UCaaS: A Complete Guide to Unified Communications for Businesses

“It’s out of our budget.”

Many businesses make the mistake of assuming a modernized communications system is more expensive than what they already have. This is false. In fact, the opposite is true.

A traditional on-premises phone system requires hardware, installation, and maintenance. The cost of simply keeping a legacy system running reliably can overtake the cost of moving to a cloud-based communications model.

With UCaaS, you never need to purchase more firepower than you need. Every time you add lines to a PBX, you’re adding capacity you might not end up using. UCaaS operates according to a transparent and predictable pricing model that lets you pay for what you actually use rather than what you think you’ll use.

"It’s too advanced for a small business.”

Another misconception is that UCaaS platforms are difficult to install, maintain, or use for small- to medium-sized businesses. While on-site phone systems require a significant investment in equipment, setup, and ongoing support, UCaaS eliminates the need for a complex technical endeavor.

Every time a business encounters an issue with their traditional PBX system, the issue escalates to an engineer for servicing and repairs. When you switch to unified communications, your UCaaS provider takes care of troubleshooting, updates, and upgrades so that your systems run smoothly, 24/7.

“It isn’t reliable.”

Cloud-based services are the cornerstone of any business continuity strategy, especially when it comes to communications. UCaaS allows you to quickly redirect calls, rely on voicemail, and remotely manage settings in a secure and easy-to-use web portal.

Even if your hardware is destroyed, your communications solution is hosted in the cloud, and will continue to function as normal. When businesses mention the motivation behind adopting cloud technology, disaster recovery is almost always a driving force.

Lower Your Communication Costs

Cloud-based services are cost-effective, especially when it comes to unified communications. Switching to UCaaS eliminates the need for on-premises systems, freeing you of expensive hardware, ongoing maintenance, and legacy equipment upgrades.

UCaaS operates according to a transparent and predictable pricing model that lets you pay for what you actually use rather than what you think you’ll use. When you invest in UCaaS, you invest in the growth of your business.

Minimize Downtime

Bouncing between multiple platforms and integrations doesn’t just impact productivity. The more logins your employees juggle, the more challenging it is for your IT department to troubleshoot, monitor system quality, and keep up with updates.

UCaaS streamlines communications management. Your unified communications service provider keeps your systems running at optimal performance, minimizing downtime and allowing your IT teams to focus on more important work.

Boost Productivity

The goal of unified communications has always been to make work easier. UCaaS achieves this by eliminating the need for multiple platforms, introducing portability, and simplifying the way your employees communicate and collaborate.

Give your employees all the tools they need to do their best work—all from a single interface. UCaaS platforms are easy to navigate, reducing the amount of time your employees spend searching for information. Whether it’s a text update for a client or a weekly team meeting over video chat, UCaaS makes it easier and faster.

Protect Your Business From All Angles

Does the thought of moving your communications to the cloud spark concerns about security and reliability? A trusted UCaaS provider keeps your data secure even as it travels over the public internet.

When choosing a UCaaS provider, make sure to ask about threat and vulnerability monitoring. Does the provider offer 24/7 network protection? What are their disaster recovery capabilities? How will they protect your information and maintain compliance across their network?

Scale on Your Terms

As your business grows, so must your communications system. While expanding a traditional on-premises phone system requires additional hardware, installation, and maintenance, a cloud-based solution grows in tandem with your business.

Do you need more seats in your call center? Are you opening new offices around the country (or the world)? Regardless of the size of your business, UCaaS lets you add users in a matter of seconds. Manage your communications capabilities remotely with an easy-to-use management portal.

Do you need video conferencing?

VoIP doesn’t offer video conferencing. In today’s fast-paced business world, video conferencing is often the tipping point when choosing between VoIP and UCaaS. Video conferencing enables your employees to meet, share screens, and connect with clients—all while staying completely remote.

A UCaaS solution offers HD video conferencing, crystal clear audio, and cross-platform support. UCaaS creates a seamless, all-in-one communications environment that gives your employees all the functionality they need to do their best work—within a single, easy-to-use interface.

Does troubleshooting slow down your business?

A communications network that’s crowded with multiple vendors and solutions makes it difficult for your IT department to identify, address, and prevent setbacks. A unified communications solution streamlines communications management, minimizing downtime and freeing your IT personnel from time-consuming troubleshooting tasks.

Your UCaaS provider takes care of proactive maintenance, updates, upgrades, and quality monitoring to make sure your systems are running smoothly at all times.

How much of your workforce is remote?

With the work-from-home movement in full swing, more and more businesses are turning to UCaaS to provide a reliable, secure, and comprehensive communications solution that supports all aspects of remote work.

Keep your employees connected and maintain productivity with the ultimate hub for teamwork. UCaaS integrates every collaboration app your employees have grown accustomed to within a single, intuitive interface. Organizations with remote teams, complex projects, or multiple apps benefit most from upgrading to UCaaS.

What Level of Support Do You Offer?

Support is critical. One of the most profound differentiators between UCaaS vendors is the level of customer support they deliver. While many UCaaS providers offer support in the form of FAQs and troubleshooting guides, speaking with a live agent is sometimes necessary.

Talk to providers about their customer support. How do they intend to provide the support you need when you need it? Do they offer 24/7 technical support? Will you have a dedicated support manager to assist you?

How Long Will It Take to Implement the New System?

Downtime is a big deal for any business. Disrupted communication directly impacts your bottom line. For example, switching between traditional telephone systems almost always leads to a scheduled delay as technicians install new lines and other required hardware. Unlike legacy systems, a cloud-based unified communications system requires significantly fewer moving parts.

While the process of upgrading to UCaaS is straightforward, don’t forget to consider the time it takes to conduct user surveys, port numbers, test your network, and complete user training. Talk to your provider about a timeline for implementation, and how they intend to make sure you hit the ground running.

Will Your Platform Scale With My Business?

While cloud-based solutions are easy to scale, some platforms have feature limitations that make scaling more challenging than others. The last situation you want to be in is to implement a new UCaaS platform that, only a year later, restricts you once you’ve grown.

Make sure to ask your UCaaS provider whether their platform supports customization. What are the most common upgrades businesses require as their operations expand, whether remotely or across new offices?