“Doing more with less” has always been a mantra on the business landscape. However, in the aftermath of COVID-19, it is not just a piece of good advice: it is a mandatory requirement. Simply put, businesses that find innovative and sustainable ways to do more with less will thrive in the months and years ahead, while those that don’t will struggle — and eventually, disappear. What does this have to do with unified communications benefits? In a word: everything!
The Basics of Unified Communications
Unified communications (UC) refers to the integration of voice, data, and video communications on a single and centralized cloud-based phone system (also referred to as a VoIP phone system).
This setup allows businesses to manage, monitor, and optimize a range of communication tools — such as phone, instant messaging/text, video conferencing, e-facing, and more — and ultimately enjoy key benefits. These are highlighted below:
Unified Communications Benefits: Significant Up-Front and Ongoing Cost Savings
Unified communications uses a cloud-based instead of an on-site infrastructure. As a result, businesses do not have to purchase, install, update, and maintain a phone system. Everything is housed and managed by the off-site Solutions Provider. The up-front (CapEx) cost savings is often in the 5 or 6-figures, and ongoing annual cost savings are often in the 25-50% range — though potentially even more.
Benefits: Enabling Remote Working and Total Mobility
As we finally emerge from the long shadow of COVID-19, 74% of workers expect that remote working will become standard. In fact, 30% of workers say that they would quit if required to return to the office full-time. Unified communications are perfect for remote workers because they can use desktop and mobile (iOS/Android) apps to stay connected with colleagues and customers from any device, anywhere, at any time.
And it’s not just remote workers/hybrid workers (i.e. those who work part of the time in the corporate office and part of the time in their home office) who reap unified communications benefits. Just some of the features that boost productivity, efficiency, quality of work, and customer experience include:
- Instant messaging (SMS/MMS)
- Presence
- Video conferencing
- Live call transfer
- Screen sharing
- Integrated voicemail (also referred to as voicemail-to-email/voicemail-to-text)
- Cloud faxing (also referred to as e-faxing)
- Call center analytics
Unified Communications Benefits: Preparing for the Future
The last couple of years has been a roller coaster ride for many businesses — and planning ahead has been difficult, and at times impossible. Unified communications enables businesses to adjust and pivot based on changing circumstances. Adding new employees (including temporary hires) to the phone system is easy, fast, and cost-effective. Conversely, in situations involving downsizing or consolidation, businesses are not stuck paying for excess phone system capacity.
Learn More
At Carolina Digital Phone, we are proud to be one of the country’s most experienced cloud phone system companies. Our all-in-one solution drives unified communications benefits that help businesses “do more with less” — while improving productivity, worker engagement, and customer experience.
Schedule your free consultation and demo. We can connect with you at your location, or over the web. Call us now at (336) 544-4000.