Have you ever used a voice, visual or text service, either at home or at work?

If you have participated in a conference call or sent some type of instant message, then you have probably used a Unified Communications (UC) platform. This type of technology can include the use of a myriad of applications and devices – smartphones, computers, document sharing, group calls, web conferences and more – that are interconnected to make it easier to be more collaborative and productive with your fellow workers.

If your voice, visual, and text applications are hosted by third-party providers, then you are part of one of the fastest-growing components of the communications industry – Cloud-Based Unified Communications.

Also known as cloud-UC or Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), this type of platform offers many benefits, which encompass: business agility; a large service set with easier deployment and upgrades; greater efficiency, reliability and mobility; and reduced equipment and support costs.

If you want to take advantage of UCaaS technology for your business, keep in mind that you will have the same security and administrative concerns as any other cloud-based service. Take note of the following areas of consideration.

Users

One of the main advantages of using a UCaaS service is you don’t have to own or pay for the infrastructure. By finding out exactly what your users actually need to do their job, you can customize your services without paying for extra things that you won’t use. You can easily assess the needs of your users by encouraging them to fill out a simple questionnaire.
Some things to ask:

• Do you communicate mainly through phone calls, instant messaging or both?
• Do you want to use your personal devices at work?
• How important is mobility to your everyday business routine?

Review The Components

Look into the basic elements of UCaaS to see if they include everything that you want.
These generally consist of:

• Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services
• Integrated communication services, such as email, social media and presence
• Audio, video and web conferencing and collaboration services

Assess The Equipment You Own

Many larger businesses may have an existing sophisticated communications infrastructure. Instead of starting over, you might want to consider a hybrid UCaaS solution, especially if most things work well and you want to provide enhancements to round out your solution. The cloud service can also take on much of the management and maintenance work to reduce your overall costs.

Cybersecurity And Disaster Recovery

Most companies use their UC systems all day every day. They become the main communication routes for information to and from your business. Ensure that cybersecurity is a priority and that you have developed a disaster recovery and business continuity plan.

Because your services are hosted in the cloud, if something goes wrong or a disaster occurs, a UCaaS service provider can ensure the continuation of your business communication and manage a changed situation quickly.
Protect your UC systems with a proactive cybersecurity plan that monitors to prevent attacks and can also react quickly to get your business back to normal.

Expert Help

Ask for help in assessing, designing, implementing and maintaining your UC platform. An IT Managed Services Provider (MSP), like TeamLogic IT, can work with you to provide guidance and expertise in UC, cloud, mobility and many other emerging technologies. We offer both complete outsourcing and supplement assistance to fit your unique business needs.

Since 2007, TeamLogic IT has become the 36th largest IT service provider globally. Our success is driven through one core mission - to leverage technology for our customers.Thousands of businesses across the US - just like yours here in Wilmington, NC - are taking advantage of our ability to deliver highly available, secure and flexible IT systems. At TeamLogic IT, our philosophy is simple - we work with you the way we'd want someone to work with us. Visit us today in the Port City at 2901 North Kerr Ave., 910-500-1392. If email works best for you, contact me personally at [email protected].