Cloud Source

Five Enterprise Digital Transformation Challenges

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Digital transformation is foundationally based on a moving target, with almost countless moving pieces, including people, technology, business processes and a host of objectives. While organizations generally understand the critical nature of improving processes for the purpose of improving the customer experience and boosting productivity, they often don’t anticipate enterprise digital transformation challenges that can throw the vision off course.

These challenges come in a variety of forms, and, depending on their severity, can cause digital transformation initiatives to grind to a halt. Consider these five common enterprise digital transformation challenges:

Starting Blind: Line-of-business managers, executives or even IT professionals might begin to champion digital transformation for the organization, excited to gain the benefits that come with shifting a legacy application to the cloud or introducing a cutting-edge customer interface. In many cases, the enthusiasm to begin digital transformation makes the enterprise vulnerable to a critical mistake: starting blind.

It’s important that business leaders and key stakeholders have a clear vision for what the enterprise is currently doing and what opportunities are presented through a digital transformation objective. Beginning with detailed information on business needs helps shape the decisions about which solutions will deliver the necessary improvements. Companies that skip this step often regret their attempted migration, or they lose sight of the reasons behind it when they encounter difficulties.

Short-Term Mindset: Digital transformations can span several years and involve many teams in the organization. Those leading the initiative must proactively anticipate project fatigue. When staff exhaustion, time exhaustion and budget exhaustion set in, the organization can risk losing a lot of effort that’s already been invested.

It’s important to balance this effect by planning for some quick wins with initial transformation goals. Continue to break the process into steps that can be achieved in a shorter time span, taking time to evaluate the success of that phase and celebrating when it goes well.

Culture Changes: One aspect of digital transformation opens up opportunities while forcing some unprecedented collaboration. Cloud solutions offer enhanced communication tools and other features that serve to soften the divisions between departments and encourage the evaluation of business processes in a disruptive fashion.

Particularly across enterprises with far-flung locations or heavy concentrations of remote workers, achieving a cohesive, collaborative culture can be challenging.

Business and IT Alignment: Many enterprise digital transformation challenges can be summed up in this way: IT professionals are increasingly in the role of driving business objectives through technology investments, offering a new perspective that must align well with other executives’ visions for the company. Enterprises have no choice but to embrace digital transformation, but it’s also necessary for chief information officers to take the step of becoming champions for the cause.

If you’re facing digital transformation challenges you never anticipated, contact usat Cloud Source. We can assist with insiders’ tips to help you move forward to the next phase of your transformation and proactively prevent challenges that may emerge in the future.

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 Trends in VoIP to Push Positive Change in the Enterprise

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Changes are happening in the enterprise on a daily basis that can either push a company forward or leave it lagging behind the competition. In some cases, changes force a company to evolve, with effective results. When it comes to communications, trends in the global marketplace are the catalyst pushing such changes. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) continues to drive change on its own and the latest trends in this space are worth consideration.

Mobility continues to play a role. When evaluating communications technology, it’s easy to set different channels into their own strategy without determining how best they can work together. VoIP and mobility are not separate channels. Instead, people today are using mobile VoIP to the extent that users are expected to reach one billion by the end of 2017. VoIP continues to evolve so as to better integrate and synchronize with mobile devices and 5G is on the horizon, pushing continued innovations.

Security will always be top of mind. Technology continues to be a key area where security is a concern. Networks already have so many vulnerable points, and VoIP introduces another possibility where hackers can find a way in. Fortunately, service providers in the VoIP space continue to scale security measures already built into their platforms. This provides a great visual as to how breaches are being prevented and how technology can be used to accomplish key goals.

5G and integration will set the pace. Like previous generations, 5G will set a new stage for VoIP. The next generation is expected to facilitate higher transfer speeds, stable streaming, and higher resolution in videos and imagery. At the same time, call quality, packet loss problems, and disconnects will significantly decrease. Proprietary systems without integration capabilities are losing ground as APIs (application programming interfaces) open the door to seamless operations across the enterprise. Key integrations allow for the optimization and simplification of operations.

The Internet of Things changes the dynamic. While enterprises will continue to demand unification in all communications (and create significant revenue streams for service providers able to meet their needs), connectivity to machines is significant for all players. The enterprise will be able to re-align the use of manpower, allowing for connectivity in areas that weren’t possible in the past. Smart offices will set the stage and continued innovations will create new potential for efficiency.

