Cloud Source

UCaaS Makes Its Biggest Impact With Small- and Mid-Size Businesses

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The push to move technology to the cloud is being experienced all over the market and in every industry. While companies of all sizes are prioritizing digital transformation, the organizations that have the most to gain are small- and mid-size businesses (SMBs). In particular, the shift to Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) levels the playing field and helps SMBs make significant gains in productivity and cost savings.

Until relatively recently, SMBs had only one viable option for communications: the private branch exchange (PBX). These systems required a sizable capital investment in addition to high monthly costs.

Enter UCaaS: Nearly every feature of UCaaS is a win for SMBs. The implementation of UCaaS doesn’t require a major capital investment, and the reduction of monthly charges helps control the costs of communication. In addition, cloud services’ subscription-based pay model is ideal for SMBs as they grow or experience seasonality in their markets.

Instead of new technology being only available to the biggest enterprises, UCaaS makes it possible for SMBs to access the same level of communication that bigger organizations use. When it comes to communications, SMBs can offer their customers a seamless experience, in which their entire history with the company is accessible through a single application. Whether customers call, email, instant message, or a combination of the three, the customer service representative can view the contact history in its entirety.

Equipping innovation: In an SMB environment, employees each wear a number of hats, with PBX system manager likely to be one of those in the past. There’s a need for the outsourcing of management for communications tools. UCaaS frees up employees from managing a PBX. It also creates the ability for remote and field employees to seamlessly collaborate through video conferencing, instant messaging (IM), and shared workspaces, allowing them to focus on bigger goals and objectives.

In addition, obsolescence is no longer a problem. UCaaS providers regularly roll out updates, and their focus is on innovation and performance improvement, passed along to customers without a big capital outlay.

Another benefit to SMBs is the business continuity inherent with cloud services. While bigger enterprises likely have some type of disaster recovery or business continuity plan in place as part of a bigger security strategy, many SMBs find themselves at a stop in the case of a power outage, natural weather event, or other problem. UCaaS providers have multiple data centers that limit downtime and keep the SMB communicating with customers.

Cloud Source provides synchronicity across phone, email, mobile devices, and other formats. Contact us to find out more information about the competitive advantage UCaaS can offer your SMB.

Survey Reveals New Primary Reason for Switching to Cloud Communications

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Enterprises continue to evaluate and consider the switch to cloud communications, continuing a trend that’s been developing in which IT teams look for opportunities to reap the benefits of cloud services for various areas of technology. While the momentum continues, it seems that some of the reasons for considering such a switch are in flux.

A survey released by Nemertes Research finds that while cloud communications is still a priority for digital transformation, the motivation behind the interest in cloud services may be changing. The benefits of cloud services are numerous and relatively clear, but the weight of those reasons on the decision to move to cloud seem to be undergoing some reordering.

While the number one motivation for moving to a cloud solution in the past was cost, that factor is being pushed aside by a desire for business agility. Companies value the ability to roll out a feature quickly once it’s been determined that it adds to the customer experience, reduces costs, or improves performance. If it’s considered a feature that has significant impact on a key business initiative, then it’s more important than ever that the feature is quickly accessible.

This finding demonstrates a shift in how enterprises are making decisions about cloud communications. Those prioritizing agility as the biggest driver comprised 44 percent of the respondents, up from 29 percent only a year ago. The shift seems to be away from cost as the primary factor, down to 33 percent in the current findings, from 49 percent two years before.

When it comes to cloud adoption, enterprises clearly choose the provider that supports their goals for digital transformation. It also goes deeper than simply offering the latest bells and whistles; enterprises value a provider that works to understand their business and proactively finds ways to support their business goals. Those two areas were identified as priorities by 36 percent and 27 percent, respectively.

The survey’s findings also show a continued preference for hybrid, where many enterprises discover a kind of sweet spot between a pure cloud communications choice and a legacy system. Hybrid allows for the optimization of performance and cost.

To learn more about the benefits that cloud communications can offer your organization, contact us at Cloud Source. We understand the importance of agility, cost, and other factors in helping you achieve your business goals.

4 Steps to Ensure a Successful PSTN Migration

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When undertaking public switched telephone network (PSTN) migration projects, businesses should first have a plan in place that lays out capabilities, detailed instructions for execution, and partners. Migration brings about specialized issues and can be complex to implement, and it affects most areas of the business. However, a well-planned and well-executed migration brings many benefits, including:

  • Lowered OPEX
  • Reduction in costs
  • Opportunities to upsell

Keep in mind that there are also four major challenges to overcome before a successful migration:

  • Lack of experts in PSTN: Many telephone professionals are close to retirement
  • Managing daily activities without interruption while the migration is happening
  • Required input from stakeholders; ensuring that all stakeholders know the benefits of migration
  • Effective control of the complexities of migration to avoid rising costs, running out of time, or interrupting vital operations

Ensuring a Successful Migration

Balance is the key to a successful PSTN migration project, ensuring that costs are kept down, services aren’t interrupted, and the project completes on time. A business-focused approach is vital to ensuring that milestones are reached and that the migration delivers the promised benefits. This can be accomplished by following four steps:

  • Having the right plan
  • Using the right tools and skills
  • Ensuring an industrial-scale execution
  • Choosing the right partner

The Right Plan

A detailed plan is the first step to ensuring a successful PSTN migration, based on the business’s unique goals and requirements. The planning process is a chance to assess potential risks and the business’s current capabilities, and lay out a realistic schedule for each process.

