What does Unified Communications (UC) Mean For Your Business?

UC means greater efficiency

Unified Communications (UC) is all about incorporating a phone system that joins various communication systems within an organisation – it means your business will be more efficient, your staff can communicate with you and your clients anywhere, anytime, and it can also help cut down on your costs. So what does unified communications (UC) mean for your business and can you ensure you have the correct equipment?

United front

If you business currently operates in a number of ways such as taking phone calls, instant messaging, email, SMS, fax and so forth, the beauty of UC is that it brings them all together and allows them to communicate with each other. This means your business is going to be far more efficient and your staff and customers are going to benefit from that.

What to consider

So when you’re thinking about UC and how to ensure you have the correct equipment, what do you need to consider? You need to look for a UC system that combines your phone system, chat, fax, conference call, video conferencing, voicemail and so on. Remember, too, that a UC solution can also integrate with email, web applications, social media and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems.

What it means for your staff

In turn, UC means any employee can collaborate virtually with team members as effectively as they would if they were sharing a meeting room. Conferencing and collaboration tools can be accessed via computer/tablet or smart phones, providing the ability for workers to share a corporate directory, work on documents or presentations, set up audio and video calls, send instant messages and see another’s presence status.

The need to enable truly effective mobile working makes UC-based technology developments fundamental in changing the workplace as we know it. And you can feel confident you will gain a rapid return on your investment by leveraging your existing Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Correct UC equipment

The best UC equipment or solution will be different for every business. Main considerations should include:

  • Telephony – look for something along the lines of enterprise-grade Private Branch Exchange (PBX) hosted in the cloud, so you and your team can communicate efficiently anywhere you want from your mobile phone, your desk phone, and even your computer. Having a PBX can save you on your phone bill as you won’t need an outside telephone line for internal calls.
  • Video conferencing – turn meetings and catch-ups with your team, clients, and management, into a flexible and collaborative session using the right video solutions
  • Instant messaging – find the best messaging and presence tools which have the latest business messaging, video and audio functionalities.
  • Data – what applications or systems do you need to integrate with to increase mobility or other efficiencies for staff while giving them the right information at all times?

Unified communications can be confusing. Speak with one of our UC Consultants to make sure you have the right components necessary to run your business more efficiently.

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