Navigating the Transition to Cloud-Based Unified Communications
Matt Rosenthal
CEO of Mindcore Technologies | Cybersecurity Expert | Advancing Digital Security for Businesses
September 23, 2020
Many years ago, a landline-based PBX phone system with a simple auto-attendant, voicemail, and intra-office conference calling was considered state-of-the-art. But with the proliferation of new technology, today’s business leaders are constantly raising their expectations regarding communications tools and channels to meet the needs of their end-users. Organizations stuck on legacy technology risk losing considerable market share, gaining competitive advantage, and can be stuck absorbing unnecessary costs. In response to these complex challenges, organizations are increasingly considering and executing a switch to cloud-based unified communications (UC), an Internet-based voice and data communication infrastructure in which applications are merged into a single system hosted by a third-party vendor.
In a report titled “VoIP and UC Services and Subscribers”, Infonetics Analyst Diane Myers noted that, “Hosted unified communications are seeing strong interest upmarket as mid-market and larger enterprises evaluate and move more applications to the cloud, and this is positively impacting the market.” The truth is, that making any large-scale change to business communications can be nerve-racking. A sound, well-researched investment can be a huge boon to an organization’s bottom line, but making the wrong decision can have disastrous results.?
Hesitations and Misconceptions
The cloud-based UC market is expanding rapidly. Despite this, some businesses, are still stuck in the unenviable position of knowing the benefits of the cloud, but feeling unsure of what is involved with switching from a traditional system. Specifically, business managers are often concerned about the following:
Complexity Of Adoption
Even if the idea of switching to cloud-based UC is appealing, many companies fear that a long, protracted migration process will leave them without communications for a period of time. This concern is certainly justified, as an Aberdeen study, titled “Downtime and Data Loss: How Much Can You Afford?” revealed that downtime costs the average business $163, 674 per hour. At that rate, just one morning or afternoon without communications can dramatically impact an entire fiscal quarter. Of course, even after a new system is deployed, the concern about user-adoption comes to mind. If employees aren’t comfortable using the new system’s features, then the investment does more harm than good. Some businesses assume there is a steep learning curve with cloud communications, and they fear that a provider will provide little-to-no technical support.
Reliability And Security
The fear of downtime is real and justified. But rather than simply worrying about it during the installation process, some businesses are uncertain about cloud communications’ uptime in the long term. The system they employ now might not be perfect—as it is susceptible to weather events and power outages—but it is generally dependable. Additionally, by definition, hosted cloud communications means at least part of the system is maintained off-site, most likely by a third-party vendor. While this certainly takes the burden off it, it may also make some executives accustomed to legacy PBX a bit squeamish as they may feel a loss of control.?
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Installation And Maintenance Costs
Companies investigating cloud-based UC may be unsure of the costs involved. After all, new technologies are generally expensive, both during deployment and on an ongoing basis. Cloud communications providers claim that these systems can save businesses money, but executives may be wary of how exactly that saving takes place. In addition to the potential for downtime mentioned earlier, organizations may fear labor costs typically associated with a new phone system deployment. They may also be concerned about how much they will have to spend on new equipment that may need upgrading in just a few years. A number of these concerns are unfounded. With a topnotch provider, switching is remarkably simple and quick. Not only that, it can positively impact every aspect of a business’s communications, leading to better worker productivity and overall efficiency.
Winning Features and Functionality
Best-in-class UC cloud systems don’t merely borrow a few features from a legacy PBX system and merge them in the cloud: they offer a host of new tools as well, in a single cost-effective, company-wide system. Some of these bleeding-edge tools include:
A top-flight system should also be intuitive and easy-to-use. Even employees working at different locations—on any number of devices—should appear as if they are working on the same floor of a single office building. And contrary to what some executives may have heard about the cloud, high-quality cloud communications solutions come with a fully-baked suite of security tools.
When cloud-based UC is deployed, businesses can immediately take advantage of:
CEO of Mindcore Technologies | Cybersecurity Expert | Advancing Digital Security for BusinessesCEO of Mindcore Technologies | Cybersecurity Expert | Advancing Digital Security for Businesses
Published ? 3y
Today's businesses face significant challenges with their communication needs. And overhauling your communications infrastructure can be a daunting task for any organization. With the help of IT professionals at Mindcore Technologies and technology strategists like myself, businesses with this type of need can receive a personalized plan for a frictionless, stress-free transition to a scalable, cloud-based UC system. I understand there can be many initial hesitations and misconceptions about making the transition. I've outlined them all in this article, as well as highlight the advantages of making the switch. hashtag#communications hashtag#technologyadvice hashtag#itadvice hashtag#businessadvice hashtag#businessowners hashtag#techies hashtag#technology hashtag#cloudcommunications hashtag#unifiedcommunications