It has been over two years since wide-spread work from home policies have been issued. The initial rush to get something in place to effectively manage internal and external communications has passed. Video Conferencing use skyrocketed in line with the complete shuttering of Main Street USA as did mobile phone usage for verbal business communications, but stand-alone video collaborations and cell phones should not be the permanent way communications occur in this new business world we find ourselves in. With remote work and working from home strategies becoming the norm, it’s time to get a permanent unified communications solution in place.
Invest in a Robust Unified Communications Solution
Reason #1 that you need UCaaS: Agility – The ability to react quickly to changing conditions can be the key differentiator between businesses that survive and those that don’t. How many opportunities were missed when doors closed overnight? Those who pivoted faster to a virtual office were able to continue operations with little to no downtime, ensuring that those opportunities did not pass them by.
Reason #2 that you need UCaaS: Mobility – Mobility demands were already on the list of top reasons why a business would consider unified communications. With more demand being placed on businesses to allow employees to work from locations other than the home office and have more flexibility in their schedules, and UCaaS simplifies the process of providing this growing trend. Since UCaaS technology uses internet protocols (IP) and is run over the internet, the users’ endpoint (phone) didn’t need to stay connected to the same port. The phone just needed an internet connection to communicate.
Reason #3 that you need UCaaS: Reduced Costs – This may be the biggest reason why you might want to consider UCaaS. For the majority of businesses that migrate to unified communications, there is no new hardware you would need to buy. The provider procures and maintains all of the infrastructure needed to operate the solution, and you are only responsible for the endpoints. In addition, UCaaS is typically charged by the seat – meaning you only pay for what you need. If your business is seasonal and has a higher volume at certain times of the year than others, UCaaS would enable you to scale up or down seamlessly. Additionally, you no longer will need to invest in space and utilities to house the server of the solution, as that burden becomes the providers.
Reason #4 that you need UCaaS: Increased productivity – Let’s face it. The home office is not always the most productive place. Frequent interruptions by co-workers, water cooler chats that can derail your focus. Your cube mate’s phone ringing constantly. All these can create distractions, especially if the work being done is one that requires a great deal of creativity and thought. Nothing stymies the creative process more than interruptions. With UCaaS, however, your employees can work to avoid those distractions. Too noisy at your desk? Take it to a quieter part of the building. Or a coffee shop. Sick child? No worries. Take it home and keep on moving. How many productive hours could you get back simply by enabling your staff to work from home during inclement weather or illness? Not only will you be happy with the increase in productivity, but your employees will be happy with more flexibility and freedom to get work done in a way that meets the needs of the day.
Reason #5 that you need UCaaS: Increased customer satisfaction – Need we spell it out? Happy employees almost always make happy customers. An employee who is happy is more likely to go above and beyond expectations to meet customer needs. Not only that, but they are more pleasant to speak to. And because your employees can work regardless of their location or circumstances (i.e., sick child) your customer can still reach out as if they were in the office and their project keeps moving forward,
Reason #6 that you need UCaaS: Security – Security is always top of mind for any business. Although the myths that the cloud is less secure than on-premise solutions have largely been debunked, security concerns do still exist for all of your communications traffic. The good thing about UCaaS is that it shifts the security burden away from you and your team and places it squarely on the provider’s shoulders. You are only responsible for the traffic while it is in your four walls, but once it leaves, the provider’s security measures are put into place.
Reason #7 that you need UCaaS: Reduced IT Workload – This is the same concept as Security. The provider takes over the majority of the maintenance of the server that routes your telecommunications traffic. Phones are typically “plug and play,” meaning all you need to do is plug the phone in and it will be able to receive and place calls.
Reason #8 that you need UCaaS: Built-in disaster recovery – Because UCaaS solutions are typically housed off-site, disaster recovery is automatically built-in. Natural or man-made disasters that may be affecting your physical location may not be impacting the providers, especially if the provider has built-in redundancy and failover to cellular towers. This means that you can continue to work regardless of the exterior events that are taking place.
Reason #9 that you need UCaaS: Flexibility – The tide has changed in terms of employee expectations. Surveys have shown that employees place a bigger emphasis on having flexibility in their schedules to a higher salary. Many would actually take a lower-paying job if it meant they could work from home several days a week. Don’t take the risk of losing your best talent. Provide the flexibility they want and still maintain a professional, branded experience for your customers.
UCaaS Keeps Your Business Going in Uncertain Times
One thing that has become clear this year is that nothing is for certain. The agility and flexibility of UCaaS can help you roll with the punches and reach for the stars. What are you waiting for?
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