Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) has emerged as a critical business tool, especially in the midst of a hybrid environment in which people are working from home as well as the office.
As a cloud-based technology, UCaaS takes the traditional Private Branch eXchange (PBX) multiple steps further by adding a variety of communications capabilities to the existing, more basic features related to voice. Today’s UCaaS system includes text chat and conferencing, as well as the ability to connect employees from anywhere, as though they were sitting in the office.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning a move to UCaaS or upgrading to a new UCaaS platform:
Don’t be too attached to outdated legacy gear.
Change can be difficult and sometimes even intimidating. This can be especially true with communications systems, which are typically among the key underpinnings of a company’s infrastructure. Yet, the importance of these systems is a primary reason for staying up-to-date. Capability and efficiency are more important than ever before, and, given the speed at which technologies evolve, choices must be made frequently, and revisited regularly.
Compare the UCaaS feature set to your current system.
Obviously, one of the key determining factors in deciding whether to upgrade your UCaaS system is exactly what that upgrade will add to your capabilities. This involves not only a hard look at your prospective new system, but a thorough review of whatever you’re using now. In most companies, at least some of the features and functionalities of virtually any technology platform go unused. So, you’ll want to examine the degree to which the current feature set is used. You’ll also want to make sure you’ve got a firm hand on both the advantages and disadvantages of your current system in order to make the best choice on how to proceed.
Consider total cost of ownership, contract terms, compatibility with other applications, availability of POPs in your desired locations, and user-facing simplicity.
This is the basic blocking-and-tackling that goes into any business purchasing decision. Costs and contract terms need to be in line. The new arrival has to work and play well with other technologies with which it will integrate. Carrier points-of-presence, must be evaluated, especially in multi-national corporate environments in which case global service quality can be inconsistent. In addition, when making your selection, don’t forget to engage a variety people who would actually use the system, as they may have a unique perspective in judging its value.
Make sure security is baked-in to your preferred solution.
Proper security needs to be part-and-parcel of any technology decision these days. The hard part is that the threatscape evolves so quickly that you will definitely need the assistance of your Trusted Advisor (or their recommended designee) to help you make the correct security decisions.
Turn to your Trusted Advisor for guidance.
Speaking of Trusted Advisors, we highly recommend that you fully engage your Trusted Advisor on the full range of technology decisions (both security and otherwise) from the very early stages of your journey. Doing so will go a long way toward assuring that your company is getting the most benefit from your technology investment.