Unified Communications: A Complete Guide for SMB Owners

Contents

Unified Communications: A Complete Guide for SMB Owners 2

2015 Business Trends 4 Overview: Unified Communications (UC) 3

UC Features 6 UC Benefits 5

Understanding Customer’s Needs 7 Organizational Legitimacy 8

3 Unified Communications: A Complete Guide for SMB Owners

Overview: Unified Communications (UC) Unified Communications (UC) offer several advantages for organizations across industries. Diminishing IT budgets and limited staffing resources are a reality to many small to medium-sized business (SMB) owners today. This eBook aims to explain how integration of UC can actually increase employee productivity, while saving your business a ton of cash.

The social economy is giving rise to a new consumer revolution. Advancements in technology remind companies that the traditional business model has expired and in order to survive, adaptation is essential. Organizations that understand this shift have increasingly adopted new technologies and have integrated them in business workflow. The outcome: seamless communications. Adoption of UC is an opportunity for business owners to lead through innovation and leadership in an ever-changing business landscape.

So, What is Unified Communications? It may come as a surprise to learn that many IT managers still do not have a clear idea of what UC is all about. Some people are under the misconception that UC is a single product. However, UC is actually made up of a set of products that provides consistent, unified user interface and user experience across multiple devices and media types. Essentially, the most important thing to recognize is that UC is about connecting people, not just networks. The real benefits come from how UC simplifies tasks for individuals and employees working together. Unified Communications: a communications solution to ensure both productivity and security.

March 25, 2015

4 Unified Communications: A Complete Guide for SMB Owners

2015 Business Trends Recently, two business trends have significantly contributed

to the rise of UC adoption within organizational settings: 1.  Mobility* 2.  BYOD* (Bring Your Own Device)

Major advances in personal devices, such as smartphones and tablets, has made working from home increasingly popular among employees. Industry leaders warn businesses, if they don’t provide the tools that users will readily want to use, users will continue to go around IT and bring in their own devices and solutions, which is what sparked the BYOB trend. Combined access and availability of 4G and Wi-Fi connectivity has also encouraged more flexibility and productivity.

The ability to access data, application and people via a unified mobile, social, visual and virtual workspace is extremely advantageous and enables all employees to be responsive and productive anywhere. Collaboration is also strengthened among employees and co-workers.

1. Mobility* refers to the requirement for a communications system to more seamlessly integrate a corporate office with its mobile or remote workers.

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2. BYOD* is an increasing trend found in the workplace that encourages an organization’s communications system to work with employees’ personal devices (smart phone and tablets) that are being used with or in place of standard, IT-approved, corporate devices.

The healthcare industry has been quick to embrace UC and explore the value of communicating with ‘one voice’. Many hospitals, clinics and other related health facilities have already adopted UC solution plans within the workplace. This trend toward a more cohesive environment has proved to be favorable across stakeholder expectations– especially, in regards to doctor-patient relationships. UC has revolutionized the way patients receive healthcare. The reality of doctors and patients virtually communicating, in real time, has produced incredible opportunities to enhance customer experience and employee satisfaction. Given the fast-paced work environment, doctors are often working outside of a hospital or clinic which creates a need for accessibility to mobile applications.

Future Healthcare

5 Unified Communications: A Complete Guide for SMB Owners

Unified communications give organizations the ability to seamlessly integrate typical business processes with both real-time and non-real time communications. Users can easily see whether colleagues are available for a call, share documents with one another, start a conference call and move to web conference or video call when necessary. The only requirement: a handy smartphone or tablet device.

However, despite the increased benefits that unified communications bring to an organization, SMBs are slow to adopt this communications approach. The most commonly cited reason for hesitation among SMB owners is fear of change.

5 Essential Benefits Driving UC Adoption by SMBs: 1.  Ability to do more with less; 2.  Mobility to connect the trending mobile and remote workforce; 3.  Ton of savings on overall operating costs 4.  Uplift support in customer service capabilities ; 5.  Moving beyond basic functionality.

Real-Time Communications: •  Instant messaging/chat ; •  Presence information; •  Telephony/VoIP; •  Call Control; •  Video conferencing and more.

Vs. Non Real-Time Communications: •  Unified messaging; •  SMS; •  Integrated voicemail; •  E-Mail; •  Fax and more.

UC Benefits

SMBs Expect to Save Money: One of the greatest benefits on implementing the right UC

solution is taking advantage of the cost savings it provides. This includes both savings on the initial cost of the system, as well as savings on the long-term costs that leads to a good Return-on-Investment (ROI).

VP of Unified Communications, CRM and mobility, Andrew Small says, “The right collaborative solutions will save money because it is all about connecting the systems that a business already has in place and helping to make them work more efficiently together.”

Real-Time v. Non Real-Time

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UC Features

Unified Communications: A Complete Guide for SMB Owners

Most Popular Features include: •  Fixed mobile convergence and find me/

follow me call capabilities; •  Mobile applications for iPhone, Blackberry

and Android; •  Access to company directories from any

device; •  Ability to make calls from your mobile

device and if it is from your office extension; •  Capability to transfer and record calls form

your mobile phone to another number or extension too;

•  Video conferencing (WebEx).

For more information describing hosted features, click here.

Security Features include: ü Disaster Recovery/ ü  Business Continuity Virtualization technologies can make failover to a backup system nearly instantaneous and completely transparent to the end-user.

In order to protect your business from the growing number of security breaches, technology solutions must influence the 3 important elements of the Tech-Triangle: Network, Voice and Data. Effective management of these 3 areas allow organizations to operate as a team and remain competitive.

“Over 70% of organizations report having

been compromised by a successful

cyberattack in the past 12 months.”

(Source: Netiq.com, March 2015)

7 Unified Communications: A Complete Guide for SMB Owners

Understanding Customer’s Needs

Residential •  Reduce telecommunication

costs •  Unlimited long distance •  International calling •  Additional lines •  Privacy •  Control •  Simplicity

Small to Medium Business (SMB)* •  Inter-office calling •  Tie multiple locations •  Expandability •  Urban Presence •  Manage lines and voice mail •  Reduce costs •  Toll Free •  Remote access

Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) •  Appear larger to customers •  Expand reach- need an urban

number •  Additional lines •  Mobility •  Fax •  Marketing •  Simplicity

Enterprise Customers •  Inter-office calling •  Tie multiple locations •  Expandability •  Toll Free •  Manage lines and voice mail •  Moves, adds and changes •  Reduce costs •  Internal control

Source: www.objectivemktg.com

8 Unified Communications: A Complete Guide for SMB Owners

21st Century Business Operations & Need for Organizational Legitimacy Organizations must justify their right to exist. If the organization’s value system is congruent with the larger society’s, legitimacy is granted. If not, organizational legitimacy is threatened and legal, economic and social status may result. Determinants of Org. Legitimacy Look at the norms and values visible in a society’s communications to see if the organization lives up to those values and norms. Legitimacy is determined both by the organization’s operation and output, but also by its goals and domain of activity. 3 Things to be Legit 1.  Adapt output, goals, methods to conform to what

society deems legitimate- Fix the problem. 2.  Through communication, change the definition of

legitimacy so it matches the organization’s behavior- Change story.

3.  Through communication, become identified with symbols, values, or institutions which have a strong base of legitimacy- Identity

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