UCaaS gives your workers access to applications that will allow them to immediately chat, set up on-the-fly conferences or meetings (both video and voice), share and exchange documents, and engage with customers in real-time. This will not only improve the capability of your workforce to be flexible but will also boost customer satisfaction.
7. Advanced Customization
UCaaS converges enterprise-grade voice qualities with refined Unified Communications and Collaboration applications and hosts them in the cloud. UCaaS also gives the flexibility to select the deployment model and applications to fit your specific requirements. It also offers you the option to grow or recede as your business requirements change.
NEC can give you the key to experiencing all of these benefits today. We’re eager to point you to cloud-based solutions that are perfectly tailored to your current business needs and future goals.
