Integrated communication is essential for positioning a proposal, as it creates clear, long-term memory structures and a clear picture of the request. This leads to the creation and maintenance of brand value – given the appropriate position and the corresponding independence. In this article, we will get acquainted with a Unified communication and its advantages.
What does “Unified Communications Communications as a Service” mean?
What is UCC (Unified Communications & Collaboration)?
Unified Communications & Collaboration (UCC) describes integrating various communication forms and channels with tools for collaboration. As part of Communication-Enabled Business Processes, UCC should also make business processes more efficient.
The marketing term UCC conceals approaches that bundle various communication services, improve users’ accessibility, and promote collaboration between distributed teams. The concept reacts to a steadily increasing, increasingly complex number of communication options available to users today. Although UCC can also integrate traditional PBXs, the approach also uses the peculiarities of IP-based forms of communication. Because voice services are no longer necessarily tied to conventional telephones, extended functions can also be easily implemented using Computer Telephony Integration (CTI).
Unified Communications (UC) can be understood as an extension of Unified Messaging. However, instead of merely summarizing asynchronous messages on a portal, UC also includes synchronous forms of communication – in which the participants interact with each other in real-time. Unified Communications (UC) essentially comprises two aspects. On the one hand, users must add new forms of representation to communication that is already taking place; this can be the case, for example, when a camera transmission (audio/video) is started from a chat (instant messaging). On the other hand, UC also enables communication independent of the location, such as a uniform phone number used for fax, landline, or mobile phone.
Broadening Cooperations
The additional “C” in UCC extends the communication options with tools for collaboration. The transitions are fluid. Depending on the point of view, video conferences or virtual whiteboards can be understood as communication channels and collaboration tools. This is also reflected in the products of individual manufacturers. Communication providers are increasingly adding tools for collaboration and vice versa to their offers.
With their various options for messaging, chat, video conferencing, or real-time collaboration, social networks offer functions similar to UCC solutions. Such approaches are not to be understood as a substitute for professional products but rather as a supplement that can be integrated via interfaces. Business-ready solutions from the cloud are now known as UCC as a Service (UCCaaS).
As part of a “communication-enabled business process,” UC (C) services can also further automate business processes and make them more efficient. Communication processes are linked directly with CRM, ERP, or industry solutions. This can be implemented, for example, via computer telephony integration (CTI): If a customer question is answered by telephone, an employee accepts the call directly via computer; The CTI can immediately identify the caller via automatic call number resolution, show details of previous orders or payment transactions, and trigger automated processes via additional fields from CRM and ERP systems with a click of the mouse.
Increase the elements
UCC can include various individual elements, from rule-based call forwarding to web conferences and virtual whiteboards to integrated business processes. From a systematic perspective, all of these building blocks can be assigned to four overarching categories: media integration, presence information, cooperation functions, and context integration.
Unified Communications & Collaboration in focus
Unified Communication: A collection of products
Therefore, it cannot be said that integrated communication is a product. Instead, it collects products that provide an integrated user interface and a combined user experience across multiple devices and types of transmission media. In other words, Several applications are implemented together and integrated. After integrating this software, there will be an integrated communication solution.
An example of an integrated communication solution
For example, you implement VoIP Elastics in your infrastructure and define an extension for each person. Then set up the Microsoft Exchange Server infrastructure and assign an email address to each person. Then launch Microsoft Skype for Business Server to create a video conferencing platform. So far, you have implemented several different products. You are now integrating these products and connecting them. Once these products are fully integrated, you will now have a Unified Communications infrastructure.
Integration dimensions:
(1) The temporal integration of all communication actions of a brand.
(2) Integration between communication tools.
Integration tool is a formal and content integration.
A) Formal integration: The formally integrated communication tool includes corporate design measures (corporate design), for example, Specific colors and signals of the graphic company and trademark (the combination of image words and presence signals). Formal integration does not convey any specific positioning content but primarily serves to provide thought-provoking suggestions and more straightforward reminders for the consumer. Traditional integration is especially suitable for updates.
B) Content integration: The integrated communication content tool includes repetitive verbal statements (slogans, speech program formulas, vocal and written program plans). Verbal expressions can be the same formula or contain the same situational content. Another integrated content-related communication tool is images that reflect the proposed situation. Visual content can be implemented as different visual motifs with the same image content or as critical images. Only content integration makes positioning communication possible.
Importance: Integrated communication is essential for positioning a proposal, as it creates clear, long-term memory structures and a clear picture of the proposition. This leads to the creation and maintenance of brand value – given the appropriate position and the corresponding independence.
