What Is Unified Communications? A Guide for Small Businesses

Unified communications is a set of standards and technologies used to facilitate collaboration in a business setting by integrating various communication channels. Unified communications often include voice, video, text chat, social media sharing, and file transfer. A unified communications solution can also be referred to as an enterprise telecommunications system or telephone system.

Unified Communications is a technology that allows users to communicate with one another in real-time.

Unified communications, or UC, is a platform that combines phone and video calling, texting, and file sharing. It provides your team with a single platform for interacting across numerous channels, increasing productivity and improving the user experience. This guide to UC for small businesses explains what’s included in a UC system, how it might benefit your company, and what to look for when selecting a provider.

What Are Unified Communications Systems and How Do They Work?

Unified communications systems use voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) technology to transmit and receive audio, video, and text data from a single application via the internet. This enables your team to use the system as a central hub, allowing them to move between communication channels and exchange data without having to switch programs. They may, for example, phone coworkers, switch to a group chat, or start a video conference all from the same app.

This integration of communication channels has other advantages. RingCentral’s MVP platform, for example, enhances the power of its already formidable business phone system by allowing team members to know whose coworkers are online and available to collaborate against those who are occupied in other meetings, reducing the danger of wasted time playing telephone tag.

UCaaS’s Best Features

Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) is a term for cloud-based systems that employ voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) technology to transmit and receive data over the internet. The way it handles other communication tools, as well as the price, differs per supplier. Nonetheless, each new feature enhances the usability of remote and hybrid work-from-anywhere teams and eliminates the need to launch several programs.

The following are some of the most helpful characteristics of UCaaS systems:

Collaboration

On a basic level, most UCaaS systems support file and screen sharing. In addition, cloud-based private branch exchange (PBX) systems also support Collaboration in a Group. In either case, teams interact in real-time using the united communications app to chat, talk, and work together on projects.

Having a single point for collaboration enhances both customer and employee experiences as the number of hybrid workplaces grows. Your UC platform transforms into a virtual, digital workplace where team members may communicate using their chosen devices and techniques. As a result, UC systems are critical for businesses that desire collaborative, but adaptable, digital workplaces.

However, since many of these systems need each participant to have access to a desktop or mobile app, they are best suited for internal team meetings. As a result, some companies may want to combine their UC system with other platforms used by customer-facing agents, such as Microsoft Teams or its competitors.

Texting through SMS

Business text messaging is supported by all unified communications platforms. Users of UC may send and receive text messages from any device that is connected to the internet. Your team may also read text chats in one place since discussions are stored on the UCaaS platform.

It also brings different talks together. Text messages may be added to a customer’s record and shown alongside phone conversations, help desk issues, and emails. Company owners may be able to completely replace their business mobile phone subscriptions with a UCaaS or VoIP softphone software in certain situations.

Fax via the Internet

Like text messaging, sending faxes used to require a separate device (a fax machine.) Then unified communications built Fax via the Internet capabilities into the app, allowing team members to incorporate fax communications into customer records and send a fax without bulky equipment. Most VoIP plans let users send or receive faxes using their business phone number.

Conferencing Tools (Video & Audio)

Video conferencing software may already be in use at your firm for big meetings or face-to-face online collaboration sessions. However, UC integrates these features inside your UCaaS app, eliminating the need for your staff to open and log into a separate program. Instead of switching apps, they may hop into a meeting while keeping track of incoming communications.

Furthermore, UC systems may be compatible with your existing video conferencing software. In this instance, your employees may use their chosen platform to plan and attend a call.

Why Does Your Company Require Unified Communications?

According to Gartner, 53% of the US workforce will be “a mix of hybrid and totally remote” employees in the near future. Because of the trend toward flexible workplaces, unified communications are now more vital than ever. In addition to your company phone service, your staff is likely already reliant on cloud-based systems like accounting and customer relationship management (CRM) software.

Information is compartmentalized in such systems in each scenario. When a client calls, your team may need to launch many programs in order to completely comprehend their history and present position. This takes up staff time and is inconvenient for callers.

Other problems might arise as well. If an employee is speaking with a customer and wishes to video chat with them, they may need to switch platforms, risking a lost call in the process.

A unified communications platform, on the other hand, allows you to smoothly switch between phone, video, and chat capabilities inside the same system. Many UCaaS systems also link smoothly with popular business applications, allowing you to keep your customer data and conversations in one place.

