The way in which your business communicates with customers and clients has evolved massively over the past decade. With a reliable superfast internet provider, it’s easier than ever to keep in touch with people from all over the world, and to win contracts in new territories.
With the evolution of communications technology comes a whole raft of new phrases and terms – and one of them, UCaaS, seems to have a few business operators baffled.
In this guide, we’ll take you through exactly what UCaaS is, what its vital functions are, and how this type of service can support you when scaling up your firm and customer base – as well as boosting your in-house productivity.
What exactly is UCaaS?
UCaaS stands for Unified Communications as a Service. It’s essentially a raft of communications apps and services that businesses use to keep in touch with in-house personnel, external customers, and clients they’re partnered with.
UCaaS providers are companies that offer specific platforms that allow business owners to run several different types of calls and messaging under one roof.
For example, any given UCaaS platform might offer an instant messenger, a video conferencing suite, and even a cloud-based ticketing system. But, how does this work in practice?
How UCaaS works in practice
UCaaS relies on superfast broadband. That is, without a fast and stable internet connection, customers wouldn’t benefit from speedy call routing or real-time messaging. It’s a highly collaborative, real-time communications engine that effectively connects one set of people to another in seconds.
One of the best ways to provision UCaaS is via VoIP, or voice over internet protocol. This setup standard essentially pushes calls, conferencing, and messaging through data – meaning that, instead of having to rely on outdated copper lines for voice calling, companies can experience crisper, more reliable connections via the internet.
UCaaS effectively provides business operators with a complete package when it comes to the different comms apps and protocols they will frequently need when expanding and maintaining their services – particularly when it comes to improving customer and client outreach.
The very basics of UCaaS can be split into five distinct categories –video conferencing, voice calling, workplace collaboration, cloud management, and instant messaging.
Why should businesses invest in UCaaS?
If all of this sounds a bit mind-boggling at first, don’t worry. There are a few distinct benefits to UCaaS that most businesses of a certain size will want to take advantage of – so, let’s explore them in plain language.
It boosts in-house productivity
UCaaS doesn’t just boost communications efficiency with external callers and clients. It can help to streamline conversations between people in specific teams, and, for example, ensure that managers and team members are all working together from the same page.
Collaborative workflows and instant messaging means there’s clearer accountability on projects, and that there is always easy access for people to reach out to each other if they need help or support.
It takes away lots of setup headaches
Setting up multiple apps and services can cause serious headaches, as can making sure that different communications channels and systems are likely to work well together.
With a UCaaS option out of the box, you have a raft of platforms that already work seamlessly with each other, and while there will be some rollout expected, there’s less hassle expected when it comes to actually installing apps on each machine.
There will, naturally, be some training involved, too – but given that you’re setting everything up at once, there’s fewer opportunities for confusion further down the line, and less need to constantly top up on training.
It’s a big money saver
Many business owners are likely to find themselves paying through the nose for communications strategies and channels if they tackle them one at a time. With a fully unified strategy and package, especially one that’s based in the cloud, you don’t have the immense hardware overheads you’d expect from a manual approach.
What’s more, maintaining apps and platforms in the cloud means you don’t have to worry about handling servers or other hardware in-house. That’s an immediate set of savings when it comes to overall running power costs.
It’s super scalable
UCaaS is, in theory, infinitely scalable. That means even though it might solve a few simple problems at the point of sale, it will continue to grow with you as your needs change and your customer base grows and evolves.
Cloud-based services, again, allow for incredible scalability. That’s simply because you don’t have to worry about muddling around with disconnecting and reconnecting different hardware on-site. It saves an incredible amount of time that can help keep your firm productive and ensure your targets are being met.
It’s flexible for remote employees
UCaaS systems can take away many of the worries that business owners have regarding keeping everyone connected when it comes to remote comms strategies. UCaaS platforms allow people to connect and collaborate with each other even out in the field.
For example, some VoIP providers offer apps that smartphone users can securely log into and use even when they’re not in the office. With messaging apps made available through UCaaS, managers can also keep a close eye on projects and progress without worrying about who’s on target and who isn’t.
Could UCaaS be the answer for your business?
UCaaS is certainly leading the way for a more unified, collaborative future as far as business communications are concerned. Therefore, time is absolutely ticking for your firm to start adopting it and using it to your advantage.
Start by choosing a leading VoIP provider who can already help you with a range of business communications services right out of the box. Planet Telecom offers scalable, highly affordable business comms solutions that can be tailored precisely to your firm’s and customers’ needs.
Want to start thinking about making communication more simple in and out of work? Get in touch with the Planet Telecom team now by calling 08000 886 886 for a free consultation.
