Let’s start with the basics. The cloud offers easy access to the benefits of technology without having to worry about the usual challenges such as deploying, building, investing, maintaining and operating the infrastructure involved. This ease of access allows enterprises to focus on what technology can do for them, rather than how to deliver it to their users.
Beyond that, we have seen time and time again that disruptive technology grows exponentially; therefore, investing in hardware will most likely result in riding out antiquated/outdated solutions to ensure you got your “money’s worth” unless you’re one of the techies who is always willing to pay for the latest and greatest (hello iPhone Max XS).
The advantages of cloud communications
The thing most buyers miss when they look strictly at the economics of moving to cloud services are the huge advantages companies have when they move to the cloud. Cloud communication tools provide a substantial advantage by putting companies at the forefront of customer relationships and generating new revenue streams. Contact center as a service (CCaaS), for example, enables enterprises to communicate via their preferred methods (chat, email, voice, text, video conferencing, social media) in a seamless interface between their employees and customers. Even businesses who do not have a formal contact center/customer service environment still need communication management tools such as mobile client support and call routing based on device or time of day, along with automated reporting to optimize performance. These tools more effectively enable distributed enterprises with remote offices, employees and nomadic users like sales. The days of putting a phone on every employee’s desk are fading fast as mobile clients and SaaS-based solutions become more accessible and user friendly. As enterprises start to follow consumers from wireline to wireless communications services, they can leverage the cloud for greater functionality and a lower-cost model.
Cloud communication tools put companies at the forefront of customer relationships and generating new revenue streams.
Planning your migration to the cloud
As you plot your course to the cloud or add more services, the arms race between the telco and cable providers is still escalating and a whole host of other adjacent technology vendors are now entering the space, including Amazon and Microsoft, to offer team collaboration and communications tools. That said, businesses should be wary of jumping on the bandwagon of hype surrounding some of these mainstream applications until they understand the big picture. It’s not just about picking the best software solution for unified communication as a service (UCaaS), it is important to find an experienced provider that will be your partner—not a vendor—and one that can help you find the path to the cloud that is right for your business today, while planning ahead for tomorrow. Lastly, look for a provider that also offers software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) to optimize your connections to the cloud and maximize the value of your investments in new communication technology.
