Software Service is a shortcut for small and medium-sized enterprises to apply UC

A Unified Communication Expert Group said at a recently held webcast seminar that small and medium-sized enterprises wishing to use Unified Communication should consider software as a service (SaaS) as a method. The benefits of Unified Communication listed by this expert group include cost savings, elimination of integration barriers, and the opportunity for software services to make enterprise mobility a reality.

This policy provides a fast and effective way to deploy unified communications, avoiding various obstacles that impede Unified Communication applications, such as integration issues and integration of IP technology tools and communication applications into an cohesion application.

If it is done correctly, Unified Communication is a collaboration technology that allows users to use any communication channel to find people and resources at any time. This communication capability can improve employees' work efficiency and speed up business processes.

However, for small and medium-sized enterprises, the obstacles to be overcome are larger and more difficult than those encountered by large enterprises, because small enterprises usually do not have IT professionals and have little technical budget.

Sara Radicati, president of the Radicati Group, a market research firm, told attendees that small businesses have been using very slowly so far, but this situation will change very quickly. Factors driving market growth include more software service options, faster connections, and the interest of small and medium enterprises in establishing virtual workforce. There are many factors that will work together to boost growth in this market.

Simon Edwards, BT unified communications project manager, said one factor driving SME Unified communications applications is that users are increasingly adapted to using tools such as instant messaging, social networks, and mobile apps.

Edwards says users know what Unified Communication is. Therefore, it is no longer about how to use Unified Communication in social life, but about how to use it in the workplace. To use unified communications in the workplace, SMEs must first evaluate the network infrastructure and consult British Telecom leaders. For example, a DSL network cannot support a powerful unified communication effort.

The next step is to ensure that the software service solution should not lock small and medium enterprises in a specific technology. Edwards said SMEs should ensure they do not rely on any platform. The best way is to adopt an open standard platform that allows the use of emerging technologies from different tool vendors.

Most of the time, this Expert Group did not provide the predicted Unified Communication cost because of different factors such as networks and mobile devices. However, enterprises can determine the current communication cost by identifying the current communication cost.

Edwards said that if you can calculate the cost of using emails, instant messages, telephones, and all of these applications for maintenance and mobility, it should be the cost of Unified Communication. This evaluation also helps to determine the ROI in detail, as enterprises will see the costs they may save once unified communication is used.

Taylor said that faster service capabilities, more staff participation in the business environment, and better customer service capabilities will greatly increase productivity and improve the profitability of enterprises.

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