The digital transformation has revolutionized the world of work. With each year that passes, we can do more and more jobs remotely, and this is a trend that will only accelerate. But while so much has changed, certain fundamentals remain constant.
All businesses must find ways to be efficient without compromising the service they offer. Communication is at the heart of this – whether it’s allocating tasks, collaboration, project management, trouble-shooting, or customer relations.
Every business must have an effective communications infrastructure. But this presents dilemmas around cost. They could invest in hardware, but this is costly to maintain and hard to scale, and may demand extra expenses like IT support teams.
For businesses that face these dilemmas, unified communications as a service (UCaaS) is a solution that helps you build financial and operational efficiency into everything you do. We have written this blog to explain how.
What is UCaaS?
UCaaS combines two cutting-edge concepts in ICT. The first is unified communications (UC), which boosts productivity by integrating all business communications into a single platform. This includes everything from instant messaging to videoconferencing, eliminating the need to keep switching between systems. This allows your team to collaborate and communicate efficiently at all times.
“As a service” simply means the platform is hosted on the cloud and paid for by subscription. This means that businesses can enjoy all the benefits of UC without tying themselves to the expenses of hardware and in-house IT support.
Boosting efficiency and reducing costs are in the interests of every business. Next, we will explain how UCaaS makes it possible to achieve both.
Save on hardware
Traditional on-premises solutions have advantages, but also drawbacks. You have to invest in hardware that can deteriorate and be costly to maintain. You also may need technical support when something goes wrong. By operating on the cloud, UCaaS eliminates those costs. Maintenance and support are the job of the host and provided as part of the service.
In addition, users can access UCaaS on any device with an internet connection. This allows the cost savings of a BYOD culture within the office, along with the opportunity of remote and hybrid working. With UCaaS, companies no longer need large, expensive offices or the equipment that goes with them. With cloud communications, you can work any time, anywhere.
At iPECS, we offer a powerful range of productivity-boosting cloud solutions, from specialized and industry-specific applications to comprehensive business phone systems.
Scalability
Business growth is not always predictable and managing expansions can be a strain. If you over-invest in new infrastructure, you risk waste. If you under-invest, you risk compromising your operation. Scaling down is similarly tricky if you have a lot of hardware and equipment.
Thanks to cloud technology, UCaaS platforms can be scaled up and down with seamless ease. You can simply add or remove users any time on a pay-per-user basis. This is perfect for startups and growing businesses, as well as any operation in volatile and unpredictable markets. Business can change at a moment’s notice. UCaaS gives you the mobility to adapt without unexpected additional costs.
Our latest UCaaS platform, iPECS ONE, offers new levels of flexibility. Through WebRTC technology, it can run on a web browser. This gives users a full UC experience without even needing to download software, while administrators can add and remove users with ease. By taking the cost and operational complexity out of scaling, you can focus your efforts on what matters: your business.
Collaboration
As remote working becomes more popular, some business leaders feel that collaboration will suffer as a result. In fact, thanks to cloud communication platforms, collaboration can be enhanced. Video conferencing allows face-to-face meetings from anywhere. You can share screens and documents in real time or use quick instant messages to provide quick updates on your projects.
All of this is logged and accessible in one application, making remote collaboration as effective as in-person teamwork. This means greater efficiency without any additional hardware.
Our product range is designed with collaboration in mind. In a single, easy-to-use interface, iPECS ONE enables group chat, instant messaging, voice and video call, and file sharing. In the age of hybrid working, this not only enables but enhances teamwork.
Analytics
Analysis is fundamental to any business. In order to manage workflows, plan ahead, and assess strengths and weaknesses, you need to understand your current performance levels. UCaaS can be enhanced by analytics suites, offering rich insights into your operation.
This includes call metrics and other KPIs, allowing you to make informed decisions about how to use your time and resources in the most efficient way possible.
Integrations
Another benefit of UCaaS is its ability to integrate with other tools. You can use it together with CRMs, APIs and other third-party applications, providing a further boost to productivity. There is no need to be slowed down by constantly switching between different systems.
This also means that you can enjoy the benefit of UC without having to spend extra on the rest of your ICT infrastructure.
Our UCaaS solution, iPECS ONE, is one of the market leaders for integrations. These include most third-party CRMs, and many other customization options.
iPECS ONE
iPECS ONE is a cutting-edge UCaaS solution from one of the most trusted brands in the business. It is a feature-rich digital workplace that combines all business communications in one application. With call handling, video conferencing and messaging in one place, teams can collaborate from anywhere.
