For many companies, the move to hosted phone systems is one of the more crucial decisions that can drive productivity improvements and decrease costs. There are five important factors driving this growth:
The Shift to BYOD
Mobile technology is becoming important, and employees want to be able to work flexible hours and locations. Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) programs matched with the variety of easily accessible apps make mobile devices an important part of small business tech.
Internet of Things
From health care to manufacturing, equipment is being outfitted with sensors that collect data and provide real-time From healthcare to manufacturing, equipment is being outfitted with sensors that collect data and provide real-time feedback on progress and processes. This is another area where cloud access to apps and reporting is pushing technology forward.
The Pandemic
The growth of hosted phone systems usage was already increasing, but the pandemic propelled digital transformation plans forward. Companies that were already set up with cloud communications were able to more seamlessly continue doing business, while other companies scrambled to make the necessary upgrades.
There are additional broader influences shaping overall cloud communications growth, such as the availability of 5G connectivity and the focus on improving customer experiences. According to GM Insights, the voice over internet protocol (VoIP) market exceeded $30 billion in 2020 and is expected to mark a GACR of 15% through 2027.
If you’re considering a communications upgrade, you’re likely considering a hosted solution. But you may also be flooded with acronyms (the phone system industry has a lot). Here’s a quick guide:
VoIP
VoIP uses an Ethernet connection that runs voice calls through your network. VoIP can generally include video conferencing. Most companies that adopt VoIP will need to do some testing of their network speed and performance because cloud communications demand high bandwidth levels to perform well.
UCaaS
UCaaS is a solution that combines all communications formats into a single application. Your employees and UCaaS is a solution that combines all communications formats into a single application. Your employees and customers will be able to use email, voice calls, video conferencing, chat, and text, with each ongoing conversation accessible – even if your customer contacts you via chat one day and by email the next. You’ll have an easy way to view those conversations.
CCaaS
CCaaS is essentially taking UCaaS capabilities and embedding them into your customer service tools. This means that when a customer makes a request about a financing need, that agent can query an employee in the finance department without leaving the application. It allows communications to be integrated with service to the customer for faster resolution of the issue.
If your business is considering how to prioritize your digital transformation, don’t pass by this trend in cloud coIf your business is considering how to prioritize your digital transformation, don’t pass by this trend in the growth of hosted phone system implementation. Your business could realize significant cost savings while offering consistent work-from-anywhere experiences for your employees. Contact us at Proper Connections to begin examining which communications technology is a good fit for your business goals.