Business communication and collaboration

Till last year, i.e., until the pandemic arrived, communication and connectivity were never so important for the business world. But today, the concept has been changed, and unified communication is in the limelight.

As the world is researching to find a solution for COVID-19, so do new workplaces and styles continue to evolve from the embers of the 2020 pandemic. Thus, we are heading toward a new era of virtual communications.

It’s not just the budget that the team needs to think about, but it’s about experiences that they could deliver to both consumers and employees. So, what’s going to be driving your purchasing decisions as you head into the new year?

Are you ready to survive the next crisis?

We are breathing in a brand-new world driven by digital transformation.

2020 taught us that if today’s organizations want to survive, they need to be truly scalable, agile, and flexible. Moreover, they need to embrace the digital world to survive future crises like this one.

UC- the unplugged communication in modern workplace

Every year, businesses need to upgrade to be stronger against competition and market trends. This is where unified communications (UC) trends of 2021 come in.

Here are 2021 trends that will help businesses enhance their communication system, manage remote teams, and maintain productivity. Also, it will improve employees’ experience and team collaboration.

UC trends in 2021

#Trend 1: UCaaS (Unified Communication as a Service) to drive software capabilities to meet enterprise consumer’s expectations –

Business demand for cost-efficient, secure, and reliable cloud-based software is what boosts Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) innovation. UCaaS developers are continuously enhancing software capabilities to meet enterprise consumers’ expectations. Nowadays, businesses rely on highly efficient cloud-based unified communications solutions. This is because they are:

  • Secure
  • Cost-efficient and reliable
  • Easy to deploy and manage
  • Affordable and flexible than legacy on-premise solutions
  • Boost productivity
  • Minimize downtime
  • Simplifies communication management

With internet-of-things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) developments are on the rise, UCaaS solutions could be combined into other SaaS solutions to streamline processes, enhance consumer and employee experiences, and advance efficacy and accuracy. Moreover, AI-powered tools are restyling communication experience via machine learning (ML) and voice command responses.

As per Gartner’s report, about 70% of white-collar workers will interact with conversational platforms daily by 2022.

Thus, the work from home (WFH) policy will drive the organizations toward the UCaaS solution.

#Trend 2: Digital transformation (DX) – the most significant UC trend

The rising adoption of UC is owing to the rise of the digital workforce and digital transformation. UC with digital transformation innovates the workplace faster, discovers new opportunities, breaches global boundaries, and a path to better connections and high productivity.

Thus, you might have heard about the phrase UC&C so many times. It simply means “Unified Communications and Collaboration.” In short, the phrase means we can not only connect several communication systems for the digital workforce but collaboration tools too!

#Trend 3: VoIP and voice services

If you are looking for a new business communication strategy, you might have already heard about Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Sometimes it is referred to as an IP Telephony or Internet Telephony.

The development of VoIP and voice services is like the internet revolution that we saw in the 90s. The essential VoIP features include:

  • Cost savings
  • Improved call quality
  • Increased mobility
  • Faster connections
  • Advanced flexibility
  • Rich features sets
  • Faster deployments

VoIP is a highly immersive way for present organizations to make the most of the cloud’s power and a reliable internet connection.

The Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology is anticipated to take shape in unified communications. Thus, helping to make the call center more effective and consumer experience more flexible.

AI-driven IVR could cut the time consumers are stuck listening to music on hold by immediately pairing them to the correct agents. Thus, making consumers happy by delivering faster service.

Questionnaire session – to understand more about UC trends 2021

Now, you might have got some questions. Let’s face it….

The following questionnaire could help you know more about the current status of UC:

a) What is the difference between UC&C and UC?

Via a single application or service, the UC refers to the systems that allow organizations to access the tools they need for communication. This means organizations could use video collaboration, instant messaging, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), email, and faxing.

On the other hand, UC&C adds collaboration services to the unified communications mix, such as calendars, file sharing tools, scheduling, and screen sharing.

b) How does UC&C empower digital transformation?

Many fluctuations in today’s business world and continuous novel innovations have opened the door for something called digital transformation. Embracing the right digital techniques allows organizations to become more innovative and agile.

UC&C facilitates constant connections between team members in the ‘always on’ digital environment. Also, it links dispersed employees with core resources, regardless of location or time.

c) Does AI have a place in UC&C?

AI is always considered a quick go-to solution for modern businesses. In the UC&C system, AI could play an important role in enhancing business performance and productivity in various ways.

For example, virtual assistants could offer suggestions on completing complex projects or helping contact center agents deal with tricky consumers. However, AI and advanced analytics are searching for ways to get into the UC space.

Takeaway

In the end, imagine if COVID-19 could have hit us in 2005 instead of 2020, then the UC sector might have come a long way in 2020 with an entirely new look to business communication and collaboration.

Unified communication is gaining popularity day by day. Before investing, check this 2021 checklist for UC buyers:

  • The key reason to invest in UC?
  • How will UC help your enterprise to deliver an enhanced consumer experience?
  • What accessories and endpoints are necessary?
  • Which are important IT systems that one needs to integrate with?
  • Will the newly installed UC system be compatible with your existing telecom system?
  • Does your organization have privacy, security, and compliance covered?

For more such content, download our latest whitepapers on unified communications.