On Tuesday, May 14th, 2024, Usherwood Office Technology hosted a webinar that explored the future of business communications – the Cloud. During the webinar, Cloud Voice Specialist Elijah Navarro took a deep dive into the ways cloud communications are innovating the way businesses communicate.
What is Cloud Communications?
Whether you have an existing platform, a collection of different tools, or you're considering migrating to the cloud, it's important to know what these systems offer. Cloud communications go by many names. They may be referred to as:
- Unified Communications
- Cloud VoIP
- Video conferencing software/virtual conference platform
- CCaaS (Contact Center as a Service)
The Cloud has endless potential for making communication more efficient, accessible, centralized, and intuitive. In case you missed it, here are the five key benefits of a cloud-based communication system from our webinar “How to Modernize Your Business Communication with the Cloud”.
1. Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) is More Cost Effective
Navarro detailed the distinct differences in price and what's included with different types of phone systems. See the cost breakdown of traditional phone systems in the graphic below:
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In contrast, cloud-based phone systems are more all-inclusive and scalable, with added features that outpace analog phones in both price and cost-effectiveness. The breakdown for wireless VoIP phone systems can be found in the graphic below:
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To see a more in-depth comparison of the average monthly pricing per user for the Cloud vs PBX phone lines, read our article about it: Cost of Cloud-Based Business Communications Solutions vs Traditional PBX.
2. Your Employees Will Enjoy Work-From-Anywhere Flexibility
Traditional on-premises providers cater to “butts-in-seats” offices, allowing employees to be productive in the office, but not on the go. In-office phones and email work great if none of your employees travel or work from home.
However, this is most often not the case, especially after the pandemic rendered most workplaces work-from-home flexible. Aside from work demands like traveling and hybrid work models, life happens. Employees must sometimes pivot to remote work due to sick kids, doctor appointments, and other roadblocks, so online conference platforms have become more popular as a solution.
Virtual conference software can unite employees whether some, most, or all of them are working remotely. Anywhere where there is available WiFi, VoIP phones can connect staff for:
- Virtual events
- Team or one-on-one video conferences
- SMS messaging through mobile apps
Video conferencing equipment suppliers are often well-versed in the nuanced needs of business phone systems. Businesses each come with unique needs that range from instant language translation on virtual meetings to real-time transcription to help with note-taking.
Many video conferencing platforms include AI tools, transcription, translation, and more to assist with these needs.
3.Platforms Get Better and Better Instead of Depreciating Over Time
Navarro outlined the benefits of cloud innovation since pricing won’t go up despite added features and advancements. Unlike on-premises phones that start to depreciate as soon as they’re installed, cloud apps will update to work more efficiently over time.
He also mentioned the capabilities of AI to transform productivity and data management. Users can leverage AI to get instant summaries of meetings, scheduling assistants, transcripts, and more to save time on mundane tasks.
4.Increase Revenue and Optimize Your Customer Service Capabilities
Utilizing text as a means for potential customers to contact your business can be pivotal in getting new business and retaining existing customers. Heading into future markets, 2 in 5 buyers will be millennials, who notoriously prefer texting over calls.
The cloud allows you to offer texting through a centralized SMS platform, which can easily pivot to video conferencing, voice calling, document sharing, and more.
5.It’s Fully Integrated and Scalable for Growing Businesses
Integration is everything in business communications because the ability to translate messages across platforms allows for productivity and fewer loose ends. When all of your messages are in one place, your staff can quickly retrieve information. This streamlines collaboration with coworkers, vendors, and customers.
If you’ve ever had to flip from one screen to the next over and over to accomplish tasks, you know how tiresome and time-consuming poorly integrated systems can be. Most cloud communications services come equipped with integrations for Microsoft products like Word and Edge, Google Business Suite, and more.
This is designed to keep your communications simple and your files accessible for collaboration, customer service, and other business activities.
Are Advanced Features of the Cloud Only for Larger Businesses?
A question came up during the discussion about small businesses and if the features included in cloud platforms are overkill for small teams. Navarro addressed this by painting a picture of the customized nature of the Cloud.
The Cloud simplifies communications across businesses, big or small. So, whether you have a 3-seat team or a network of 50-100 employees, centralized messaging, calls, video conferencing, and file sharing stand to make your day-to-day easier.
For example, video conferencing solutions for small businesses foster better internal collaboration as well as better customer service, giving your customers access to you via multiple channels.
How to Migrate from On-Premises to the Cloud
Moving your business tools to the cloud is more important than ever in the digital age. To make sure you find the proper cloud tools and features for your business, speaking with a unified communications provider is a great first step.
If you're ready to jump into modernizing your business communications with the Cloud, click the button below to speak to a managed communications expert.
