Unified communications brings multiple forms of communication together, such as voice, video and data services and applications to result in better interactions with your customers, staff and suppliers. Modern solutions combine these channels to create one seamless application – Microsoft Teams is a good example of a unified communication tool that works, as it allows communication and collaboration with others inside and outside your organisation.
It is now possible to get all your communications requirements, such as cloud-based telephony and connectivity solutions, from one provider so that they work together.
It’s not hard to see why many businesses are taking advantage of this when there are a number of benefits and savings that can be made from a unified communications solution designed for you.
Productivity and collaboration
With today’s way of working, teams are rarely all in the same place at once and that makes it difficult to communicate and be productive. With unified communications, staff are able to work closely together across departments and collaborate on documents at the same time, reducing the time spent sending things back and forth. Teams can have conversations in real-time around documents through Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams. Not only does this speed up completion of a task, you can also see the status of an employee – whether they are able to communicate, and choose the best form of communication.
Business continuity
Would your business suffer if all your applications and data became unavailable? If there are any unforeseen circumstances, you can reduce disruption on business operations with unified communication. In an outage, staff can work from anywhere with cloud-based workspaces, audio and videoconferencing and instant chat. You can also redirect phone calls from office lines to mobiles with modern telephony systems, meaning staff can be on call during office hours.
Cost savings
You could save in communication and travel costs. Unified communication makes use of VoIP (Voice over IP technology) to integrate communication platforms. You’ll no longer need to rent phone lines from a service provider, so your operating costs are reduced. Travel expenses are also cut down as you can conduct meetings remotely, with cloud-based applications like Microsoft Teams. Your business will also have to supply less hardware – staff expect to use the same devices for work and leisure and unified communications can enable this.
Enable a remote workforce
When everyone can use the same app on their desktops, laptops and mobile devices, it doesn’t matter where they are, so employees can work effectively from the office or a remote location. One solution can also help encourage a positive culture change as all employees are included, even if they work flexibly or from home.
Better customer services
Unified communication can lead to improved customer services. Each communication channel can be dealt with in the same way, such as an online chat or social channel, so customer requests can be processed efficiently. When customers want to be able to reach someone directly at any time, even if you’re away from your desk, office numbers can be redirected, or ring groups can be set up to send the call to the next most suitable person.
Less admin and maintenance
A unified communications solution from Aura means that maintenance and upgrade are included as part of our service. Employees can access 24/7 support when they need it, rather than having to rely on an overstretched IT department. In addition, consolidating cloud-based applications into one centralised unified communication solution cuts down on admin time and simplifies.
For more information about how we can build a unified communications solution designed for your business, contact us.