Does Unified Communications give your business an edge?
Does Unified Communications give your business an edge?
How important is it to be contactable? To be able to work from wherever you are. With all the information you need right in front of you? For the majority of small to medium-sized businesses in Ireland. The answer is very, and the tool that best enables this is unified communications (UC).
At its core, UC is about bringing together different ways. To talk and work online, making e-mail, phone calls, video meetings, instant messages and file sharing accessible in one place. Instead of juggling multiple tools, UC makes it possible to switch from a chat message to a video call while sharing a document. All without skipping a beat.
Increasingly the technology needed to deliver this is affordable and tailored to the needs of small businesses as well as big ones. Proving that effective communication isn't just the preserve of big businesses with their own tech support and IT departments.
In reality, it's a strategic asset available to all and it’s especially of value to the small business sector that forms the backbone of the Irish economy.
Could UC work for you?
Businesses that adopt UC do so because they want to work better and faster. Whether you have a project team spread across different locations or just have members of staff occasionally working from home. UC allows people to share ideas and updates or ask urgent questions in real time, making it feel like everyone's in the same room even when they're miles apart.
It facilitates higher quality teamwork by enabling real-time online collaboration. This in turn can boost creativity and speed up decision-making. With UC, people can work from anywhere, on any device and choose how they want to communicate. Offering a high degree of freedom and flexibility.
It is the tool that allows people to work on smartphones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops on kitchen tables and in coffee shops. While remaining part of one corporate culture. And with the peace of mind that all communications are private and secure. And at a time when many IT productivity tools carry with them expensive licensing and subscription costs, consolidating many different tools down into just one UC platform can also make financial sense.
Cost savings & efficiencies
Most UC systems offer voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) functions which can reduce the cost of phone calls. Particularly in the case of international communications. Plus, having one system for everything means lower IT costs since there's only one system to maintain and secure.
In fact, the way UC streamlines every part of communication within a business is one of its biggest strengths. No more switching between apps to find a message or share a file. Everything's in one place. This means less time wasted and more time focused on getting work done. For a small business, this efficiency can be a game-changer, making it easier to compete with bigger companies.
Improved customer service
Today's customers expect quick and effective service. UC helps businesses meet these expectations by making it easier to respond to customer queries, no matter which channel they use. Whether it's a phone call, email, or live chat, the right person can jump in to help without delay. Happy customers are more likely to stick around and recommend your business to others.
As UC continues to become a key part of business in Ireland, it’s also increasingly being seen as a driver of digital transformation. By adopting a tool like UC, businesses don’t just purchase a new application to help them get work done, at a fundamental level they also access an opportunity to rethink the workflows they use.
In this way, the adoption of UC can help realise the possibilities of what a connected, efficient and responsive business can achieve. It can drive growth, enhance efficiency and improve customer engagement and it’s tools like this that help make and keep small businesses competitive.
To find out more about Unified Communications, the best way to equip your working team or to discuss any digital queries, book a free 1-2-1 call with our V-Hub Digital Advisors today.
