Unifying communications using a cloud-based platform has become an outright necessity in today’s business world. Ensuring team members are able to effectively communicate regardless of location and having everything housed on a single platform provides your business the agility it needs to scale at will. These cloud-based platforms also allow for a greater level of business continuity should disaster strike. Here we take a look at some of the key tools that make up unified communications.
VoIP Platform
“VoIP is short for Voice over Internet Protocol. It’s the technology that makes the transmission of multimedia content, particularly voice and audio data, over Internet Protocol (IP) networks possible. Through this technology, top VoIP providers are able to replicate telephony functions of traditional telecom companies.” Being able to maintain communications regardless of location is critical for just about every business. Businesses that rely heavily on the telephone for sales outreach and client work are ditching their traditional PBX systems en masse to move to more reliable and flexible VoIP platforms.
Video Conferencing
“Video conferencing is a type of online meeting where two or more people engage in a live audio-visual call. With a strong internet connection, the participants can see, hear, and talk to each other in real time, no matter where in the world they are. In business, people typically use video conferencing to communicate and collaborate within and outside an organization. You just need to set up the necessary hardware and software to get the most out of the experience.” The need for meeting software has escalated with so many businesses moving to a work from home model during the pandemic. Some have already committed to sticking with this model after the pandemic, making this technology a necessity.
Instant Messaging
“Instant messaging improves communication in the workplace. It is more efficient than email because it allows messages to appear immediately, saving time. Through instant messaging, workers can remain in constant contact with one another in case problems arise that require assistance.” What was once a simple nice to have feature has become an integral part in both internal and client communications. Instant message tends to be less cumbersome than email and allows for conversations in real time.
CRM
“Thanks to CRM integration, your unified communications platform triggers screen pops that identify incoming callers (or messengers) and provides contextual insights into the customer. That way, employees and customers can have personal, engaging conversations they both feel good about.” Integrating your CRM with your unified communications platform helps keep your contact database organized and allows callers to access key business intelligence when prospecting or communicating with clients.
Marketing Automation Platform
Marketing automation platforms provide cloud-based infrastructure that houses all of your marketing assets and the tools needed to create, launch and analyze campaigns. Since they are cloud based, they can be accessed from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection. This enables better organization and collaboration between marketing team members.
Fax
Fax machines have certainly been phased out over the years, but there are certain industries that still rely on them. UC platforms such as RingCentral integrate with fax machines and allow for easy scanning, sending and receiving, all while keeping a record of everything that comes in or goes out.
Call Forwarding
“This allows you to route incoming business calls to any or all of your devices, to any department or any location—ringing them sequentially or simultaneously. Use custom answering rules to route calls based on criteria such as day of the week, time of day, or caller ID.” This is an essential feature that allows you to maintain communications with your team and clients even when you’re on the road.
IVR
“A well designed IVR software system can help increase customer satisfaction and improve contact center operations and KPIs. Particularly during times of high call volume, an effective interactive voice response system can help avoid hold time by helping customers find answers and perform simple tasks themselves. In cases where a customer needs or requests to speak with a person, ivr technology can help route calls quickly and seamlessly to the best call center agent to address their inquiry.”
Through our strategic partnerships with both RingCentral and Amazon Web Services, Alto9 is able to offer solutions to help you establish both unified communications and business continuity.
Download our free guide: Ascertaining Unified Communications
