Ready to Bring Cloud-Based UC to Your SMB?
Top Factors to Consider
Businesses of every size are beginning to embrace cloud communications, as they learn how the cloud can help them reduce costs, manage complexity, and improve productivity. According to industry analyst firm IDC, this ongoing increase in adoption is helping to, in turn, drive the adoption of cloud-based unified communications (UC) and UC-as-a-Service (UCaaS), particularly for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs).
At first, SMBs were cautious and on the slow side in regards to adopting UC, particularly when compared to larger enterprises. Making the jump to cloud-based UC can be a major shift, so organizations with smaller IT departments or budgets had cause to hesitate. However, UCaaS solutions typically require little in the way of up-front investment, are highly scalable, and are simple to deploy and use. As such, SMBs have found UC cloud services to be ideally suited for their needs.
There are many compelling benefits to cloud-based UC: lower costs, more flexibility to accommodate mobile and remote workers, and feature-rich systems. That said, there are still some barriers to UCaaS adoption, including concerns about security, reliability, and overall costs.
In an AT&T-sponsored white paper, IDC outlined several aspects that SMBs considering implementing a UCaaS solution should keep in mind. This includes:
Mobility
Mobility has always been a driver for UCaaS, and demand will continue to grow as SMBs realize the benefits they can receive from integrating mobile capacities with UCaaS, including the ability to access key UC&C apps and services from a single mobile device. Be on the lookout for cloud service providers that can enhance and differentiate their UCaaS offerings by integrating mobile capabilities with UC functionality.
Business Outcomes
Migrating to UCaaS often requires a shift in focus, from tactical and near-term considerations to more strategic and transformative benefits. While the short-run benefits may be hard to see, UCaaS pays off in the long run by driving productivity gains, enabling employee collaboration, and facilitating faster decision-making. All of these pay off in due time, even if the immediate monetary benefits aren't apparent.
Usage
While more businesses are starting to adopt UCaaS, the usage rates for capabilities such as integration of business apps and business social networking remain relatively low. This suggests that many SMBs do need to put more of a focus on driving adoption and integrating UCaaS fully into their existing business processes, rather than setting it at the table and seeing who tries to use it. After all, employees need to use the UC&C services to gain their benefits.
Education and Training
When setting SMBs up with UC&C services, it's vital that cloud service providers use a consultative approach. They need to help SMBs understand the benefits of and use cases for UCaaS, so that they can make the most of the many benefits it can provide. After all, as the saying goes, knowledge is power, and a provider that goes the extra step in training and education will earn their client's business.
Simplicity
UCaaS solutions need to be easy to purchase, install, and use. Often times, SMBs lack the in-house skills or resources needed to deploy and support UCaaS, so they rely on their cloud service providers. The faster and easier it is to get set up with UCaaS, the better for all parties involved.
Pricing Model Shift
Cloud-based UC&C/UCaaS typically uses a flat-rate, pay-as-you-go pricing model. SMBs tend to appreciate this, as it helps eliminate confusion about the often-complicated pricing schemes and volume discounts of other services, while streamlining the purchase/payment process. This kind of pricing model also allows high degrees of scalability and flexibility, so that SMBs can meet their budget and usage requirements without jumping through extra hoops.
For more in-depth information about cloud-based UC&C strategies and solutions for SMBs, and to see what AT&T Collaborate solutions have to offer, you can register to download the IDC white paper: "Cloud UC&C: SMB Benefits and Concerns.