No matter what your particular industry is doing, the reality is that communications technology and trends in VoIP are paving the way for evolution. Such changes could mean better operations, increased efficiencies, a distinct competitive advantage, and so much more. To get a better idea of where you need to start, contact Cloud Source. We have the expertise to help you connect your cloud solutions in ways that help you leverage key VoIP trends for better outcomes. To get started on the conversation, contact us today.

Still Afraid of the Cloud? Remain in Control While Improving Services

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Despite the growing adoption of cloud-based services throughout the global enterprise space, there still exists discomfort, distrust, and fear of the cloud. It’s accepted by industries of every kind — even healthcare — yet there remain holdouts who stay tied to on-premise investments.

Perhaps the largest roadblock for these decision makers is that they feel they’re giving up too much control to a managed service provider. The advantages of the cloud are clear, but there may need to be an extra push to convince them that there is value to cloud-based solutions they can no longer ignore.

Savvy MSPs and IT service firms are jumping at cloud solutions and wholly embracing them. Here’s what they have to say about cloud’s benefits:

Flexibility and Scalability Are Key
If you’re managing your own servers, you may find it difficult to scale up and down as required. As your clients grow, their needs for extra services will increase. This can often put on more pressure than can be accommodated if you’re running your own servers, especially if you don’t have room to grow.

With a cloud-based solution, everything is off-premise and managed by a team of experts that can scale up and down with no limitations. When your cloud service provider is using Level IV data centers, disaster recovery strategies ensure you always have access to your data.

Security Is Central
Major cloud players put security at the top of their list of priorities. It matters to them because a breach is extremely hard on a company’s reputation and could result in many, if not all, clients leaving for a more secure provider.

For those who maintain their own servers, security is also important, but the measures an independent IT staff take to safeguard data just can’t compete with what the major players can handle.

The Technology Is Superior
When you partner with a cloud-based provider, your time spent researching the latest and greatest technology comes to an end. The cloud service provider is monitoring it and continuously updating hardware and software to give clients the best service possible.

You Save Money
If you were constantly upgrading your equipment, you know how much it costs. You likely had to pass those expenses on to your clients. When you go to the cloud, you’re no longer making large capital expenses, which means you can be more competitive, offering your clients better SaaS (Software as a Service) solution pricing.

Cloud Source is a company that simplifies the vendor selection process for your IT operations. We provide you with a single point of contact for your business communications, cloud solutions, and connectivity. If your business is only as good as your ability to communicate, then you need Cloud Source on your side.

Organizations Increasing UC Cloud Services Adoption

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Cloud ServicesIn recent unified communications (UC) news, surveys have found many organizations increasing UC cloud services adoption. According to cloud industry monitors, more than half of organizations across a range of industries are slated to adopt cloud UC services by 2020. These services are also expected to:

  • surpass on-premises PBX deployments in favor of hosted PBX,
  • attract and engage businesses of all sizes looking to switch over to cloud-based services, and 
  • streamline and centralize communications protocols for team collaboration, contact center services, and client fulfillment.

Industry Shifts

Early adopters of UC cloud services tended to be small- to mid-size businesses. However, a dramatic shift in recent months has seen more medium to large enterprises adopting these vital services as well. Industry monitors predict the following scenarios based on current surveys and statistics:

  • Over 45% of customer contact centers will have sound cloud technologies by 2020.
  • Centers will also integrate UC and team collaboration services, resulting in smoother and more efficient client and in-house communications.
  • Legacy PBX systems will become as obsolete as traditional desktop and conventional laptop computers.

These changes reflect a myriad of current industry shifts and developments. In fact, more employees are demanding better mobility in their work – along with higher bandwidth to facilitate and support crucial cloud services and worker needs.

Changes Already Being Implemented

Cloud providers are seeing strong uptakes in UC adoptions for newer businesses. UC is also being heralded for providing timely communications solutions, particularly for companies that are struggling with old PBX systems. While PBX still plays an essential role in overall business communications, more organizations are integrating hosted services as opposed to on-site or premise-based systems. This is helping them to:

  • redistribute available bandwidth for other business services and protocols,
  • save time and money by having remote IT teams manage and monitor UC cloud services, platforms, and apps, and
  • secure constant online connections and presence with little to no service interruptions stemming from inclement weather or downtime maintenance.

UC cloud services will only continue to grow and expand. For businesses dealing with a lack of communications due to outdated hardware or systems, now is the right time to switch over to cloud and reap its many benefits.

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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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