Adapting to the realities of an increasingly mobile and digital workplace is essential for today’s businesses. Customers expect your staff to be available regardless of communication method, and employees expect tools that will allow them to collaborate effectively even as they become more decentralized.
As a result, the solution you choose must evolve to meet these emerging needs. This is an opportunity to turn to a unified communications solution – one that will boost workforce productivity while increasing competitiveness. There are several factors IT leaders need to keep in mind when searching for their solution.
For starters, it’s important to consider how the unified communications system will be used. In today’s digital age, workers require technology that helps to break down the silos between business units, staff and geographies in order to become high-performing. According to Forrester, employees most frequently need to connect with other employees.1
To support these usage patterns, organizations must deploy systems that afford sufficient bandwidth and high uptime. As IT leaders contemplate migration to the cloud, they should take into account the state of their current system. Some providers may have already deployed on-premises solutions with unified communications functionality. On-premises solutions and the corresponding equipment are more likely to become outdated. Often, IT teams end up spending excessive time managing and maintaining these systems. Providers with aging premises-based voice systems should consider migrating to network-based unified communication services — a better and more longterm fit for organizations looking to adapt to the demands of today’s digital workforce.
Different UC approaches
As IT decision makers consider unified communication deployment, they must decide the preferred method to implement the solution:
1. Network-based provider
Some network-based providers can simplify deployment by providing both the voice and communications service, as well as the network it runs on. If issues arise with either the service or network, there is only one provider to contact. Depending on the vendor, equipment, such as VoIP devices, may be included in the service. A managed end-to-end service with dedicated voice bandwidth delivers the most reliable, secure and high-performing solution available.
Benefits of a network-based unified communications service that is delivered over a private network include the following:
- An easy to use, fully managed solution that’s delivered and supported — from design and
installation through support — by one provider
• A private, secure network that is separate from the public Internet
• The solution is highly scalable since users and network capacity can be easily increased
• Business continuity is supported via geo-diverse data centers
• Certain network-based providers may offer a service-level-agreement (SLA), handsets/customer premises equipment and inside wiring
2. Over-the-top (OTT) unified communication
Generally speaking, when using OTT providers, clients often leverage their existing Internet connection and may need to manage both their unified communications solution and network separately.
Although OTT services are scalable, clients may need to work with a third-party Internet Service Provider (ISP) or local access provider to meet network bandwidth requirements. This tends to increase complexity and may result in decreased quality, reliability and security. In addition, an OTT provider’s SLA usually only covers their service platform, as network performance and uptime is the responsibility of the ISP or local-access provider.
There is no denying the importance of collaboration in the era of digital business. Businesses of all types use cloud-based collaboration technologies to enhance and modernize their communications. Given the variety of unified communications systems available, it’s important to understand each type and its underlying network.
Here is a checklist to keep in mind when choosing a unified communications provider:
1. Match solution capabilities to your needs
Every organization can benefit from increased collaboration, but each has unique needs.
Organizations should plan their journey by understanding the expectations of users and
implementing a unified communications solution that delivers the capabilities your organization
needs to thrive.
2. Involve IT administrators and end-users
Start by asking employees what collaboration tools they need to be more effective in their roles. Tools like instant messaging, desktop sharing and video calling allow employees to collaborate and communicate from anywhere. For IT administrators, it’s important that the communications service is easy for all employees to use. This allows IT teams to focus on core business activities without worrying about daily communications system management.
3. Focus on quality
Partner with a provider that includes guaranteed performance all the way to the VoIP device over a reliable, high-quality network. The ideal unified communications provider is focused on quality, ease of use and management simplicity.
4. Find the right partner
Given the critical role of collaboration in today’s digital enterprise, you need a unified communications partner that works with you. Look for a technology partner that includes service all the way to the VoIP device, complete with local and technical support. Find the
right partner to begin with and you won’t have to waste time and energy looking for alternatives later.
Source: NetworkWorld
