What is Unified Communications?
First and foremost, Unified Communications (UC) is a combination of business communication infrastructure, hardware, software, and services from multiple programs into one streamlined system. Traditional UC is purchased, managed, and maintained on-site or cloud-based by the business needing the system. Where ease of use was made more convenient, the costs associated with upkeep can keep most businesses unable to provide the solution. UC has paved the way to making business friendlier to all who use it.
What is Unified Communications as a Service?
Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) is the next evolution of UC. The basic idea is the same: offer a simplified all-in-one service but put on steroids and offered in the cloud by managed service providers. The client then purchases access from the provider, either monthly or annually. This unified setup allows the service management to be with the provider instead of you, incurring all initial costs. This creates a unification squared effect where you drastically lower your internal costs but increase your flexibility by offering a more robust communications offering.
What are the Showstopping Features of UCaaS?
Your business should be allowed to move forward to meet your clients where they are. The same can be said for how your employees access and manage their day-to-day tasks. Buckle up and take some notes because you won’t want to miss these features:
- Call Transfer: You can be on a call through your desktop softphone and continue it through the mobile app without putting the client on hold.
- Visual Voicemail: Powered by advanced speech-to-text software, this feature allows you to get a transcript of a voicemail and respond faster when times are busy.
- Contacts w/presence: Immediately see the availability of your coworkers.
- HD Video Meetings: One-to-one or one-to-many, you can choose the delivery of your meetings.
- Simultaneous Screen Sharing: Screensharing is no longer a single-person activity; you can share access to reduce confusion and get solutions faster.
- Private & Group Messaging: Is someone on a call? No problem. You can shoot them or an entire team a message with a click of your mouse.
These features make unified communications as a service appealing because they increase employee connection, making them more connected to what they are doing. According to Grammarly, employees spend half their time collaborating with others, so why not make it as integrated and streamlined as possible?
How Does UCaaS Fit into My Business?
Suppose you are taking the time to learn more about unified communications as a service. In that case, it’s safe to say that you are looking into ways to make your business administration easier. You may need detailed call analytics, call recording, or a telecom disaster recovery plan, all of which would fall under UCaaS.
Keep your customers at the center of any decision; 82 percent still prefer a human touch when interacting with a business. This will allow you to focus on the crucial items of running a business: more efficient employees and flexibility of communication channels for customers, all wrapped in a scalable and easy-to-manage package.
What Type of Business is UCaaS Meant For?
Unified communications as a service is for all businesses. The overwhelming business benefit is offloading your IT to your hosted provider, which, especially for SMBs, could be a massive gain to their bottom line. The amount of possible communication channels customers can reach out to you continues to grow. With unified communications as a service, you can offer to meet customers however they choose to contact you: email, chat, voice, and social media, all without complicating it for your employees. A study from Salesforce states that 40 percent of consumers won’t do business with a company that can’t be reached on their preferred channel.
If you need a solution that is easy to manage, scalable beyond belief, and alleviates internal communication issues, you are looking in the right place. UCaaS is likely the perfect fit for you.
Why Would I Invest in UCaaS?
With unified communications as a service, customization, and futureproofing, you can ensure that you can provide the best experience to those who contact your business. You don’t need to feel stuck when deciding what to choose because UCaaS fits what you need. Mix and match options, offer remote or hybrid—you don’t have to choose; you can have it all.
UCaaS is the Next-Generation Leap for Your Business; Centratel is Here to Guide You
Technology is constantly changing, but with UCaaS, you have a system from a top-notch provider, Centratel, that will keep you at the bleeding edge of what’s available. You don’t need an advanced IT degree to support it or worry about updates that inadvertently take down your system; you have a provider to partner with you and relieve those stresses. Contact us today!