How companies do business has fundamentally changed post-pandemic. Many organizations have moved to a hybrid or all-remote workforce, supported by highly collaborative and mobile technology. If your business is still struggling with adapting to this more agile work style, there are 7 reasons to move to cloud communications.
Competitive Benefits
Smart employers are using remote or hybrid work environments to attract workers who demand flexible work schedules and in-office alternatives. According to a recent study, 63% of employees want the flexibility to work in a transient setting to accommodate their lifestyle and family needs.
Businesses with UCaaS communications find it much easier to accommodate these individuals and stay compliant with industry requirements such as Ray Baum’s Act, among others. So while there are 7 Reasons to Move to Cloud Communications, additional benefits can be found depending on industry standards.
Technology Advancements
One positive thing to come from the pandemic was the realization that, with the right technology, many different types of work could be done from nearly anywhere with a strong internet or mobile signal. Advances in technology make having a physical desk phone unnecessary, creating a more mobile worker. Softphones are quickly overtaking traditional wired desk phones, and with interactive features like instant messaging, SMS, and video chats enabled workers are finding it much easier to stay connected and dialogue in real time with their team and customers.
As an added benefit; most UCaaS platforms also provide robust reporting to help businesses measure efficiencies and customer satisfaction rates. Call center recordings can assist managers with onboarding and coaching service representatives, or help drive staffing levels based on fluctuating high demand hours or seasonality.
Next, let’s discuss the 7 Reasons to Move to Cloud Communications.
Benefits of a Cloud PBX versus On-Premise System
- Unify business communications. A unified solution offers enterprise-grade features such as phone, faxing, SMS, IVR, call queues, team messaging, video meetings, and voicemail all within the same platform. This facilitates team collaboration and improves customer experiences by allowing people to connect in the most efficient way for their circumstances.
- Easily manage multiple locations. A single solution with global availability is easier to manage and can be administered from a single portal using a desktop or mobile app. This is even easier if the workforce has migrated away from physical desktop phones and uses calling apps or desktop softphones.
- Flexibility to add or remove services on demand. Cloud solutions are flexible and scalable in real time; network admins can easily add or remove users or features at any time. Choose a provider that offers a 99.999% uptime SLA to ensure business never stalls due to system failures.
- Meet all security and compliance needs. Security, service delivery, and architecture as well as industry compliance (such as HIPAA, CCPA, GDPR, FINRA) are fully managed by the cloud provider, saving the business time and resources.
- Eliminate infrastructure management costs. Best-in-class cloud solutions are hosted in top-tier and redundant datacenters. UCaaS providers are responsible for monitoring and managing all aspects of the infrastructure 24/7/365. Company IT teams can focus on other network demands and leave system support to the experts.
- Support mobile and remote teams. Workers can make calls, send messages, and start video meetings at any time on their device of choice; PC, mobile or tablet. UCaaS solutions are highly functioning applications that work across many devices, making them ideal for BYOD staff and mixed-device environments.
- Always up to date. UCaaS updates are free, automatically installed, and come with the latest features. A big benefit is that updates are installed with no impact to users or disruption to business. This can be a huge timesaver for internal IT teams, and ensures a positive customer experience regardless of when updates occur.
The Future of Phone Systems
According to Gartner®, UCaaS providers like Microsoft, RingCentral and 8×8 (among others) continue to make huge strides to support a remote workforce, while still satisfying business leaders’ need for accountability. If you’re considering making the change to a cloud-based provider, explore these 7 Reasons to Move to Cloud Communications. Technology integrators like Global CTI can help you explore your options.