Ever feel like your communication tools are working against you? You're not alone. Many businesses, especially those navigating the complexities of regulated industries, are struggling to keep up. Outdated phone systems, fragmented communication channels, and a constant barrage of emails create friction that wastes valuable time and stifles productivity.
These issues drain resources, cause headaches for IT, and prevent you from achieving your goals. And the longer they go on, the harder it is to break free.
But what if there was a way to manage the chaos, or even eliminate it? What if you could equip your team with the latest communication tools that are secure and compliant and actually make their jobs easier?
This post discusses unified communications tools, including solutions like Calling for Microsoft Teams and Cisco’s Webex, which can transform your business environment into a modern workplace, boost your bottom line, and give you back control.
Effective communication can boost productivity up to 25%. On the flip side, outdated and inefficient communication tools can significantly hinder productivity and create unnecessary costs. Research shows that workers at large companies using legacy communication systems waste an average of 6 minutes every day just on delayed online meetings.
That's like losing 26 hours of work per employee per year, adding up to hundreds of thousands of dollars lost every year for many businesses.
And it's not just time wasted in meetings. Old and mismatched communication tools lead to:
Together, these factors cost large corporations millions.
For industries like finance, healthcare, and government, the stakes are even higher. Regulated industries face strict compliance and security requirements that can be challenging to meet with outdated communication systems. A few examples include:
Unsecure communication channels can lead to serious compliance violations, resulting in hefty fines and reputational damage.
The hidden costs outlined above often stem from four key areas of communication friction:
The good news is that there are more effective communication tools that offer solutions to these challenges.
The way we communicate is rapidly evolving. The need for more efficient, flexible, and integrated communication solutions is fueling a growing market for new tools.
For example, the global voice over IP (VoIP) and cloud unified communications (UC) market is projected to grow from almost $19 billion in 2024 to a staggering $44 billion by 2032.
Let’s look at the new types of communication tools businesses can find in this large market.
Team collaboration tools offer a centralized hub for synchronous and asynchronous communication and collaboration, bringing together chat tools, file sharing, and video conferencing tools in one place. And when these platforms incorporate robust integrated calling features, they transform into true unified communication solutions, streamlining your interactions even further by consolidating all your communication channels, including traditional phone calls.
One prime example of this enhanced capability is the Microsoft Teams Phone System. While Microsoft Teams itself is a powerful platform for chat, meetings, and file collaboration, calling for Microsoft Teams specifically extends its functionality to encompass comprehensive telephony. This addition transforms the familiar Teams environment into an all-in-one communication hub that can handle all your business calling needs, effectively allowing you to leverage Teams for voice communications alongside its other collaborative features.
Microsoft Teams already provides a robust foundation with features such as:
The Teams Phone System builds upon this powerful base by integrating full-fledged PSTN calling capabilities. This means you not only gain the collaborative benefits inherent in the Teams platform (listed above) but can also manage all your external and internal business calls directly within the same interface. This creates a truly unified communication experience, centralizing your workflows and maximizing the value you get from your Microsoft Teams deployment by making it your complete phone system.
The value of such comprehensive consolidation is significant. Forrester's Total Economic Impact (TEI) study of Microsoft Teams (the foundational platform) already revealed a remarkable 291% ROI over three years. This impressive return stems from benefits like:
By integrating comprehensive telephony through the Teams Phone System, businesses can expect to further amplify these efficiencies and unlock even greater value.
Consolidating all calling needs into this already powerful platform streamlines workflows, reduces time spent switching between applications, and can lead to direct cost savings on traditional phone lines and hardware. This makes Teams not just a collaboration tool, but a complete communications and calling solution.
Proper setup and configuration are key to fully realizing these benefits and ensuring your expanded communication suite, now including sophisticated calling features, is secure, compliant, and optimized for your business. To make this transition seamless, managed service providers like All Covered offer turn-key solutions that take the complexity out of deploying and managing Calling for Microsoft Teams, ensuring you can confidently leverage its full potential for all your communication and calling needs.
Video conferencing has become the go-to for remote collaboration, but the latest tools are taking it to the next level with AI-powered features. These features enhance the video conferencing experience, making it more efficient and productive.
Cisco Webex is a leading example of an AI-powered video conferencing and collaboration solution. It offers an array of business communication features, including:
Webex's business solutions also prioritizes security, with certifications like ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and SOC 2. This, in addition to data loss prevention, end-to-end encryption, and secure guest access, makes Webex a suitable choice for businesses in regulated industries.
The benefits of Webex are clear:
The result is an estimated 204% ROI.
Cloud-based phone systems, also known as Cloud Private Branch Exchanges or Cloud PBX, are revolutionizing business communications. Instead of using on-premise phone systems, Cloud PBX leverages the power of the cloud to deliver flexible, scalable, and cost-effective communication solutions.
Cloud PBX providers host the phone system infrastructure in their data centers. Doing so eliminates the need to pay for expensive hardware and maintenance. Your business simply connects to the system via the internet, using IP phones, softphones, mobile devices, and in some cases, even analog phones.
Cloud PBX offers:
Webex Calling is a great example of a Cloud PBX solution. It offers a fully integrated collaboration platform (including M365 and Google Workspace) with advanced calling, direct messaging, and meeting capabilities, all in one app.
Keeping your collaborators informed and engaged is crucial for your business. Employee engagement and internal communication platforms provide a centralized hub for company news, announcements, and real-time feedback.
These platforms offer internal comms several features, like:
A popular example is Achievers. This platform offers a strong emphasis on employee experience and recognition in support of a strong internal communication strategy. It brings features like peer-to-peer awards, leaderboards, and personalized recognition programs. Some project management tools offer similar features.
Solutions like Cloud PBX and team collaboration tools with integrated calling are examples of Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) platforms. UCaaS platforms integrate various communication channels, such as voice, video calls, instant messaging, and conferencing, into a single platform.
These solutions help companies of all sizes address the challenges of outdated comms infrastructures.
Cloud-based communication tools offer numerous advantages over traditional on-premise systems, making them essential for modern businesses:
Despite their many benefits, some businesses still have concerns about security and compliance with cloud-based solutions. Let's address some common myths:
|
Myth |
Reality |
|
Cloud-based solutions are less secure than on-premise systems. |
A good UCaaS provider will invest heavily in security measures to protect your data. They often have more robust security protocols and certifications than most businesses could implement on their own. |
|
Cloud-based solutions are not compliant with industry regulations. |
Leading UCaaS providers comply with various industry regulations, such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, and FISMA. They offer features like data encryption, access controls, and audit trails to help businesses meet their compliance obligations. |
The latest communication tools offer a powerful solution to the challenges of outdated infrastructure and workplace friction. By embracing these tools, you can boost productivity and efficiency, enhance collaboration and teamwork, and more.
AllComms, the unified communications division of All Covered, is your trusted partner for implementing and managing unified communications solutions. We offer expertise, support, and strategic guidance to help you develop a long-term UC roadmap tailored to your specific needs and goals.
Interested in learning more? Check out our checklist, “Are You Maximizing ROI with Microsoft Teams Calling?”, or schedule a consultation today.