10 reasons why you need UCaaS in a hybrid workplace

Interest in UCaaS increased by 86% immediately after the pandemic.¹
— ComputerWeekly

By 2025, AI software revenues will reach near $100 billion globally. To win, organizations must navigate the complex landscape of rapid technology advances and applications.²
— ComputerWeekly

By 2025, AI software revenues will reach near $100 billion globally. To win, organizations must navigate the complex landscape of rapid technology advances and applications.³
— Fortune Business Insights

UC connects your resources. UCaaS makes better use of your resources.

If you’re an IT professional, you probably don’t need to be convinced of the benefits—or the necessity—of Unified Communications (UC). Even before the pandemic-induced rise in remote and hybrid work, PBX systems were on their way out. They’re just too costly and clunky to maintain. And they can’t meet the demands of a distributed workforce and digital workplace.  

So when the pandemic forced businesses to collaborate virtually, they embraced UC. Their people needed to access video, audio, messaging and web conferences from anywhere, easily. And UC kept them connected. But UC isn’t a temporary solution to get us through a pandemic. It’s how today’s hybrid workforce will stay productive.

Which begs the question: If UC is the way forward, what’s the value of Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS)? UCaaS supports all the same functionality as UC. Except UCaaS is hosted in the cloud and delivered over an IP network, whereas UC is an on-premise solution. And that makes all the difference. Here’s why.

1. There’s only one of you
You already have a full-time job managing your team, network, infrastructure, applications, platforms and all the devices connected it. Probably more than a full-time job. And now your people rely on disparate apps and devices to do their jobs from distributed locations. Managing and securing all that added complexity is another full-time job. But it doesn’t have to be. UCaaS manages it fully, for you. It also:

2. Lowers costs
With UCaaS, your infrastructure lives in the cloud. So you can save on physical space, utilities and hardware. Phone service contracts, fees and add-ons. Equipment maintenance, updates and replacement. Even labor and travel to troubleshoot issues. Oh wait. Nevermind. You won’t have to troubleshoot issues: Your UCaaS partner does it for you.

3. Simplifies account management
Your contract with your UCaaS provider is based on one predictable monthly fee for all your communication and collaboration services. One bill to pay, one vendor to communicate with. A lot simpler than managing a stable of hardware, maintenance and service providers.

4. Informs budgets and strategic plans
Your monthly UCaaS bill is an all-inclusive operating expense. You can safely build your budget around it, knowing you won’t have to justify large capital expenses when you need to upgrade hardware or services. Or worry about unexpected maintenance and replacement costs after equipment failures and system outages. Added benefit: faster scaling without having to make a case and wait for budget approval.

5. Quickens the technology uptake
It seems like every day there’s a new technology that’s just what your business needs. The sooner you adopt it, the sooner you’ll harness its competitive advantages. With UCaaS, you can quickly upgrade and add technologies, apps and users, deploying easily from anywhere. You can even onboard new employees with a few clicks.

6. Future-proofs your infrastructure
UCaaS houses your infrastructure in the cloud. There’s no on-premise hardware or software to configure, fix, maintain and upgrade. Even if there was, your UCaaS partner provides 24/7/365 monitoring, fine-tuning and troubleshooting. So you can rest easy knowing you’re using the latest versions of equipment and programs with the most updated security protections.

7. Keeps you up and running no matter what
Unlike on-premise solutions, cloud-based datacenters protect your assets from extreme weather, natural disasters, and power outages and surges. No matter what happens on earth, your data is safe and your teams can access what they need to perform critical business operations and serve your customers.

8. Extends security to all endpoints
With UCaaS, your data is protected in a secure cloud-based datacenter and delivered over a private IP network. In addition, you can extend your network security, settings and permissions to all endpoints, adding encryption and other defensive tools, as well.

9. Makes it easier to sleep at night
Your SLA with your UCaaS partner details their commitments to everything from uptime and performance to help desk hours and response and repair times. Like promises for peace of mind.

10. Adds bench strength
The best UCaaS managed service partners become extensions of your team. Dedicated to your business. Embedded in your success. Ensuring your digital communication tools encourage your people to share, create and come together for your company purpose. In doing so, UCaaS gives your team a chance to breathe, sleep and do their best work.