Tags
Start YourCustomized Search
SOLUTION AREA
SOLUTION PROVIDERS
- 8x8 (40) Apply 8x8 filter
- Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise (50) Apply Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise filter
- AT&T (44) Apply AT&T filter
- AudioCodes (49) Apply AudioCodes filter
- Avaya (397) Apply Avaya filter
- Cisco (574) Apply Cisco filter
- Dell (11) Apply Dell filter
- Five9 (56) Apply Five9 filter
- Fuze (39) Apply Fuze filter
- Genesys (100) Apply Genesys filter
- HP (98) Apply HP filter
- IBM (171) Apply IBM filter
- Jabra (9) Apply Jabra filter
- Logitech (56) Apply Logitech filter
- Lumen (4) Apply Lumen filter
- Masergy (50) Apply Masergy filter
- Microsoft (766) Apply Microsoft filter
- Mitel (233) Apply Mitel filter
- NEC (128) Apply NEC filter
- Nectar (58) Apply Nectar filter
- Polycom (95) Apply Polycom filter
- Ramp (37) Apply Ramp filter
- RingCentral (127) Apply RingCentral filter
- Sennheiser (18) Apply Sennheiser filter
- Slack (13) Apply Slack filter
- Tata Communications (59) Apply Tata Communications filter
- Unify (186) Apply Unify filter
- Vonage Business (80) Apply Vonage Business filter
- Yealink (8) Apply Yealink filter
- Zoho (6) Apply Zoho filter
- Zoom (22) Apply Zoom filter
- Acme Packet (24) Apply Acme Packet filter
- Allworx (2) Apply Allworx filter
- Arkadin (22) Apply Arkadin filter
- Aspect (34) Apply Aspect filter
- BT (25) Apply BT filter
- CaféX (8) Apply CaféX filter
- CallTower (14) Apply CallTower filter
- Clarity Connect (10) Apply Clarity Connect filter
- Continuant (1) Apply Continuant filter
- Damaka (4) Apply Damaka filter
- Dialogic (5) Apply Dialogic filter
- Dimension Data (44) Apply Dimension Data filter
- Empirix (11) Apply Empirix filter
- Enghouse Interactive (17) Apply Enghouse Interactive filter
- Inference Solutions (9) Apply Inference Solutions filter
- IntelePeer (27) Apply IntelePeer filter
- IR (11) Apply IR filter
- Jive (21) Apply Jive filter
- Kurmi Software (21) Apply Kurmi Software filter
- Lifesize (33) Apply Lifesize filter
- Lightware (3) Apply Lightware filter
- Mavenir (6) Apply Mavenir filter
- Modality Systems (8) Apply Modality Systems filter
- Momentum (36) Apply Momentum filter
- Netfortris (5) Apply Netfortris filter
- NetSapiens (6) Apply NetSapiens filter
- NewVoiceMedia (31) Apply NewVoiceMedia filter
- Nureva (26) Apply Nureva filter
- NUWAVE (5) Apply NUWAVE filter
- Orange (32) Apply Orange filter
- OVCC (8) Apply OVCC filter
- Panasonic (18) Apply Panasonic filter
- PanTerra Networks (9) Apply PanTerra Networks filter
- ScanSource (21) Apply ScanSource filter
- SIPPIO (3) Apply SIPPIO filter
- Snom (20) Apply Snom filter
- Star2Star (8) Apply Star2Star filter
- StarLeaf (12) Apply StarLeaf filter
- Tadiran Telecom (2) Apply Tadiran Telecom filter
- TekVizion (9) Apply TekVizion filter
- Unimax (7) Apply Unimax filter
- Verint (44) Apply Verint filter
- Voice4Net (2) Apply Voice4Net filter
- VOSS (85) Apply VOSS filter
- Voxbone (14) Apply Voxbone filter
- West (28) Apply West filter
- XO Communications (3) Apply XO Communications filter
- Yorktel (17) Apply Yorktel filter
- Zultys (2) Apply Zultys filter
- 3CX (8) Apply 3CX filter
- ADDASOUND (1) Apply ADDASOUND filter
- Aerohive (1) Apply Aerohive filter
- Aryaka (1) Apply Aryaka filter
- Asurion (22) Apply Asurion filter
- Avnet (7) Apply Avnet filter
- Bandwidth (5) Apply Bandwidth filter
- Calabrio (5) Apply Calabrio filter
- Consilium Software (13) Apply Consilium Software filter