The Right Tools

PSTN migration is a complicated endeavor and cannot be accomplished in bits and pieces, or without the help of experts. Businesses need to know beforehand whether or not they have experts in-house, or whether they have to look outside the organization — and where they can look. An assessment from a vendor or from consultants will allow the business to recognize risks and mitigate them, as well as decide how much they can accomplish with their own resources.

Industrial-Scale Execution

When planning out a PSTN migration, businesses need to be aware of the scale of such a project. Migration will affect both employees — who will need new equipment and training — and customers, who may have their services interrupted. Businesses can help reduce the risks associated with large-scale execution by using the following tools:

  • A dedicated migration team
  • Streamlined management of resources and tasks
  • Tools designed specifically for mass migration
  • Specialized tools for field technicians

The Right Partner

Working with an experienced partner is usually the most cost-effective solution for migration because doing so gets the job done right the first time. When looking for the right partner, businesses should find one that:

  • Has real-world experience with both legacy and next-gen networks
  • Can provide the appropriate tools
  • Will be objective
  • Can be relied on to mitigate costs and time

An efficient PSTN migration is a complex project, but it doesn’t have to be a headache. Having a plan in place, knowing the risks, and gathering all the resources the business needs before beginning the migration will ensure a smooth transition, especially with the aid of experts.

Colocation: Factors to Consider When Renting Space in a Third-Party Data Center

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Colocation, the practice of renting space from a third-party data center, has grown in popularity over the past few years. Businesses can rent a mix of hardware, services, and software. Market research firm IDC predicts that by 2018, companies will have 65% of their IT assets hosted off-site, and 33% of their IT staff will actually be third-party employees.

With colocation, businesses can switch to operating expense models instead of the more expensive capital expense budget. This is the main draw to renting space from third parties, but there are other things to consider when making the decision to rent, including:

  • Business continuity
  • Disaster recovery
  • Location
  • Pricing
  • Security

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

Colo has no distinct advantage over an in-house solution when it comes to business continuity and disaster recovery, but it should still be an important consideration when choosing a colo provider. Wherever the colo center is, the provider should have a plan in place to ensure uninterrupted service and recovery in the event of a natural disaster, including frequent testing and tweaking to keep everything up to date.

Location

Because data will be hosted at least partly in a physical location, businesses must look at exactly where that location will be. It needs to be close enough to a power source and somewhere that IT staff can easily access, and it should also be somewhere that’s unlikely to be hit with natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes.

Pricing

Switching to colocation can help businesses save money through usage-based pricing. Colo can even help reduce electricity costs by up to 40%, according to the National Resources Defense Council. However, when looking for the right facility, be aware of any hidden costs and monthly fees. This can include bandwidth, hardware maintenance, and support services.

Security

Using colocation means that sensitive data may be hosted outside the organization, away from the security measures put in place to protect it in-house. Not only should the provider ensure that only authorized personnel can access the facility, but they should also have monitoring in place so that if there is a breach, they are alerted as soon as possible.

Switching to colo can be a big change for any business, but by considering these factors, businesses can have peace of mind and the assurance that they are reducing their budget and improving their efficiency.

Demystifying WebRTC: Three Benefits of Implementation

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Demystifying WebRTC: Three Benefits of Implementation

In the five years since its introduction, Web Real-Time Communications (WebRTC) has been the subject of much discussion regarding its place in the communications hierarchy. Businesses are now beginning to actually deploy online real-time communications solutions, bringing it back to the forefront of discussion.

According to Webtorials’ 2015 WebRTC State of the Market Report, 47% of the 191 IT professionals contacted stated that they had implemented WebRTC or were planning to do so within the next year. 34% of respondents stated that they didn’t know enough to implement it, which is a common issue for businesses looking to improve their communications networks. To clear up that confusion, following are the three main reasons for a business to implement WebRTC.

Cost Reduction

Multi-channel marketing is widely used by businesses, especially those that maintain both an online presence and a physical location. With the increase in mobile technology, this means that customers expect not only the standard 800 number, but also access via their mobile devices. Maintaining an 800 number is often a large expense for businesses, and it’s in this area that online real-time communications can help the most.

Embedding WebRTC into mobile and online channels will help decrease the number of customers who need to contact the call center for help. Customers will still receive the help they need, but at a reduced cost to the business.

Customer Service Improvement

Businesses rely on keeping their customers happy. WebRTC’s advantage here is that it allows businesses to combine their real-time capabilities to give the customer what they want, at the moment they want it. This could mean a customer is able to contact someone immediately for a website problem and get a quick solution, or it could mean looking at large items like properties and houses with an agent — without the customer even having to leave the comfort of their own home.

Revenue Increase

Travel businesses like car rental agencies, airlines, and hotels are all interested in real-time communications as a way to help reduce customer wait times and increase revenue. Missing a flight or arriving late can leave a customer desperate to find a solution, and long wait times to actually speak to a live agent will only increase frustration all around. Instead of standing in line waiting to speak to the sole agent available, WebRTC can allow a customer to speak to a live agent from their mobile phone. Businesses can even implement this solution as a premium service.

Organizations looking to implement online real-time communications should keep in mind that it will need to be integrated into the existing network, which can be complicated. For more information on the benefits of WebRTC and how to implement it, contact Cloud Source today.

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328 S. Jefferson St. Suite 603
Chicago, IL 60661
Ph: 312.753.7880
E: info@CloudSourceServices.com

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