Unified Communications’ Advantages

The benefits of using unified communications as part of a UCaaS system are many, particularly in the digital era, when there is a danger of disconnected communications and a decrease in spontaneous collaboration with online workplaces. By using a UC platform, businesses may prevent these disadvantages.

The following are some of the advantages of unified communications:

• Increased productivity: Switching applications causes you to lose attention and wastes time. UC, on the other hand, puts information from a variety of sources at your fingertips. You can finish a job and solve an issue without switching between apps or tabs in your browser.
• Positive employee and customer experiences are critical to your small business’s success. A centralized platform is more comfortable, simple to use, and allows your staff to communicate with management and coworkers more quickly. Additionally, having access to previous discussions allows agents to adapt messages and react to issues more effectively.
• Reduced corporate silos: Information is isolated in siloed systems. Your CRM keeps track of contacts, your accounting software keeps track of bills, and your VoIP system keeps track of calls—but they don’t readily communicate information. UC allows teams to access all of these facts in one convenient online location.
• Reduced costs: By removing the need to pay for separate video conferencing, texting, and instant messaging solutions, a VoIP-based unified communications platform lowers company costs. You may also be paying for cloud products that improve your phone system, such as an auto-attendant phone system, which a UCaaS system may replace.
• Adaptive workplaces enable teams to access data and work from wherever they have a high-speed internet connection, ensuring company continuity. Staff may still engage with consumers and one other even if your actual office is unavailable since UC systems operate as effectively during disruptive periods.

Where Does Unified Communications Fail?

Although unified communications is a great solution for most small firms, it is not without its drawbacks. Furthermore, not all UCaaS systems are made equal. A virtual business phone number supplier, for example, could provide certain UC capabilities like file sharing but not calendar or CRM integration.

The following are some of the possible issues related to unified communications:

• Slow adoption rates: Your employees may be used to their current tools and hesitant to switch to a new platform. It’s more difficult to assure consistent experiences if everyone isn’t on board.
• Learning curves: To adapt to a digital workplace, you may need to teach staff and reorganize procedures. Additionally, your information technology (IT) staff may need assistance connecting and troubleshooting your unified communications platform.
• Interoperability: While most UC solutions come with softphone applications for phones, tablets, and PCs, non-IP desk phones may need adapters. Furthermore, your VoIP system may not interact with your mission-critical tools, leaving a large portion of your data and processes reliant on the use of other applications.
• Infrastructure: All UC users in your firm will need high-speed wired or wireless internet connections, and some may require new equipment in order to make use of your UC system’s capabilities. When it comes to adopting VoIP and unified communications technologies, areas with inconsistent coverage have challenges.

How to Select a UCaaS Platform for Your Organization

When it comes to features, functionality, and scalability, unified communications solutions vary. A small business VoIP solution with file and screen-sharing features for on-site personnel may have fewer needs than a completely remote, global workforce.

Consider the following questions when evaluating UCaaS platforms:

• How many staff and devices will use your unified communications system, and will they be on-site or off-site?
• Do you need a solution that may be used by foreign staff or clients?
• Would you be able to utilize your current phones or will you need new equipment?
• Is UCaaS compatible with your present internet and Wi-Fi, or do you need to improve your infrastructure?
• Will your IT department need assistance with the deployment and migration?
• Which features are essential for your company and which would be wonderful to have?
• Do you think UCaaS will eventually replace existing technological providers like Zoom?
• What kinds of integrations are you looking for, and will APIs be required?
• Are there any privacy or security requirements, such as HIPAA-compliant video conferencing or FedRAMP for cloud storage?
• What kinds of customer service does your company need to give, and when do they need to be provided?
• Are you looking for cloud file storage and backup for your voice and video recordings?
• What kind of remote management and reporting capabilities does your company need?

Once you’ve figured out the answers to these questions, you can start looking for solutions that are tailored to your specific requirements. To explore how a service will perform for your team, take advantage of free trials and UCaaS demos. In addition, look for customer reviews and self-service and support resources.

UC Risks & Security Issues

Cyberattacks may rise in quantity and frequency as a result of cloud-based technologies and remote workforces. There are just more endpoints to watch and update, making small enterprises’ oversight and management more difficult.