- Drum (5) Apply Drum filter
- ESI (6) Apply ESI filter
- Esna (16) Apply Esna filter
- Exinda (2) Apply Exinda filter
- EZuce (3) Apply EZuce filter
- GUnify (6) Apply GUnify filter
- Highfive (4) Apply Highfive filter
- Huawei (47) Apply Huawei filter
- Imagicle (3) Apply Imagicle filter
- IPCortex (1) Apply IPCortex filter
- KnoahSoft (1) Apply KnoahSoft filter
- KOVA (1) Apply KOVA filter
- Logmein (9) Apply Logmein filter
- Metropolis Technologies (4) Apply Metropolis Technologies filter
- Mutare (2) Apply Mutare filter
- NextPlane (27) Apply NextPlane filter
- Ooma (16) Apply Ooma filter
- Patton (11) Apply Patton filter
- Radish Systems (1) Apply Radish Systems filter
- Radisys (3) Apply Radisys filter
- Shango (1) Apply Shango filter
- SMART (163) Apply SMART filter
- Stack8 (1) Apply Stack8 filter
- Swyx (1) Apply Swyx filter
- TrueConf (4) Apply TrueConf filter
- UJET (13) Apply UJET filter
- Voximplant (3) Apply Voximplant filter
CONTENT TYPE
- BC Expert Insights Market (44) Apply BC Expert Insights Market filter
- BC Expert Insights Objective - Vendor Neutral (42) Apply BC Expert Insights Objective - Vendor Neutral filter
- BC Expert Insights Planning (15) Apply BC Expert Insights Planning filter
- BC Expert Insights Solution (12) Apply BC Expert Insights Solution filter
- BC Expert Insights Vendor (82) Apply BC Expert Insights Vendor filter
- BC Expert Insights Vendor Solution (154) Apply BC Expert Insights Vendor Solution filter
- BC Expert Roundtable (136) Apply BC Expert Roundtable filter
- Bcs Webinar (0)
- Bcs Webinar Registration (0)
- Best Practice (38) Apply Best Practice filter
- Buyer Guide (14) Apply Buyer Guide filter
- Case Study (29) Apply Case Study filter
- Executive Interview (145) Apply Executive Interview filter
- Expert Roundtable (453) Apply Expert Roundtable filter
- Guest Contributions (35) Apply Guest Contributions filter
- Multimedia (38) Apply Multimedia filter
- News Analysis (2081) Apply News Analysis filter
- Newsfeed Article (1303) Apply Newsfeed Article filter
- Newsfeed Article (1) Apply Newsfeed Article filter
- Thought Leadership (21) Apply Thought Leadership filter
- Vendor Collateral (211) Apply Vendor Collateral filter
- Vendor Resource Best Practices (24) Apply Vendor Resource Best Practices filter
- Vendor Resource Buyers Guides (2) Apply Vendor Resource Buyers Guides filter
- Vendor Resource Multimedia Content (4) Apply Vendor Resource Multimedia Content filter
- Vendor Resource White Paper (4) Apply Vendor Resource White Paper filter
- Webinar (13) Apply Webinar filter
- Webinars (7) Apply Webinars filter
- White Paper (64) Apply White Paper filter
MORE FILTERS
INDUSTRY
- Banking And Investment (800) Apply Banking And Investment filter
- Education (446) Apply Education filter
- Energy And Utilities (487) Apply Energy And Utilities filter
- Finance (12) Apply Finance filter
- Government (675) Apply Government filter
- Healthcare (482) Apply Healthcare filter
- Hospitality (180) Apply Hospitality filter
- Insurance (100) Apply Insurance filter
- Manufacturing (704) Apply Manufacturing filter
- Media/Publishing (422) Apply Media/Publishing filter
- None (43) Apply None filter
- Professional Services (745) Apply Professional Services filter
- Retail & Distribution (798) Apply Retail & Distribution filter
- Technology (1611) Apply Technology filter
- Transportation (110) Apply Transportation filter
PUBLICATION DATE
Latest Articles
Latest Articles
