How your enterprise can reap the benefits of Unified Communications

Today’s workplace is far more technologically sophisticated and decentralized than ever. Changing attitudes toward work, especially among younger people, and an increased desire for flexibility in a competitive labor market require that today’s enterprise managers develop more sophisticated methods for connecting the people they employ and depend on.

If the last two years were about working from home out of necessity, the question before us now is whether an enterprise’s work environment can evolve into something more fluid and dynamic, a platform that employers can use to build value and foster growth.

One answer is the emergence of Unified Communications (UC) solutions, which bring together various communications methods – including messaging, video meetings, phone calls, text and fax – in a single integrated platform. To learn more about what UC is about, and where the need for it is strongest, we are honored to be joined by Sandra Krief, senior vice president, Global Service Providers at RingCentral. RingCentral is of course a best-in-class Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) platform.

(DK) Let’s start with a basic question, Sandra. Why is UC so much in demand these days, and at the center of redefining our concept of work?

(SK) The uniqueness of UC is inherent in its very name. Unified Communications brings together all the various forms of communication. Gone are the days of needing multiple vendors and applications that each operate in their own silos and don’t communicate with each other.

(DK) Some of us can still remember when office connectivity was a phone on a desk. How important is it for today’s communications network to exist in the cloud?

(SK) In a word, essential. Today’s communications options require constant reinvention in order to keep its users competitive in today’s marketplace. The flexibility of this platform existing in the cloud allows for much easier evolution as emerging technologies and unforeseen needs create new opportunities.

(DK) How can an enterprise know the time is right to adopt UC solutions more fully?

(SK) Well, at the risk of sounding blunt, the right time has already passed. In the current era of hybrid business, those who do not adopt UC solutions risk falling behind competitors and disrupting their workforces.

(DK) So the case for Unified Communications isn’t one you need to make. It has already been made.

(SK) Right, exactly. Today’s knowledge workers – from salespeople to consultants to team leaders – all have to work closely together to succeed at their jobs. That’s why organizations must look for communication tools that break down the barriers to both remote and hybrid collaboration.

The advantages of having the right UC solution in place are tremendous. RingCentral, for example, combines team messaging, video conferencing and virtual phones into a single platform where employees can easily choose how they want to communicate at any time. With our UC platform, employees can chat with colleagues directly, set up groups, message large teams, send important files and join meetings all under one roof. And if you need to facilitate a deeper discussion, you can easily switch from messaging to a voice or video call with a single click.

(DK) How do you know a UC product is doing what it should for an organization?

(SK) A few things, actually. The right UC solution should lower your operational costs, especially when moving your infrastructure from on-premises to the cloud. It should also maximize productivity via integrations and minimize the number of apps needed to work effectively.

The solution should work on virtually any device: tablets, mobile phones, or desktop computers. Flexibility is a key differentiator in today’s workplace. No one should have to miss a sales or support call because they are away from their desk or office.

(DK) Are there more technical issues that need to be addressed?

(SK) Yes, such as overall security and compliance, for which the UC solution should come with certifications like SOC 2 & 3, ISO 27001, HITRUST and HIPAA. Finally, and this can be easily overlooked in the acquisition phase, you want to be sure your UC system has an easy-to-use interface for administration, for creating call flows, IVRs, and Move, Add, Change and Delete tasks.

(DK) How complicated is a holistic UC installation?

(SK) Usually, it’s very complicated, which is a challenge for vendors and buyers alike. I can’t emphasize enough how important this part is to get right. The complexity of the network build alone is enormous. In order to ensure the highest quality UC service, the transport must be properly sized and monitored, network equipment such as firewalls, network switches and WiFi access points must be tuned for real-time communications such as voice and video.

That’s why RingCentral builds journeys like no other vendor to simplify an installation. This includes welcome emails, easy-to-follow guides, preconfigured devices shipped to customers ready to install, and built-in applications requiring just two steps to integrate with an enterprise’s workflow. We even offer express implementation and videos demonstrating the configuration of every feature. We also offer online instructional support in the form of RingCentral University.

(DK) What are the pain points, or barriers, to UC adoption?

(SK) For one, there’s training, which we just mentioned and which is so critical to get right. I think also about workflow integrations, enablement, and usability of the apps and the portal.

(DK) How can those challenges be addressed?

(SK) It pays not to think of it as plug-and-play. Organizational leaders have a role to play in educating and supporting their employees and overseeing the process. 

No organization needs to make this journey alone. For example, we offer in partnership with Spectrum Enterprise a solution, UC with RingCentral, which gives customers a managed service UC platform. This includes an SLA that offers 99.99% uptime availability and backup solutions. Our technology is second-to-none, and when combined with Spectrum Enterprise’s commitment to partnership, UC with RingCentral offers a worry-free way of bringing UC to any enterprise.

(DK) How critical is security when planning a UC installation?

(SK) Very critical. Think of your vendor’s UC security infrastructure as an extension of your own environment, because that’s what it is. Demand your vendor be transparent about the steps and protocols they have in place to safeguard your employees, clients, partners and data from security threats and data loss.

In RingCentral’s case, we employ rigorous security and data best practices in all we do. We offer a shared-responsibility model where we maintain third-party certifications and attestations to validate our policies and practices. Also, we proactively monitor and optimize our UC platform 24/7/365 to ensure our service remains at the highest level at all times. At the same time, we give controls to customers so they can manage their use case needs the way they know best.

(DK) With Unified Communications evolving so quickly, what is your bet on the next big change to come?

(SK) I am very intrigued by the imminent possibilities of AI implementation. Users are being flooded with messages, meeting requests and chat room invites. We need to bring intelligence into the UC space to summarize and prioritize work activities. Artificial intelligence solutions employed correctly could free up hours of time.

(DK) What is most exciting about UC right now?

(SK) Recent world events have demonstrated the increased need for UC, and accelerated the proliferation of UC solutions. Organizations no longer look at UC as nice to have. They get that it is a must-have, as part of their overall technology stack, because of our increasingly disparate workforce and the need to attract and retain them, especially when there are so many other employment options.

(DK) There is almost a sense of empowerment with this new technology, isn’t there? 

(SK) Absolutely! I really like the trend we are seeing with the move to hybrid workforces and am proud to be part of a team that is making this happen in a way that works for employers and employees alike. Untethering the workforce from their offices and desks with UC solutions makes for healthier, happier workers which in turn can only lead to improved productivity and higher revenues.

(DK) Thanks for joining us, Sandra. You have given us a lot to think about.

If you want to learn more about Unified Communication with RingCentral, including how integrating with Spectrum Enterprise Managed Network Edge (MNE) or Enterprise Network Edge (ENE) can achieve a fully Managed Workplace solution, investigate the connectivity solutions available at Spectrum Enterprise.