Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS): Changing the future of work

The way in which people work is evolving.

More and more, specialists over the world spend less time in a physical “workplace” and more time finishing projects and achieving results through digital solutions.

The good news is that a diverse and mobile staff has the power to deliver more efficiency, productivity, and satisfaction to the organisations environment. The bad news is that this change in work patterns brings a series of challenges with it. For example, by what means do you verify that everyone in your company is using the same unified communications channels to work together on projects, connect with customers, and record data?

The simple answer could be "UCaaS" or Unified Communications as a Service.

UCaaS solutions host your communication strategies on the cloud, allowing businesses to develop an all-embracing infrastructure for their communications, without the need for physical space or a large initial cost.

What is UCaaS, and What Can It Do?

Like many “as a service” technologies, UCaaS is an internet-based solution delivered with a paid-monthly or annual subscription. Dependent on your selected setup, you may be able to start rolling your services out within a few hours.

Products in the UCaaS space vary, but their significant feature is always their extraordinary flexibility. If you’re looking for a communication system that’s easy-to-manage, secure, scalable, and future-proof, then UCaaS is the way forward. As digital transformation (DX) trends continue, UCaaS helps you to maximise the efficiency and productivity of your IT solutions within an expanding and changing mobile workforce.

For many conglomerates already, UCaaS has had a significant impact in reducing enterprise conferencing, voice and video calling expenses, while boosting efficiency and productivity.

The benefits of investing in UCaaS

Ultimately, choosing to change your on-premises and legacy communication systems for a cloud-based solution is not a small decision. That’s one of the reasons that so many vendors are starting to embrace “hybrid” solutions in the UCaaS environment, intended to support bigger enterprises that don’t feel comfortable giving up on their legacy equipment just yet. With that being said, whether you’re planning on making the move to the cloud completely, or taking things one step at a time, you’ll need to know the benefits that UCaaS can offer to sell it to your C-Suite. Here are just some of the advantages of a UCaaS strategy:

• Versatility: UC as a Service offers real-time access to a suite of crucial services in your communication infrastructure. Anyone with a connection and a user account will be able to access everything from instant messaging solutions to VoIP, data sharing and conferencing. Because UCaaS works on the cloud, it’s naturally versatile, and systems are available to access on a broad range of devices, from smartphones to tablets and desktops

• Mobility: As mentioned above, one of the biggest trends pushing the digitisation of the workforce today, is the demand for mobility. There are more remote workers today than ever before. UCaaS allows businesses to connect with and support employees wherever they are – meaning that your staff can still be as productive as ever when away from the office

• Scalability: Another benefit of a cloud-based service like UCaaS, is that it’s naturally scalable. You pay for what you use, which means that you can scale your resources up and down depending on your needs. This could be perfect for companies with seasonal changes in staff

• Reliability: UCaaS shields modern organisation against the threats of unexpected downtime with superior reliability and top-performing data centres. If you can’t afford to lose your connection for even a moment, UCaaS can help to keep your communication strategy running smoothly

• Simplicity: UCaaS allows for real-time collaboration between all the experts in your organisation – offering a hub point for strategy, and operations to connect. What makes the solution extra-special, is the fact that it makes this connectivity simple. Your UCaaS provider will deal with all the maintenance and updating tasks on your behalf so that you can focus on other important projects instead

Embracing the Agile Future with UCaaS

As technologies and trends in the communication environment continue to evolve, UCaaS offers instant access to the agile world for modern companies. With a UCaaS strategy, you can enjoy 24/7 functionality with your communication infrastructure – giving remote teams across the globe the same tools they need to interact seamlessly with fellow staff members. Increasingly, your employees are moving away from restrictive technologies and processes that tie them to their desk. In fact, around 80% of employees perform “deskless” work each day. In a world where being tied to a specific environment can often hold a business back, UCaaS could be the best way to get ahead of the curve and maintain your competitive nature.