The Benefits of Unified Communications for Businesses
If this basic recommendation is not enough to convince you that unified communications should be adopted by your company, then taking a deeper look might just do the job. Provided below is an overview of the main benefits afforded by this type of technology when applied to a business environment.
High-speed network connectivity combined with advanced A/V conferencing means that you can engage with other parties whether they are in the next room or the next county. This means that you do not need to spend so much time and money on travel, because you can get the same face-to-face meeting experience through unified communications.
In addition, your business will be able to benefit from a demonstrably lower carbon footprint, since the greenhouse gasses that you would previously have generated through travel are no longer an issue.
Unified communications act to eliminate such concerns from the equation, giving everyone access to the same platform and tools so that it is possible to synchronise projects and enhance collaboration, even if your business is spread across multiple sites.
Convenience is enhanced because when your communications are unified it becomes easy to escalate a particular conversation in real time. An instant messaging stream can become an e-mail chain, which in turn might end up as part of a conference call, all without the need to deal with clear distinctions separating these various platforms.
This type of continuity is very useful for businesses as it streamlines the work flow and eases the passage of information, thus improving productivity.
This is becoming increasingly significant in the wake of the emergence of the BYOD (bring your own device) culture, with businesses allowing staff to harness personal smartphones and tablets to send and receive work-related e-mails and instant messages.
Such accessibility naturally extends into a portable, wireless environment so that staff are not restricted to staying at their desks and can instead remain contactable and productive when they are out and about.
Whether your business involves a good deal of fieldwork or you are simply looking to shore up your disaster recovery planning so that the lines of communication stay open whatever the weather, this type of solution is certainly going to catch your attention.
There are many other benefits to unified communications, including the deep integration of business processes that make it easier to manage and analyse data, or the real-time provision of presence alerts that let you know whether or not someone is reachable at a given point.
It is necessary for businesses to look at all the options and decide whether unified communications will enhance their prospects for growth. If the decision is taken objectively then many companies may determine that this type of platform will be advantageous.