The idea with unified communications as a service (often now by the acronym UCaaS) is to provide an all-in-one communications solutions for businesses.
Efficient internal and external communication is essential for the success of a company. Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) offers a good solution for this. In this guide, you will learn what the term actually means, what functions UCaaS offers and what advantages and disadvantages you expect when switching to Unified Communications as a Service.
What is Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS)?
Unified Communications as a Service is a kind of platform on which all relevant communication services such as classic telephony, video conferencing, e-mail as well as voice mail and instant messaging are combined. It makes it possible to access devices and information at any time and anywhere and helps to optimize communication and business processes.
The term Unified Communications as a Service, thus refers to the merging of all relevant communication services into a central user interface, the UCaaS client. The UCaaS client thus represents the core of your business communication, which brings together all relevant communication services in one application. This management system supports the user in selecting the right device at the respective time.
While there are some independent communications apps and platforms that provide some services that might be needed by SMEs, like making video calls, not all features are included.
For instance, video calling software might not record and maintain accurate records. Or text messages aren’t searchable easily to find relevant messages sent or received across the entire organization.
4 Examples of UCaaS Unified Communications for Small Businesses
With UCaaS, the intention is to bring it all together to help provide improved performance, clarity, and usefulness to businesses large and small. Here are four examples of how small businesses can make use of UCaaS technologies.
1. Unified Messaging Platform
One of the real benefits of unified communications as a service (UCaaS), is the ability to bring all messaging communications together, united under a single platform.With everything under the same roof, so to speak, performing searches for key information is made easier, and a history of what’s been communicated is retained. Also, there are no issues derived from using multiple messaging apps that don’t play nicely together.
2. PBX-like Call System with Extended Functionality
A completely digital system including PBX-like calling functionality is possible using UCaaS. Given that UCaaS is somewhat similar, in part, to contact center systems, including reliable VoIP-like calling and receiving of phone calls, it performs extremely well. The ability to handle multiple incoming calls, transfer calls to the most applicable member of staff, put calls on hold, and other commonly used features are all included as standard. Also, due to the calls being digitized, they enjoy crystal clear connections, support for different mobile devices, and the ability to keep a recording of all calls in and out of the company.
3. Better Facilitation of Meetings, Conference Calls, etc.
Conducting video calls, running meetings remotely, or holding conference calls can be confusing for SMEs. Not everyone has the same level of technical ability, so figuring out how to connect to a meeting when people are using different conferencing solutions across the business only makes life harder.
Using a UCaaS, video and voice-only meetings are easier to conduct. Participants can connect via a web browser or app on various computing devices using a familiar interface. Not everyone needs to be in the office at the time of the meeting either. Given how confusing setting up a conference call is, or even connecting successfully, this prevents technology from adding additional complications.
4. Cloud Access for Flexible Working Policies
UCaaS is designed to be a cloud-based solution. Because the cloud is utilized, employees can connect to it from virtuallyany location where they have a strong enough internet connection. With many more employees choosing to continue to work from home at least a few days a week to give them greater flexibility, a cloud-based unified communications platform effectively ties everything together.
Benefits of UCaas Unified Communications as a Service
Unification optimizes and simplifies external and internal communication and collaboration. We will now outline the resulting advantages.
1. Efficiency in communication and business processes
By using Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), you can make your communication and business processes much more efficient, because superfluous communication can be significantly reduced.
Via the presence function, users can see at any time whether and via which medium colleagues are currently available. So you can wait for the right moment and save a lot of time. Because who doesn’t know that: You try to reach a work colleague again and again. However, this one is currently in a meeting without knowing about it. Hours later, the colleague tries to call back. But now you may be in an important meeting right now. With the presence function, you could have prevented this dilemma. You would have seen that the colleague is currently busy and would have left him a message via Unified Messaging by what time he can reach you via which device.
Cooperation functions such as “desktop and file sharing” or “multi-party video conferences” improve collaboration and, if necessary, also enable permanent work in virtual teams. Employees can exchange ideas faster and edit presentations together.
2. UCaaS ncreases flexibility and mobility
Due to the fact that all functions of Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) can be used on a wide variety of devices, your employees are much more flexible. Whether they are currently in the office, on the road or work from home. They are guaranteed to be accessible via telephone, PC, smartphone or tablet – regardless of place and time and via only one access!
By flexibly choosing the medium used, you also improve response times to customer inquiries and it is possible to increase customer satisfaction.
3. Easier management
The central administration of the system is simplified by bundling the most important communication services such as telephone, fax, e-mail, instant messaging as well as audio, video and web conferences on one platform.
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UCaaS improves cost efficiency
Through the use of unified communications, a cost saving potential can be realized in different ways. On the one hand, the elimination of many different services and systems reduces acquisition and maintenance costs. In addition, the simple management of a UCaaS client significantly reduces the cost block of administration.
On the other hand, savings potential also arises from the use of collaboration functions. HD-quality video conferences and interactive screen sharing eliminate the need for some business trips to partners, customers or other branches. In addition, this can save money for conference rooms.
Because the services are distributed as UCaaS (i.e. Unified Communications as a Service), this means that the cost depends on the number of employees. The clear advantage here is that there are no more large investments as with analog telephone systems.
5. More security
By reducing the communication applications used, security risks can be minimized. Because users of a Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) solution no longer need to download several freeware programs for the individual communication services, which inevitably create security risks. Instead, all applications run via a centrally administered UCaaS client.
Conclusion
The ultimate need of a small business is to be flexible and adaptable. Using a UCaaS, they can do just that by unifying their communications in a manageable, simplified manner.
