What is UCaaS?
Updated: Jun 23, 2020
What is UCaaS?
UCaaS stands for Unified communications as a Service. It is a cloud model that offers a variety of communication and collaboration applications and services. UCaaS is a variation of the “as a service” model of cloud and it unifies a range of communications tools within a single platform. UCaaS through the cloud simplifies the operation as a large in-house IT team is not needed, and any technical support issues are taken care of on the backend for a monthly service fee to the provider. UCaaS is a cloud-based communications model that offers businesses the chance to access a wide selection of applications and services all of which enhance communications and employee productivity.
UCaaS primarily involves combining many different communication methods into one platform, making it a popular choice for growing businesses and offers flexibility for all businesses no matter the size.
Unified Communications as a Service is a service that more and more businesses are embracing as they recognize the value of moving on from traditional or legacy PBX approaches as their needs change. UCaaS is a fantastic opportunity that your business should leverage. Let me tell you how it works...
How does UCaaS work?
UCaaS is delivered through a service agreement with a Unified Communications vendor who will implement the necessary structure and a Unified Communications platform. It is an element of the “as a service” model and it is designed to restructure internal and external business communications. By using Unified Communications as a Service, businesses do not have to rely on multiple applications and vendors to keep their communications running effectively. Instead, you only need one solution that supports everything from your phone system, collaboration applications, business SMS, cloud fax and more.
Unified Communications as a Service presents your business with an opportunity to incorporate multiple communication methods through a single cloud provider and simplify billing, all while facilitating better team collaboration and productivity.
UCaaS solutions live in the cloud. So, your team can access the tools required wherever they have access to the internet, no matter which device they're using. With this unified approach, it makes it easier for businesses to preclude downtime and secure communications consistency.
How to Choose the Best UCaaS Provider?
UCaaS buying decisions require a different set of purchase considerations compared to on-premises alternatives. Without the need for complex hardware installations, there is now a high demand for managed UC. Some of the best UCaaS providers offer service level agreements and a strong history of uptime. This will provide insight in to how sophisticated and robust their UCaaS network in the cloud really is.
UCaas setup is extremely easy, however, you'll still require an experienced VoIP provider to implement these solutions within your network properly. The best way to choose a UCaaS provider is to do your research. Congratulations! You're well on your way just by reading this. Once you've done your homework, ask them lots of questions. Any seasoned UCaaS provider should be able ease any of your concerns.
Now, let us take a closer look at UCaaS advantages you can reference when choosing the best UCaaS provider for your business.
Cost Savings
Moving to UCaaS can provide significant cost savings. The days of buying expensive hardware or software are gone! All phones are connected through your existing Internet connection, which means you will be saving significant cash using VoIP. Traditional PBX equipment and installation costs have been crushed by UCaaS due to its simplicity of setup, existing infrastructure and the competitive VoIP phone market that exists today.
The VoIP provider hosts the equipment at their own facility or facilities and provides your service through the cloud eliminating major equipment purchases and consolidating your network closet. Your IT staff does not need to worry about maintaining the system which will free their focus to other projects.
With UCaaS the annual costs for maintenance software and equipment management are all transferred to the service provider and included in your monthly subscription to the service. Your business will also take advantage of the frequent software updates that your UCaaS provider will do for you - automatically in the background.
Without UCaaS, budgets are separated for video, voice, chat, etc. Unified Communication as a Service platforms can effortlessly provide these solutions without adding significant and disparate expenses.
Features
Not only will UCaaS save your business money, it comes with an array of features. Being fully cloud-based opens the door for additional functionality. Some of the most popular features are listed below.
Voicemail to Email
Video Collaboration & Screen Share
Voicemail Transcription
Cloud Faxing
Call Recording
Simplified Reporting
Simple Interface
For quite some time, walking the office was the best way to collaborate with a colleague. Then came the phone system, and extension dialing quickly replaced those extra steps your fitness tracker would have loved! Now, instant messaging, video and screen sharing has proved itself as popular collaboration features. UCaaS providers deliver all of these collaboration tools under one roof. This simplifies your billing processes significantly, but more importantly, provides your staff with one platform for each tool they use.
Reliability
The reliability of your communications capabilities is crucial to the success of your business. If your customer knows your communications system is unreliable, they may view your business as unreliable and find someone else. For example, if you miss a phone call, you may miss out on a business opportunity or sale. Depending on your business, that could be big money!
Therefore, the reliability of your communications system is one of the most important things to discuss when choosing the right UCaaS provider. Some providers offer enhanced reliability through geo-redundant data centers and servers that are maintained and scrutinized day in and day out. Within a UCaaS infrastructure, hardware failure affecting your system should not exist any longer.
Communication is the glue that binds relationships, and it is one of the most important aspects of maintaining a productive business. Ensuring efficient communications between employees and clients is essential for driving growth to your business.
Mobility and Flexibility
Unified Communications as a Service mobility is a growing solution. According to Global Workplace Analytics, 5 million employees (3.6% of the U.S. employee workforce) currently work from home part-time or more. With this high demand to work from anywhere, Unified Communication as a Service solutions offer mobile applications that broaden functionality beyond your desktop. Remote workers can transfer calls and check voicemails or send and receive SMS messages from the mobile device of their choice. As remote working becomes more prevalent, this freedom to collaborate on an array of devices, no matter where you are, is an important decision-making factor when considering UCaaS.
Video conferencing provides a whole new level of connectivity and mobility within the UCaaS environment. The ability to initiate a video call from anywhere, will reveal better interactions with your customers, and allows you to respond to their needs more efficiently. With collaboration tools including screen sharing, you'll notice much better staff productivity without the added chatter that a crowded conference room typically offers. And although a nice stroll to your coworkers office can be nice, remote workers just don't have that flexibility, but still have the requirements to connect.
For businesses that need to quickly add or remove users, Unified Communications as a Service offers incredible flexibility without major infrastructure changes. Depending on your UCaaS provider's response time ;) these adjustments can happen within minutes.
Whether it is the extensive feature set, significant cost savings, ensured reliability, or incredible mobility and flexibility, UCaaS has what your business needs to continue moving in the right direction.
Recent Communications has been providing high-quality, customized solutions to businesses for over twenty years! If your business has UCaaS requirements or would like a quote, please call us at 484-998-4540 or email info@recentcom.com.
If you know a business or organization that could benefit from understanding how UCaaS features can support them, please share this post!
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