The benefit of Unified Communications (UC) is that it combines a number of different communication methods into one portal, which is increasingly attractive to businesses.
UC is still a relatively new technology and businesses may be worried about the cost, but UC can actually save a business money once they’re past the initial investment. One of the biggest benefits to UC is that employees can use their own devices and can connect from any location, which also reduces travel expenses.
There are four simple ways that a business can make their transition to UC a success:
- Security requirements
- Testing the technology
- Training employees
- Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
Security Requirements
Knowing the security requirements first will allow a business to make an informed choice about what services they need. An organization that deals with sensitive data, for example, will have to make the choice between the three types of cloud services: public, private, and hybrid. Security needs will also continue after the UC system is implemented. For example, it’s important to always use strong passwords and pay close attention to call logs.
Testing the Technology
Before making a purchase, businesses should be sure to test out the technology. If a provider won’t allow this, businesses should look for a more reputable vendor.
Employee Training
Once a vendor is chosen and the unified communications system is purchased, employees will need to be trained on the technology. Employees that know what they’re doing are essential to keeping the system running without any hitches, and to ease the transition businesses should inform their employees about the change before it happens.
Businesses should also follow three basic steps when training employees on the unified communications system. The first step is to introduce the technology and show the employees exactly what they’ll be working with. The second step is to thoroughly explain the technology, so that employees know how to use it and what it can do. As a refresher, the technology should then be reviewed again once some time has passed. That way, anyone who missed anything during the first explanation can ensure their questions are answered.
BYOD
Once training is complete, allowing employees to bring their own devices can help simplify the UC process. This will allow businesses to support devices not issued by them and cut down on costs because they are personal devices. BYOD programs are becoming more and more common in the workplace and benefit both employees and the business.
Although a UC system may seem complicated to learn and expensive for the initial investment, it can become a benefit to most businesses. Knowing the security requirements, testing the technology, embracing BYOD, and providing proper training are a few ways to successfully implement a UC system with minimum hassle.
