UCaaS, the ideal communications solution for SMBs

As you move the digitization and emerging new business models, the need for organizations not to fall into irrelevance leads them to a struggle for survival, especially in the case of small and medium enterprises . Historically, the desire to increase turnover while reducing costs, has been an almost impossible goal. However, the digitization has made this subject a must, and unified communications as a service constitute a compelling value proposition in multiple dimensions for that purpose.

Main benefits of UC for small businesses

1. Increased worker productivity, while unified communications to further define the tasks regardless of time, place or device from which they are made.
2. Cost reduction, especially in mobility, operations support and network costs.
3. Creating a competitive advantage based on making the best decision quickly and with the appropriate involvement. This is possible thanks to the collaborative tools in real time.

Despite these benefits, the implementation of unified communications for small businesses can be difficult because of their limited IT resources. Thus, an excellent alternative for small businesses is to switch to a communications solution based on the cloud.

Why the adoption of UC on small businesses is still very limited?

Despite its strong value proposition, only 23% of small businesses have deployed a comprehensive strategy for unified communications in their organizations. According to a study published by Cisco in early 2016, there are three main reasons:

1. Although the investment is recovered relatively quickly, it required a significant initial outlay that scares many companies.
2. Because the infrastructure must be deployed and optimized implementation times are usually long.
3. Current systems are much more agile, efficient and powerful however, require a change in operating IT organizational skills.

The solution is called UCaaS

To address the technical and financial issues the necessary deployment of UC, small businesses must therefore consider unified as a service (UCaaS) communications. This option will provide the benefits described, without the associated risk. The main benefits provided by UCaaS are:

• It does not require an initial investment so the company can begin deployment immediately, without waiting to have a big budget.
• Since UCaaS is delivered through the cloud, unified communications will be immediately available.
• Minimal, or no, cost of maintenance, because it takes care provider.
• It facilitates mobility and BYOD implementation strategies, as any user can access network without additional software.
• The management of the entire infrastructure to the cloud rises, so the company can focus on managing the business instead of managing technology.

In conclusion, UCaaS is ideal for small businesses because it provides all the financial benefits, productivity and user, without having to deal with the multiple challenges of implementation. However, not all UCaaS solutions are equal, or equally applicable to all companies. Organizations should compare existing solutions and choose the best for their business.