The world is full of uncertainty at the moment. But one thing that’s remained constant is the need for businesses to evolve with the times. It’s fortunate, therefore, that evolution means progress. Many recent changes have boosted operational efficiency and increased employee productivity. The rise of cloud-based unified communications is one such example.

With modern businesses increasingly using multiple channels on multiple devices, important messages, emails, voicemails, and files frequently get misplaced, forgotten, or overlooked — especially if some employees are in the office and others are working remotely. Unified communications solve this problem immediately.

Cloud-based solutions are secure, convenient, plus they offer everything your business needs for one cost-effective monthly subscription. They also offer your team unprecedented flexibility with no expensive hardware required. Employees can login wherever they are so they’re no longer tied to the office.

Why the cloud is heaven

The number of people working at home has increased dramatically this year. The Office Of National Statistics (ONS) calculated that 47% of UK employees worked remotely during April 2020, with the proportion increasing to 57% in London. It can be hard to keep your team ticking in such circumstances. But luckily the cloud provides divine inspiration.

The cloud is effectively a secure online environment provided by a third party. Rather than housing physical hardware and backups in your office, your business data, software, and applications run in this ‘cloud’. This means you’re no longer responsible for the back-end. Updates and security are handled automatically for you.

This integrated solution begins with your broadband. Cloud-based unified communications allow everything to run quickly. Rather than using traditional phone lines, your team makes calls over the Internet instead. This ‘VoIP’ technology is high quality and includes all the usual features: call forwarding, voicemail, queuing, menu facilities, plus low cost local, national, and international calls.

With Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) ‘trunking’, where each trunk acts like a virtual line, you can easily add or remove users. There’s also ample capability to run business applications like video conferencing and file sharing. Internet access is all your team needs to stay in touch 24/7.

Integrate, communicate, and collaborate

Unified communications packages allow your team to communicate and collaborate seamlessly whether they’re in the office, at home, or on a business trip. And they do it all from one easy-to-use interface rather than having to switch between different providers.

Your business phone(s), calendar, conferencing, instant messaging, and document sharing facilities are all accessed from the same space. Plus you can also synchronise with your Google and Microsoft accounts to schedule meetings. Everything is integrated for maximum efficiency and convenience.

This total level of integration can revolutionise the way you run your business. Everybody is connected regardless of time or location. Furthermore, all the services are software driven so they’re customisable and able to meet your changing needs.

Streamlining your communications like this will not only improve productivity but also future-proof your organisation. You can add new technologies and services as they emerge so you’re set for success in the immediate future and the long term.

Save money, save worry

Some people worry that the cloud isn’t secure because they’re used to storing data by traditional means. However, the cloud is actually more secure than traditional methods. That’s because the technology is highly advanced, up to speed with today’s digital threats, and cloud providers invest heavily in security protocols.

What’s more, the cloud represents just one homogenous environment to protect. Our datacenter, for example, is highly resilient and offers full video and audio encryption so security is never compromised. We also offer a free back-up circuit with around the clock support. Traditional networks, on the other hand, consist of different accumulated technologies with many potential weak-spots.

Unified communications are also extremely cost-effective. You don’t pay separate telephony, conferencing, and application companies; you just pay one simple low monthly fee to a single provider. You can also boost business by utilising advanced Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools to improve customer experiences.

Embrace the change

Cloud-based unified communications are currently the best way to integrate your people, improve efficiency, boost productivity, and meet the ever-changing needs of modern businesses — particularly in the post Covid-19 world where remote working has become ubiquitous.

Today is also the ideal time to change: later this year British Telecom will stop selling traditional ISDN lines. This expensive and limited network is rapidly becoming obsolete and will be shut down altogether in 2025. Consequently now is the time to face the future and embrace cloud-based integrated solutions.

Fortunately it’s incredibly easy to do so. SIP allows you to migrate all your business numbers seamlessly with no service interruptions. What’s more, the new technologies are simple to pick up. It’s certainly easier than juggling multiple channels. Why keep several balls in the air when unified communications have caught on throughout the land?