What to Look For in Your Unified Communications Platform

Unified communications are a must-have ingredient in business growth. Set to reach a value of $167.1 billion by 2025, the market for Unified Communications (UC) has never been more appealing.

Unified communication platforms provide access to crucial business telephony, as well as collaboration tools for teams, quality management systems, video, email, and so much more.

Unified Communications technology is a crucial component of the digitally transforming business. With the right combination of tools, companies can access everything from VoIP to video conferencing in the same environment.

Of course, to truly unlock the benefits of UC, you need to choose the right platform.

What is Unified Communications?

Unified Communications is a platform designed to combine all communications and collaboration technology into a central platform. Instead of having multiple vendors and technology pieces to work with, your business has a single communications solution. That means:

• Fewer bills to keep track of
• Not as many vendors to work with
• A more aligned end-to-end communication strategy
• Better communication and collaboration analytics

Increasingly, the definition of Unified Communications is also evolving to include the cloud. Companies like Gartner refer to “UCaaS” as the next generation of UC, and many companies now use the two terms interchangeably. Unified Communications as a Service is a UC solution delivered over the cloud and hosted by a third-party provider

The Challenge of Choosing the Right UC Partner

The transition to Unified Communications has been happening for a while now.

Promising a single-pane-of-glass environment for all of your communication investments, UC simplifies, streamlines, and enhances the communication stack. Recently, the demand for flexible UC solutions and UCaaS has grown drastically.

In the age following COVID-19, companies are even more dependent on communication systems that can connect their teams wherever they are. A fully-featured UC platform ensures that organizations can continue to track their staff members and encourage innovation while adhering to security and compliance standards. So, how do you know you’re choosing the right partner for the post-pandemic world?

1. Consider Deployment

At its heart, Unified Communications describes a combination of communication and collaboration technologies working together to empower teams. Initially, these solutions were hosted on-premises and managed through data centers. Now, the rise of “Software as a Service” (SaaS) offerings and cloud technology has strengthened the appeal of UCaaS.

Your Unified Communications vendor should be able to deliver your technology in a way that suits you, whether that means leveraging the private cloud, public cloud, or even a mixture of cloud and on-premises technology. While cloud UC is quickly gathering demand, with a 9.5 CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate), different companies need specific migration strategies.

Find a UC vendor that can implement the tools that suit you in the right environment.

2. Communication Features

Perhaps the most obvious thing to evaluate when searching for UC solutions is the features you can access. Start by considering your telephony options and whether it’s possible to access things like local and toll-free numbers in all the areas where your company runs. Think about messaging and meetings technology too.

Increasingly, Unified Communication platforms are also embracing collaboration tools, ranging all the way from video conferencing systems to workforce management tools. It’s even possible to find a UC platform solution that integrates with your Contact Center technology. Some of the most common communication features to consider include:

• Calling, call routing, and call management
• Recording, analytics, and storage
• Unified messaging and SMS
• Meetings and content sharing
• Workforce management
• Video and audio conferencing

3. Flexibility

Unified Communications is all about bridging the gaps in your communication network. When you can bring everything, your employees need together in the same aligned environment, you benefit from greater efficiency, fewer mistakes, and increased productivity.

While most UC platforms will come with a wide selection of features and capabilities built-in, you may also want to add some of the functionality your employees are currently used to. Integration options that allow you to link your CRM (customer relationship management) technology, contact centre solutions, CX systems, and more will give you an even more aligned environment.

Some UC systems even come with APIs and coding solutions that make connecting various parts of your UC strategy simple.

4. Reliability and Security

Communication is at the heart of successful business. We rely on our communication solutions to keep employees connected when they’re working on complex projects. Communication technology is also how we interact with customers and provide the support they need.

Ensuring you can rely on your UC system and secure enough to protect your data and customers, is crucial. Start by looking for a UC provider that has systems in place to ensure reliability. SLA agreements are a good start, as are failover systems that ensure you won’t miss out on important calls.

From a security perspective, make sure that your UC vendor can keep you compliant with the most important regulations. This could involve using end-to-end encryption for your calls or offering data sovereignty by allowing you to choose where UC data is stored.

5. Support and Scalability

Finally, the right Unified Communications platform makes it easy to rollout your communication technology in any environment, whether you’re moving to the cloud or otherwise. However, it should also come with support from a team of experts that can assist you in making your transition into new technology. Many of the leading UC platform providers come with knowledgebases full of guidance for those exploring UCaaS for the first time.

You should also reach out to a support team and get an answer quickly if you notice something is going wrong with your network all call quality. Great UC platforms make it easy to access any of the assistance you need.

More importantly, the right UC solution will also give you the freedom to grow and scale your communications to suit you. You add new numbers and services whenever you choose, and even implement advanced features as your company grows, like intelligent call routing and AI.

Ready to Jump into UC?

Unified Communications is the future of business comms.

With so many companies offering advanced platforms for UC today, it’s easy to get a little overwhelmed. However, if you start your search focusing on the five factors above, you’ll be on your way to a solid communication stack in no time.