Over the past decade, there have been considerable advancements in the business communication arena. With an increasing number of global organizations, deeply intertwined supply chains, rising demand for e-commerce, pervasive mobility and booming social media inclination, the complexity of today’s business environment has never been higher than ever before. This complication has dramatically transformed the workplace environment and has brought-forward enormous communication challenges for organizations. With companies struggling to enable an extensive and seamless collaboration across various platforms, systems, and devices, the emergence of Unified Communication (UC) has been a pleasant advancement within the industry.
Communication enables multiplication of collaboration and implementation of Unified Communication ensures the same within an organization. UC is an ever-growing technology that combines telephony and business data on the same network. This provides firms with the ability to merge and use voice, video, and data-based information in their conventional business applications. Thereby saving huge chunks of data consumed in instant message streams, faxes, electronic mails, voice calls and video conferencing sessions. It is imperative for businesses which are yet to jump on the unified communications bandwagon to realize the innumerable advantages that come with it.
Curbing Down Costs
Each and every business are different in their approach, strategy, goal, and implementation. Which is why the needs and demands of a start-up will contrastingly differ from the needs and demands of a global organization. UC helps in recognizing those differences and can scale its services and solutions accordingly.
Businesses of all shape and sizes have the scope of lowering their phone bills by using a unified system of communication with both voice and video being carried as data over the public network. With all information going through a single server in UC, it lowers the maintenance cost and makes it easier to upgrade the system. UC also provides a distinctive edge with its predictive billing, enabling businesses to know what their monthly spending will be in advance.
Improved Flexibility and Efficiency
When compared to traditional or analog networks, UC systems provide much more flexibility to companies and their employees. Within a BOYD (Bring Your Own Device) working environment where employees are working from diverse locations, Unified Communication streamlines messaging. With its usage of a unified inbox and a single phone number for all communication needs, it lowers time wastage and organization information, thereby allowing employees to focus solely on the core tasks.
Secured Storage of Data
Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) turns audio signals into digital data. UC adds an extra layer of security by encrypting the data that is being sent across the network, thereby ensuring that the information cannot be intercepted or read by a wrong person. Thus, UC assures that the sensitive information exchanged through cell phones, fax or emails, will reach and be read by the intended recipients. Businesses require a high level of security today and UC provides them with that option, especially when combined with the robust user-authentication system in place.
Effectively Cuts-down Time
Businesses that operate globally or in various locations have the advantage of short-number dialing which eliminates the need for dialing area codes. Additionally, there is also an option of using multi-device ringing that connects an employee’s PC and workplace phone with his or her personal mobile phone. It enables users to access all these devices simultaneously and transfer an incoming call seamlessly from one device to another, drastically cutting down time and money as a result.
Enhanced Business Collaboration
Video Conferencing and other means of communication play a vital role in modern businesses. By implementing Unified Communication platforms that facilitate audio, video and web conferences, businesses can dramatically enhance collaboration among the employees and the clients across the entire organization. Irrespective of the location employees are in, UC creates a customized virtual environment that offers colleagues to share their ideas, opinions, and viewpoints in real-time. They can even hold meetings, interviews and discussion sessions with their offshore clients or partners, without having to travel to do so.
Recording Conversations with Ease
This is probably one of the most underrated advantages of UC as businesses can benefit from having a single line of communication with all conversations being recorded and saved in a secured manner. There have been multiple occurrences of employers or clients forgetting important and valuable details shared during a digital conversation. Integrating UC into the business communication channel means all the conversations can be easily looked up and retrieved from its database. This can amplify customer service as businesses will have the distinct advantage to review clients’ needs and requests on a regular basis without them being getting overlooked. This can also be beneficial because usage of one’s communication network by their employees can be effectively monitored.
Takeaway
Unified Communications provides businesses with a competitive advantage by boosting employee productivity, while at the same time ensuring optimal customer satisfaction. As vivid from the above points, Incorporating UC platform gives one the strength to compete successfully and more profitably in this cut-throat business environment.