The advantages of the “Unified Communications as a Service” model as a cloud-based application (UCaaS)
At first glance, the main advantage of Unified Communications as a Service or UCaaS (and of the so-called “as a Service” models in general) is that the initial investment by the company is much lower, as the costs of the cloud solution are more than one over a certain period (monthly, quarterly or annually).
While this is already a valid argument, UCaaS solutions offer companies many other significant advantages in addition to cost advantages.
Collaboration through the cloud
Unified Communications (UC) – or standardized communication – optimizes the collaboration between employees in a company. Instant messaging, data transfer and the implementation of video and audio conferences are made significantly more comfortable. Cloud-based UC solutions offer access to the shared data platform anytime and anywhere, thus making remote access and home office employees’ integration much more comfortable. UCaaS and UC telephone systems provide desktop access to essential company data such as telephone books and call lists at the touch of a finger so that your team is always up to date.
The introduction of the smartphone has made a significant contribution to the transformation of the modern workplace. Therefore, every UC phone system provider will endeavor to provide UC mobile apps, as well. Mobile VoIP and UC apps offer the same UC functionality as the desktop versions and promote teamwork and lead to a further increase in productivity. Mobile UC apps are, therefore, another essential resource for the continuity of business processes.
Connectivity in the cloud
Of course, all of these tools are available as locally installed on-premise solutions, with access to on-premise solutions at any time via the company’s Virtual Private Network (VPN). With first-class cloud-based UCaaS solutions, full connectivity is available anywhere and anytime, as long as there is an internet connection.
It could now be when service interruptions occur at the Internet Service Provider (ISP) at the headquarters. This is unlikely to affect employee remote access to the phone system – unless they are from the same provider. Even if this is the case, all the tools required to connect and continue working are available on employees’ smartphones.
Additionally, moving a company’s infrastructure to the cloud with solutions like a hosted UC phone system can help remove local issues or obstacles like internal connectivity issues. As long as the telephone system users have an Internet connection, the connection can be made from anywhere.
Further advantages: The company does not need to maintain a VPN infrastructure and minimize the hardware requirements on-site and significantly reduce the administrator’s workload and the maintenance costs for the hardware.
Redundancy in the cloud
One of the main concerns of companies when it comes to cloud solutions is redundancy and resilience. This is a legitimate concern, especially when it comes to voice telephony and UC. For this reason, it is advisable to find out about the provider’s redundancy and fail-safe measures as well as availability statistics when choosing a solution provider.
Let’s consider which scenario has a greater risk of downtime; an office building or a data center? An office building, the infrastructure of which has been set up to minimize costs according to practicality and cost aspects, or a data center built away from high-risk areas to withstand extreme weather conditions and in which the strictest “clean room” and safety standards are taken into account? If you compare the two cases, it is much more likely that a company’s internal infrastructure will fail than a professional data center will fail.
Even if the head office goes down, your team will still stay connected and keep working. This means that you will continue to be available to your customers, and they will probably not even notice that there has been a connection failure at all. As we all know, the inaccessibility of a company creates extensive problems.
Unfortunately, hosted telephony and UCaaS solutions are not applicable in every scenario. An example would be a production facility based on the “man-down function” of a DECT handset. In this case, considering all the risks involved, a specific redundancy infrastructure must be available on-site to guarantee all internal systems’ communication capability.
Profitability in the cloud
As already mentioned, UCaaS solutions are an excellent way of lowering operating costs, such as minimizing administration and infrastructure maintenance costs. In many cases, initial investment costs can be avoided. Also, UCaaS and cloud solutions are more comfortable and cost-effective to scale out of the box than on-premise solutions (local installations). No additional server or hardware resources are required for this. In sum, the ongoing cost savings can be significant.
If one also considers the gain in productivity through the open communication of the employees, which enable hosted telephony and cloud-based unified communications solutions, the change to a “Unified Communication as a Service” solution (UCaaS) is an essential driver for the operating result improve, increase sales and ultimately maximize a company’s profitability.
Summary
Integrated communication is a term in different organizations and markets that describes organizations’ integration of communication services.
There are many advantages of cloud-based unified communications solutions that are not primarily cost-oriented. But first and foremost, UCaaS solutions should be viewed as an instrument for optimizing organizational processes, increasing sales through improved productivity and performance optimization, and as an effective means of reducing capital expenditure. As always, when deciding for or against a cloud-based UCaaS solution, there are arguments for and against – and careful consideration should ever be given to whether or not UCaaS and hosted telephone systems are suitable for your company.