The following are the most pressing security concerns:

• DoS attacks: These assaults overwhelm your cloud services with traffic or requests, slowing them down or even shutting them down.
• Employees may utilize unapproved programs or fail to apply proper security features on their devices, providing hackers with the opportunity to infiltrate your network.
• VoIP fraud, also known as service theft, happens when fraudsters get access to your system and use it to conduct fraudulent calls.
• Threats from data centers: Providers keep your data in a variety of places that, although safe, may be subject to hackers or natural catastrophes.

Develop password and app security standards, and make sure user access rights match each employee’s position, to minimize your risks. Choose a trustworthy VoIP provider for UC and use comprehensive security technologies to secure your system to assist prevent security concerns.

Platform Providers for Unified Communications

Unified communications systems are provided by a number of VoIP companies. In higher-priced packages, UC VoIP companies provide plan tiers with extra features, such as custom integrations and call recording. Compare the solutions of some of the most prominent UCaaS platforms to your UCaaS checklist below.

RingCentral

RingCentral MVP provides four VoIP options, each with a local or toll-free number and unlimited domestic and international calling. It has essential unified communications technologies including document and calendar sharing, team messaging, and task management, among others.

However, access to CRM and bespoke integrations require an upgrade to a higher-tier plan. Prices start at $29.99 per user, each month for two to twenty people, however, a yearly prepayment may save you up to 33%.

Features of RingCentral

• Some integrations, including Asana, Jira, Box, OneDrive, and Google Drive, may be connected to your RingCentral MVP account without the help of an IT expert.
• Collaboration: Chat with teams, view presence information, and assign tasks within the RingCentral app. Use whiteboards and private messages to interact together in real-time.
• Switch devices in the middle of a conversation without putting your client on hold or transferring them to another user, and smoothly transition from chat or phone calls to video meetings.

Nextiva

Nextiva is a leading VoIP service with four different options to choose from. Each includes a toll-free and local phone number, as well as unlimited calling to the United States and Canada and a variety of unified communications capabilities. Users of Nextiva, like RingCentral, may talk anonymously or in groups and share screens and documents.

To access call recording or complex integrations like HubSpot and ServiceNow, you’ll need to upgrade to a higher-tier plan. Prices for five to 19 users start at $29.95 a month, and Nextiva provides both prepayment and volume-based discounts.

Features of Nextiva

• Customer service: Nextiva has a large knowledge base and offers live chat, a toll-free phone number, email, and help desk tickets for customers.
• Toll-free minutes: All Nextiva plans include 1,500 to 12,500 toll-free minutes, but RingCentral offers just 100 to 10,000 minutes, and the 808 package does not.
• The NextOS unified communications software brings together phone, email, chat, and SMS discussions into a single platform, making it simpler to create and manage client connections.

8*8

You may mix and match plans using 8*8, a VoIP unified communications platform. It provides a comprehensive entry-level plan that includes limitless audio and video conferencing. Meeting recording and transcription, team communications, and document sharing are all included in all 808 editions.

Unlike other companies, 8*8 offers packages that include unlimited international calls to up to 47 destinations. Prices for X-Series plans start at $12 per user, per month, with yearly prepayment savings available.

Features

• X-Series integrations: Starting at a cheaper price than RingCentral, X-Series plans provide roughly 50 connections, including Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, HubSpot, and Zendesk.
• Designate group chat rooms as invite-only, private, or public to increase privacy and enhance security. In addition, the services comply with HIPAA and FISMA regulations.
• Video conferencing: Depending on the package, 808 provides high-definition video conferencing for up to 500 users. You have the option of blurring backgrounds or selecting an image. It also provides dial-in lines for over 50 countries, as well as 11 toll-free numbers.

Most Commonly Asked Questions (FAQs)

What does it mean to have a unified communications strategy?

Auditing your workflows and business processes to understand how, when, and where your employees interact and cooperate is part of a unified communications strategy. The software used by various team members should be included in your audit, as well as chances to reduce time or enhance experiences via integrations.

What is the difference between UCaaS & CCaaS?

The terms UCaaS and CCaaS stand for Unified Communications as a Service and Contact Center as a Service, respectively. The goods use different approaches. While UCaaS focuses on team-based solutions, CCaaS focuses on customer-facing solutions. As a result, CCaaS is more likely to offer skills-based call routing, as well as connectors for sales and customer support.

Conclusion

Your staff can concentrate on collaborating rather than switching apps with a single, unified communications center. Unified communications solutions provide instant messaging, email, and video capabilities, in addition to standard voice and text VoIP systems. UC brings your team’s discussions together and gives them a place to connect in real-time.