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Putting Unified Communications to Work for You
At a time when employees are as technologically advanced as ever,
using varied communication vehicles, devoting longer hours to work,
and staying in touch using a variety of devices, there is a disconnect
between being plugged in and being effective.
WORK EFFICIENCY
A Fonality study found that for companies with knowledge
workers who average an eight-hour workday, nearly 50 percent
of that time, (almost four hours a day) is spent trying to
contact people, find information, schedule meetings, dealing
with unwanted communications, duplicating information, and
other tasks that could largely be eliminated by a strategic
approach to unified communications.
Unified communications, or UC, is built on an integrated platform to
support and enhance the wide range of communications functions
necessary in today’s competitive work environments. Voice, data, and
video communications are all managed on a single IT infrastructure that is
accessible through in-office equipment, laptops, and a range of mobile
devices.
Employees, clients, and other authorized parties can transfer calls, share
screens, send email and instant messages, and access applications and
data seamlessly, regardless of where they are located. UC systems are
quickly scalable to accommodate fast-growing companies and those that
have peaks and valleys in their communication demands.
Phone is Just the Beginning
UC Applications:
UC Applications: Phone is Just the Beginning
PhoneUC offers the functionality of the most sophisticated phone system.
The business can receive unlimited inbound and make unlimited
outbound phone calls and maintain standard functions such as call
forwarding, hold, paging, intercom, and voicemail, among others.
DataUC systems provide traditional email, chat, Internet access, and
application support just like any other computer system.
However, because UC integrates traditional phones and other
devices, including smart phones, tablets, and computers, phone
calls may trigger a voicemail prompt and voicemail prompt and
allow the employee to return a call by simply clicking on the
message.
UC Applications: Phone is Just the Beginning
VideoIf a picture is worth a thousand words, then video is
invaluable. Video communication between workstations
improves productivity while giving employees and clients
the relationship-building “face time” they need. However,
instead of footing the bill for expensive trips and meetings,
you’ll be saving money on your communications
infrastructure because UC supports robust video
conferencing.
CollaborationA good UC system keeps employees informed of co-workers’ presence and preferred method of
communication. By checking the system’s dashboard, employees can usually see whether the
colleagues they need are available and whether it’s best to communicate by phone, chat,
email, or another method.
What's In It For Me?
Considering UC:
Considering UC: What's In It For Me?
In evaluating UC's impact on real-world settings, consider this:
A company with 50 knowledge workers earning salaries between
$40,000 and $100,000 migrates to UC. Downtime is reduced and
the IT staff is al lowed to refocus on activities that benefit the
company’s bottom line. A modest, two-hour-per-day gain in
efficiency results in an annual productivity gain of nearly $1 million.
As a company grows, its employee-to-IT professional
ratio becomes more unwieldy. A Fonality report
illustrated that while a startup might have five or seven
employees per IT professional to help manage IT
challenges, when the company grows to more than 100
employees that ratio could be as much as 40 employees
to one IT professional. At 500 employees, each IT staffer
might be responsible for the technology needs of as
many as 152 people.
Considering UC: What's In It For Me?
Real case studies show how UC helps small businesses:
Case StudyVariQ is an IT firm based in Washington, D.C. President and CEO Ben
Edson turned to UC when he needed the ability to transfer calls
between his small network of employees and contractors working in
various locations. He tried free conference call services, but was put
off by the advertisements.
UC offered the solutions he was seeking—including integrated
conference calling—with a whopping 35 percent savings. Now VariQ’s
network of 45 employees and contractors stay connected primarily
through voice, conferencing, and chat functions.“UC makes us look, to the outside world, like a cohesive organization, and allows us to work
anywhere at any time. That’s a huge advantage for small companies.”
- Ben Edson, VariQ
Considering UC: What's In It For Me?
Case StudyVeteran Corps of America is an information technology products and
services firm in Illinois that gives disabled veterans a vehicle to find
meaningful work. Soon after its launch, the founders concluded that
its rudimentary communication system of cordless telephones, an
answering machine, and computers was creating a choke point and
inhibiting the company’s growth. Veteran Corps needed an anytime,
anywhere communications platform, co-founder William Wheeler
said.“With [UC], as long as someone can operate a computer, we can put the equipment in their home, and they’re fully
linked with our system, no matter where they are. That lets
us create job opportunities and grow our business.”
- William Wheeler, Veteran Corps
Drafting a Plan
Considering UC:
Considering UC: Drafting a Plan
As they evaluate UC and its ability to reduce costs and enhance
communication, collaboration, and productivity, businesses should initiate a
process that ensures the investments of time and resources have sufficient
returns. That process includes:
Evaluating the current state of communications. Conduct a thorough audit of your company’s
communication needs, and cross-check them with the functions the UC provider offers. Use this phase to
set the goals you wish to reach and identify the markers for success to help you set goals for the system
implementation.
Building user buy-in. The success and ultimate ROl of your UC implementation isn’t going to lie with your management, tech team, or even the provider. It’s critical that employees—the people who will be using the system on a day-to-day basis—believe in it. So, building employee buy-in is critical.
Vetting the technologies. Some businesses may be comfortable outsourcing email hosting but may
be uneasy when it comes to outside hosting of their phone systems. Your team will need to evaluate which
technologies are best kept in-house and which can be outsourced. Your provider should help you evaluate
your site and the existing technological capabilities to ensure that the site is ready for a UC
implementation.
Considering UC: Drafting a Plan
Accounting for cost savings. A key driver for a UC plan is cost. Small and midsize
businesses using UC strategically can enjoy significant savings that can be reinvested
in other areas to grow the company. For example, a UC system that centralizes
inbound calls and uses the company’s data network for connectivity can save a company 20
to 30 percent over legacy phone sys tems.
Developing a migration plan. Your UC provider should be able to give you a clear
understanding of the training, downtime, and other effects the migration to UC will have on
your company. Be sure to allow ample time to roll out com ponents of the system, test them
and gather feedback from your cross-func tional team to ensure that the rollout is going as
planned and meeting expecta tions.
Identifying opportunities for growth. Among the core benefits of a UC system is
its ability to seamlessly grow with your business and offer a variety of options as your
business needs them. As your business grows, conduct pe riodic evaluations of your
system’s effectiveness and look for ways that en hanced functionality might be able to
improve it and facilitate further growth.
Choosing a ProviderConsidering UC:
Considering UC: What's In It For Me?
Real case studies show how UC helps small businesses:
Ability to meet current needs. The UC platform needs to support the
techno logical functions your employees need and use each day. Your
provider should have excellent customer support and give you a reliable
roadmap for rolling out your UC platform with minimal downtime.
Features to better support in-house and mobile workers. As you consider UC
providers, look at other features the UC platform has and evaluate how those might help
your company streamline or be more effective in its current communication practices.
Flexibility and scalability. Your UC provider should work with you to develop solutions that
meet the needs of your business, based on its current size and communications practices, but
that don’t include expensive add-ons that your employees won’t use. Look for a provider
that has tiers of service and can easily upgrade your company to the next level when
growth demands.
Learn more visiting www.fonality.com or calling 1-877-FONALITY.
Visit our website atwww.fonality.com
Or give us a call at1-877-FONALITY
For more information about Fonality