Cloud computing has been extremely useful for millions of businesses. With Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) titles providing sustainable computing options, and many businesses using the cloud for their organization’s data backup, cloud computing has become commonplace as a cost effective alternative to buying all types of IT. Another way that businesses are leveraging their monthly IT budget is on cloud-based communications platforms. This month we thought we would discuss cloud communications and how your business can benefit from making a switch.
Cloud Communications Options
It’s often said about technology that anything you can do onsite; you can pay for in the cloud. This is not hyperbole. The cloud is just a computer hosted somewhere else, after all. In business communications, the first technology you must consider is your business’ phone system, then you consider tools for your website, text and instant messaging, video conferencing, and more.
Apart from your individual products, cloud providers sometimes offer what is called a Unified-Communications-as-a-Service platform. This fast-growing product combines telephone and messaging technology with web and video conferencing, and collaboration options. UCaaS, not only provides organizations with all the communications technology they’ll ever need, they also provide the following options:
- Disaster recovery
- Managed support
- Thorough analytics
- Management software integration
- Regulatory support
- Global service delivery
...and more.
Available Technology
Now that you’ve been introduced to UCaaS, you need to know some of the benefits you can expect to see if you were to make the switch to a cloud-hosted communications solution.
Telephone
The voice program that comes with UCaaS is a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) platform. Using your business’ available bandwidth, you are now able to get Internet phone access for a fraction of the cost of your older phone systems. Each VoIP platform can come with a myriad of features including:
- Call Management/Auto Attendant
- Call Queue
- Call Routing/Screening/Transferring
- Call Forwarding/Voicemail
- Call Park/Presence/Pulling
- Call Recording
- Custom In-Call Music
- Custom ringtones
- Do Not Disturb
- Three-way calling
- Extensions
- SIP Trunking
- Find/Follow Me
- Voicemail services
...and more.
What’s more, beyond these advanced features, you still get a phone system that allows for calls to be taken inside and outside of the office. Using the softphone feature, accounts can be accessed through a mobile app. This effectively makes any smartphone a work phone.
Text and Instant Messaging
As a part of a UCaaS, you will have one platform to manage both your SMS and web-based messaging. Quick messaging has changed the way we all communicate, so using these powerful tools can be a huge benefit to your business.
Video Conferencing
Video conferencing has been growing in popularity over the past few years. It allows for meeting-like conditions with resources who may be spread out all over the world. To move initiatives and projects forward, there needs to be a culture of collaboration and video conferencing goes a long way toward making that culture possible.
Collaboration/File Sharing
Speaking of collaboration, UCaaS goes above and beyond to get your employees the secure file transfer and collaboration tools they need to be their most productive.
If your business is looking to move away from your current communications platform and are looking to implement a solution that works from one end of your business to the other, call the IT experts at Bardissi Enterprises. We’ll put you with the right UCaaS vendor for your business’ needs. Call us today at (215) 853-2266.
