Unified Communications (UC) may sound complicated or something only accessible to larger enterprise businesses but don’t be intimidated by the term. Simply explained, Unified Communications is the ability to integrate (unify) multiple methods of communication within your business or organization regardless of size. Hosted VoIP with Unified Communications is a single platform that combines your business phone system, voicemail, instant messaging, call recording, mobility, fax, chat, conference call bridging, video conferencing, real-time presence and collaboration into a
single platform. So what does all that mean and why is it beneficial?
With Hosted VoIP UC, phone users can integrate their desk phone with software on their computer or laptop. This will allow you to click to call, view and listen to your voicemail messages, click to drag and drop a colleague into a conference call, see a contact list of who is available, as well as program features such as call forwarding, do not disturb or out of office
notifications all while never touching your phone. A soft-phone application is beneficial as it is a fully-functional office extension. As long as the user has internet, a user can make calls, forward inbound calls, check missed calls and listen to voicemail. With the addition of a mobile soft-phone app, on-the-go employees will continue to be connected. These features enable and enhance mobility and improve collaboration.
“Collaboration allows you to bring people together from any device from anywhere”
“Collaboration allows you to bring people together from any device from anywhere”
With UC, voicemails are emailed to you so you can download or play them on your computer or mobile device. You can also have voicemail to text which allows you to receive an email of the voicemail transcribed to you. This will enable you to see your voicemails sooner for more efficient response times, as well as, allows you to save and archive them for
effective record keeping.
Instant messaging or chat allows real-time communication with other users in the company regardless of location. It encourages team building across distant sites, provides the opportunity to multitask and fosters faster communication. Presence information allows users to broadcast their availability status in real-time to show that they are available, busy
or idle, in a meeting or on their mobile device. If you need to reach a team
member, it’s beneficial to know their presence status, so you know the best
way to contact them.
Collaboration allows you to bring people together from any device from anywhere with a voice or video call, share documents, screen share or work with a virtual whiteboard. User-friendly collaboration provides reduced time to complete projects and faster team decisions on tasks and customer issues. Video calls also reduce costly travel time and encourage group participation and customer contact.
Using UC can significantly impact how you interact with your customers, as well as, the members on your team. UC allows you to be flexible and adaptable to the demands of your business. It also supports a consistent user experience by using one platform instead of bouncing between different devices and applications to make a call, send an email, start a video conference call or share documents with your team. There’s
more to communication than just voice.
Whether you are upgrading your current phone system or starting a new business, embrace UC to differentiate yourself from the competition and provide excellent customer service by being reachable, responsive and effective in one uniform platform.
Published Bayview Magazine, Fall 2019. For more information on Unified Communication contact a TELECO sales representative at 345-2900