Best of all, thanks to WebRTC technology, there is no need for users to download a single plug-in or any software at all – they can simply open a link and access the entire service in a web browser.
If you would like to find out more about our cloud solutions, speak to your nearest Ericsson-LG Enterprise Global Partner.
Changing communication practices and working environments have left some businesses disconnected from their employees. Maintaining team collaboration was a reason for the shift toward cloud services and that global businesses took over the past eighteen months. Voice communication has always been preferred for business’ customer interaction, but for team collaboration there has been an increased demand for video, messaging, analytics and integrations. This is where iPECS services have allowed businesses to thrive.
With businesses now seeing the benefits that effective team collaboration has on productivity and customer service, there is a drive to find solutions that provide this. iPECS ONE and other iPECS Cloud services help businesses manage collaboration and keep their entire team productive and motivated.
Creating an effective collaboration environment
iPECS ONE promotes collaboration in the office. Being powered by WebRTC technology means that iPECS ONE allows you to access video conferencing in real time on a Chrome browser, no matter where your team are based. This is useful for teams in the same office, working across multiple offices or working remotely. The WebRTC framework makes initiating meetings between staff faster and more accessible than ever before.
Part of the push towards cloud services involves staff using personal devices for their work. iPECS ONE is compatible with a wide range of these devices. Smartphones, tablets, laptops, and Macs are all supported. iPECS ONE supports video conferences of up to 15 participants. This can be either members of your team or 3rd party users, each using a device of their choice. This makes effective collaboration more accessible to a wider range of users without the need to download additional software or applications.
Presence displays whether individual colleagues are online and ready to collaborate, away from their workspace, or busy on a different call. This ensures there is no confusion when it comes to arranging meetings amongst staff. iPECS ONE also includes instant messaging, that allows you to reach colleagues and share information in a fast and professional way.
Facilitating teamwork from any location
One of the greatest challenges for any business looking to adopt a remote working policy is how they maintain collaboration amongst their team. If users cannot effectively reach their colleagues and customers, then they will feel isolated and unproductive.
The iPECS range of mobile apps counters this. iPECS ONE mobile delivers a consistent user experience on both Android and iOS devices. The Mobile client contains all the UC features users have come to expect. From call management services to instant messaging and video conferencing.
When users are working on the go, they still need to be able to contact their team. We understand that not every role is static, and iPECS Cloud support this. When making calls on an iPECS Cloud system, users can switch devices instantly, meaning they can stay on calls even when they are on the move. This enables better collaboration amongst users in sales or support roles who travel frequently.
Analytics supports staff
Team collaboration is not just about hosting calls and video conferences, it also means guaranteeing that your team are always supported. The new iPECS Analytics suite has features that make this possible.
A live wallboard shows how many calls each member of staff handle every day. This allows management teams to understand who is performing well and can easily identify where added support is needed. This extends to remote staff as well. Without the right analytics tools, it can be a challenge to see when staff working away from the office require extra support. iPECS Analytics allows you to identify remote staff at risk of being overwhelmed and offer them additional training or resources when required.
Integrations improve workplace efficiency
iPECS ONE integrates with over 60 major CRMs. This revolutionizes the way that you and your colleagues can collaborate on customer projects. With iPECS ONE you can update CRM details for individual clients, and that information will instantly be added to your communication service. This means your system is always up to date with the most important customer information and your staff can respond in a more personalized way to each client.
When customers call in to your business, Inbound CRM Record Population quickly displays customer details, added by your team. This data helps you to provide a bespoke service for each customer.
When staff are working across many different roles or locations it’s difficult to schedule meetings that everyone will reliably attend. iPECS Cloud integrates alongside scheduling and productivity software such as Outlook. This ensures staff have a clear view of when meetings are taking place and who else is attending.
Collaborate securely
Collaboration is crucial for business success, but it needs to be handled securely. This is especially true when staff work remotely and are using personal devices. Video Conferencing & Sharing among your teams is done on encrypted media by sRTP/DTLS so your teams can communicate visually and share contents securely using WebRTC.
All our Cloud services at Ericsson-LG Enterprise are market orientated and designed to facilitate team collaboration. If you would like to find out more about our cloud solutions, speak to your nearest Ericsson-LG Enterprise Global Partner.
