How Adding UCaaS Will Make Your company more nimble
Everything as a service. That has been the headlines bemoaning the rise of anything “aaS.” There’s a reason the move to services has risen. The availability of computing power in the cloud has made the aaS move possible. With that, more computing power programs that ran on a computer can run elsewhere. Those programs can be accounting software or a phone system. If you haven’t yet made the leap to UCaaS, we’ll make the case why you should.
The Cost of UCaaS
Unified Communications (UC) can be a heavy lift financially. Your company may require an integrated system of the phone, team chat, video conferencing, and mobile. However, with a traditional UC system, those costs will range from a few hundred per employee to several thousand.
Leveraging the programming power of the cloud, UCaaS can cut those costs dramatically. In some instances, the up-front cost can be eliminated entirely. For instance, an average IP phone will run a company about $200. Even in a small office that is a capital expense of $2,000. Using a cloud system that can run on computers cuts that cost. Should employees really need, physical phone providers will include the cost as a monthly lease. In this way, companies can both avoid a substantial capital cost and adjust as needed.
Flexibility
That brings up the next big reason for using UCaaS. As your company grows, adding team members should be easy. Your provider can quickly add a user to the list of instances. IT and HR working together can bring a new hire online within minutes. By the time the new employee has gone through orientation and receives their computer, it is ready for them to chat with the rest of your business.
Reliability
No one thinks the worst is going to happen to them or their business. However, we know that disasters and accidents do happen. If your entire communications strategy were housed in your office, what happens if there’s a fire or natural disaster? You are out of communication with your employees and clients. Utilizing UCaaS can provide the backup that could save your business. Team members don’t need to be “in the office” to answer calls, communicate, or process orders. The power to work anywhere, in any circumstance, is one of the strengths of cloud-based unified communications.
Is UCaaS the right fit for your company? That is a question only you and your team can answer. The advancements in technology have brought us to a place where cloud-UC makes sense for some. Take an inventory of where your communications are today, and where you want them to go. If avoiding downtime after disasters, flexibility, and lower cost are a concern, then it could be the right fit for your firm.
Related reads:
Ribbon UC Study Reveals Nearly Two-Thirds Plan to Invest in Unified Communications
Unified Communications is a Central Focus of the InfoComm 2019 Event
How Microsoft Teams is Evolving into Microsoft’s UC Platform
The original version of this article was first published on Futurum Research.
Tim Albright is the founder of AV nation, an audiovisual industry B2B media firm. Tim is an expert at all things related to broadcast television, radio, education, programming, digital media production, and he’s been teaching and producing podcasts since 2006. He has spent the last ten years focusing on and researching trends in business communication, where it is, and where it’s going. He joins the Futurum team as an analyst focusing on the Collaboration and UC space.