The post How Unified Communications Help Businesses appeared first on Brightstar.
]]>A unified communications (UC) framework integrates real-time communication tools and allows your employees to effectively collaborate through one centralized platform, no matter where they are.
Here are some of the ways businesses benefit from using unified communications:
In a traditional office, workers are often tied down to their desk phones or rely on numerous devices and platforms to engage with their coworkers. Unified communications offers flexibility and allows your employees to remain productive and available even when they’re not at the office.
For example, voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) phone systems allow employees to access your company phone system over the internet, meaning they can use a computer, cell phone, or other device to answer calls and interact with clients from any location.
Effective unified communications integrates all your communication platforms and software systems into one program and offers remote access to all your business data, a feature that is becoming ever more essential in our increasingly remote world.
Purchasing, integrating, and maintaining multiple platforms and software products for communication can cost your business a significant sum. Between the installation and subscription fees, your business could end up paying more for decreased productivity and communication.
Unified communications increases collaboration and efficiency between coworkers, stakeholders, managers, and clients, all while charging only one consistent fee. By eliminating the need to constantly juggle a growing number of subscription costs, unified communications allows you to focus your attention, and your budget, on growing your business.
Communication and collaboration are key to any business’s success. When communication methods are streamlined and housed on one platform, they become more accessible and more likely to be used.
Video conferencing can help a remote team form interpersonal connections and build on each other’s ideas, screen sharing can help employees efficiently demonstrate solutions to problems, and instant messaging can create an immediacy in conversation that encourages creativity.
When these capabilities are combined in one simple package, it becomes easier for employees to communicate with one another using the method that’s most effective for solving their specific problem.
One significant advantage unified communications has over other communication services is the capability of integrating directly with your business software.
Instead of having to sign into multiple accounts or disrupt the flow of work by tracking down information on another platform, your employees can have access to all the accounts and data they need in one place.
This can lead to greater efficiency and productivity as you save the time previously spent switching platforms and tasks.
Different communication tools that are spread across programs and platforms can quickly become confusing for everyone involved. These systems can quickly lead to miscommunication, fall out of use, or become redundant. Not to mention, employees may get distracted when being forced to constantly switch tasks. One centralized platform allows for greater focus and efficiency.
Unified communications provides one centralized platform that is easy to use and can help reduce miscommunication.
If you’re looking to make the most of your communication investments and optimize your team’s productivity, contact BrightStar Communications to start getting the benefits of unified communications.
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]]>However, working remotely comes with its own challenges, such as staying in contact with teams, accessing data, and making sure your systems are secure. Thankfully, a Managed Network Service Provider can assist your company in finding the best solutions for minimizing these struggles and maximizing productivity as you adapt to a remote work environment.
Here are some tools your remote workforce needs to keep operations running smoothly.
Both internal communication and communication between employees and customers are more important than ever when your team is working from home. There are many solutions that can help you communicate effectively, but some may be better suited to your business needs than others.
For example, many businesses are taking advantage of VoIP phone systems, which give businesses greater flexibility than traditional business phone lines. Using a VoIP system, employees can connect to your business phone system remotely from a computer or cell phone.
But there are several types of VoIP systems to choose from: PBX, which is the system most commonly used by businesses; PRI, which is BrightStar’s smarter, more efficient version; and SIP, which allows access and customization for a greater number of employees, are three options you may want to consider.
Small businesses that don’t utilize VoIP generally choose to use a business line. We can help you evaluate your options and choose one that best suits your business needs.
One of the biggest drawbacks of working remotely is that teams can lose their sense of camaraderie and teamwork, as well as the ability to instantly communicate. Video conferencing can help bring some of that personal connection back, and can be a great resource both for internal meetings and for speaking with clients.
Instant messaging is another great tool for communicating in a less formal way, and it can encourage a more spontaneous method of communicating that helps innovation and creativity.
BrightStar Communications is skilled with setting up the advanced communication solutions you need to maintain efficient, productive, and secure communications, no matter where you or your team members are.
Reliable internet access is inarguably the most important factor of remote work. If employees don’t have access to a high-performing internet connection, productivity quickly plummets, and internet downtime can result in substantial losses in terms of both employee productivity and revenue. Remote workers need high-speed internet access with 100% uptime, which is only possible through constant, real-time monitoring.
WANs, or wide area networks, are becoming an increasingly popular choice for network access for businesses with teams functioning in different locations. A WAN enables members of your organization to securely connect to your network over a wide area.
For those who need more security, a VPLS, or virtual private LAN service, creates your own private network. This gives you the secure communication capabilities of a VPN, but with a much broader range.
Studies suggest that more than half of all small businesses that suffer a cyber attack will go out of business within six months. With the stakes that high, it’s impossible to ignore the importance of your network security, especially for remote teams with increased risk.
Even if you have robust security measures in place in your office, transitioning to remote work will often open up holes in your protection as adjustments are made to systems and equipment.
When an organization transitions some, or all, of its staff to remote workstations, they should have a security audit completed to analyze potential security weaknesses. Every organization should use robust firewalls, virus protection, and anti-malware to keep business systems safe. It’s also important to keep backups of all essential data.
Taking a proactive approach to security when working remotely will help you identify any weak points in your system and to address potential problems before they develop. And installing multiple forms of cyber protection will ensure that your business is protected, even if you have remote workers accessing your system from their own homes.
You can set your remote workforce up for success by equipping employees with efficient communication channels, high-bandwidth internet access, and comprehensive network security, and an experienced telecommunications company can help you with that process. Contact BrightStar Communications to give your remote team the capabilities they need to thrive.
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