No matter what kind of industry you are in, be it information technology, sales, or banking, you have probably benefited from a UCaaS system.
Since the start of COVID-19, the widespread shift to remote and hybrid working environments has changed everyday business operations, from banks to hospitals, driving the need for reliable communication services. And this trend isn’t slowing down. According to Mordor Intelligence, the UCaaS global market is growing at a rate of 25.7% annually, with North America holding the largest market share in 2021.
In this article, we will look at why UCaaS is becoming the new norm, set to lead all kinds of businesses into the future.
What Is a UCaaS System?
UCaaS stands for “unified communications as a service.” What that actually means is this technology combines many communication methods in one secure, cloud-based interface for you and your team to access anytime from anywhere.
Communication is a well-known struggle for modern businesses – one that UCaaS can finally solve. It makes internal as well as external communication work better for any major business or organization, ranging from car dealership chains to medical clinics to everything in between.
What You Can Do with UCaaS
Remote or hybrid work is only convenient as long as it’s streamlined and collaborative. UCaaS offers ways to make your day-to-day work more manageable through various features like toll-free numbers, website chats, and interactive voice responses, otherwise known as IVR. More specifically, UCaaS is known to offer:
- Enterprise voice features
- Audio and video conferencing with desktop sharing and whiteboards
- Instant messaging, SMS and MMS
- Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex integration
- Mobile and desktop client
- Custom call or contact center
- Advanced analytics with real-time reporting
- Business metrics and intelligence
- SD-WAN
And you’ll never be out of the loop: all these services should come with analytics, security, and reliable tech support from the provider. Choose a great provider with 24/7 tech support, and you will never have to worry about downtime. This means that if something goes wrong, you’ll be up and running again in no time.
Related: UCaaS Meaning: What Is UCaaS?
If you’ve been unsure about switching to unified communications, it’s time to seriously reconsider. Let’s look at some benefits.
Why Is UCaaS So Important for Businesses?
Many businesses now take full advantage of all the services and benefits that come with an effective and all-encompassing UCaaS system. Here are some reasons why it’s becoming the norm for a lot of industries:
1. A UCaaS System Reduces Operational Costs
UCaaS integrates your tech and addresses all your business communications needs through one cost-effective, comprehensive solution. This minimizes the day-to-day expenses (and hassle) because you don’t need to pay for various communication tools from different providers. Also, a UCaaS system requires less maintenance compared to other traditional alternatives, helping businesses save on additional costs.
2. A UCaas System Offers a Flexible Work Structure
The new everyday reality has abruptly changed in the days since the pandemic forced constant lockdowns and social distancing norms. Businesses can no longer survive if they continue to operate in the old ways. As a result, businesses have adapted to new technologies and solutions to continue to achieve operational efficiencies.
With UCaaS, everyone has access to real-time communications features via their iOS and Android devices, no matter where or how they work. Updates are automatic, so there’s no need for the IT team to constantly fix and tweak a tangled collection of different systems. All daily work activities are transparent and constantly updated as they happen, which means everyone is always on the same page.
3. With a UCaaS System, Maintenance Is Made Simple
UCaaS solutions allow companies access to cloud-based ecosystems, allowing remote updates and upgrades to happen smoothly from your provider without on-site technician visits. As everything can be managed in the cloud, UCaaS streamlines tech updates and processes and saves you from the constant stress that manual updates bring.
4. With a UCaaS System, Businesses Benefit from More Secure Data
In today’s business landscape, a company’s technology security is incredibly important. From their customers’ personal data to the details of financial transactions, businesses are responsible for protecting and storing large amounts of confidential data.
This is why many companies invest large amounts to keep up with the latest security measures. UCaaS ensures this by constantly synchronizing data, which makes it easier to track information and implement secure encryption levels to keep your data locked up safe but immediately accessible when you need it. SASE provides an additional layer of security on top of SD-WAN so remote employees can securely access the company network using their preferred device.
5. A UCaaS System Allows You to Do It Your Way
Unlike consumer-oriented companies, unified communications providers work with your company and help you decide what features work best for you. One of the best things about UCaaS is the amount of control you have over your network so that the final solution you implement works with your processes, not against them.
Related: Choosing the Best Unified Communications Integrators
6. A UCaaS System Helps You Be Prepared for Anything
With so much uncertainty in this world, there is no guarantee that everything will always run smoothly. Fortunately, the cloud is almost incident-proof because data is not lost if a storage unit fails. Disaster recovery is baked in, so your communications can stay operational with higher reliability than some communication methods. As natural disasters increase worldwide and we find ourselves in uncertain times, it’s vital that your business communication systems are prepared to handle the worst-case scenario.
7. With a UCaaS System, Businesses Have Access Anytime, Anywhere
All businesses want is a system that works well whenever they need it. A comprehensive cloud-based UCaaS system offers communications that can happen exactly where and when they need to – they aren’t tied to one location or regular business hours.
This has become vital following the recent pandemic, as communications aren’t the only aspect of business operations affected by the shift to remote and hybrid working. During lockdowns, non-essential businesses found themselves with limited access to the workplace, and companies whose data was stored on local drives found themselves struggling with providing access to business-critical information and applications.
Perhaps the most significant benefit of switching to UCaaS right now is that you can access your communications and data from home, the café, airports, or anywhere you like to be as long as your computer, laptop, or mobile device is connected to the network.
Optimize Your Workplace
The onset of COVID-19 has been difficult for everyone, and many businesses are still struggling to keep internal and external communication flowing amid the chaos. With a robust and customized UCaaS system, you and your team can easily tackle work anytime, from anywhere, and you have the assurance that nothing will be lost.
A comprehensive UCaaS system will not only help you save on operational costs but will also improve your operational efficiencies by making sure all the processes are streamlined and your team is collaborative, irrespective of their location. And the best part is that this solution will work in all kinds of industries, including the financial, retail, and healthcare sectors.
If you’re interested in learning more about cloud-based office technology or want to get your team started, BCM One has got you covered. It is our mission to provide a world-class experience to each and every client of ours. Over the decades, we have helped businesses fulfill their UCaaS needs with cost-effective, robust solutions. Get in touch with us, and we’ll work with you to optimize your workplace.