PBX Archives - Enterprise Visions

When Planning a Move to Cloud Communications, Consider All Your Options

April 2, 2018 by ronbeltz Leave a Comment

For organizations considering an investment in cloud communications, there are generally a couple of factors driving that decision. Cloud solutions often provide sizable cost savings, with the ability to scale up or down in a subscription-based pay structure, in addition to a reduction in hardware and maintenance costs.

The other major consideration is disruption. If your enterprise is anticipating significant growth or looking for a strategic way to spark innovation through collaborative technology, cloud communications can offer great tools to fuel it. In some cases, this type of initiative dwarfs any cost discussions, because the expected return on investment should be a clear win.

As cloud technology evolves, enterprises are learning to ask more questions about the full range of options. Between retaining a legacy system and full migration, there are a lot of points along the way. When it comes to cloud communications, there is a wide variety of options for implementing new services:

Enhancing a legacy private branch exchange (PBX): In some cases, it makes sense to use cloud technology to improve the existing system. Adding features like speech recognition, artificial intelligence, or Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) can drive new efficiencies into business processes.

Moving workloads to the cloud: Some enterprises find value in shifting specific segments of their communications to the cloud, such as interactive voice response, call center functions, or texts with customers. It’s often a good idea to move conferencing services to the cloud, particularly if most of the participants in conferencing are outside the walls of the office, such as remote workers or vendors and contractors.

Moving specific users to the cloud: This works well in cases where a mobile phone is an employee’s primary communication access, or with teams whose work focuses on collaborative software or another cloud-based application.

Accessing specific services: Across all cloud communications, enterprises can consider implementing cloud options where the development of a tool in-house would be risky, costly, or too time-consuming.

With each of these considerations, the cost must still be weighed in the decision-making process, but in general, the possibility for innovation and collaboration benefits will quickly provide a positive return on investment. Organizations are likely to enjoy monthly billing reductions and lower maintenance and hardware costs as well.

Many organizations dismiss the possibility of capturing the benefits of cloud communications because of an existing contract with a legacy PBX system, but there are many options available for taking advantage of what the cloud has to offer and enhancing your current communications tools.

If you’re considering an investment in cloud communications, contact us at Enterprise Visions. We can help you leverage technology and telecom resources to equip your organization for future growth and innovation.

Why Cloud UC Is the Right Choice for Your Company

September 18, 2017 by ronbeltz Leave a Comment

Cloud technology helps companies access the latest innovations at a reduced cost compared to legacy systems. This applies not only to the acquisition of new cloud software options, but in broader terms, too, with businesses finding that the Everything as a Service (XaaS) model serves them well in a variety of areas. The same is true for cloud unified communications (UC), which is a growing market alongside other cloud solutions.

The traditional private branch exchange (PBX) phone system that has been the sole communications tool for many enterprises is making way for better and more cost-efficient technology.

The cloud UC market is growing. Cloud UC offers a variety of cloud PBX options, with the added benefit of additional communications tools like video conferencing in a VoIP format. Companies are increasingly adopting cloud UC solutions, with Software Advice finding that 57 percent of buyers are interested in switching to a VoIP cloud PBX.

Attracting the best talent is critical. Outdated systems don’t tend to attract star performers, so the adoption of cloud UC is effective in demonstrating a company’s commitment to progressive, innovative solutions in technology. The Millennial generation in particular, which is expected to dominate the workforce in the next few years, is accustomed to effortlessly interacting with cloud technology. The use of a traditional PBX system may tip off a candidate that your company is not committed to investing in technology to support a competitive edge.

Cloud PBX allows you to slash costs. Traditional PBX systems came with a heavy installation cost. Cloud UC not only costs little to deploy, but the ongoing costs decrease as the technology improves. Your maintenance and upgrade costs are also eliminated when you use cloud UC to replace your legacy PBX system.

Cloud UC supports remote access. The addition of remote employees to any company advances the need for a unified communications model. From easy, real-time communication to video conferencing, companies are able to disregard geography in hiring decisions when they have access to cloud UC. Businesses save on travel expenses because teams can collaborate from wherever they are.

When it’s time to implement cloud UC, talk with Enterprise Visions. We can help you envision your future and determine the best cloud solutions to support it.

Building Unified Communications and Improved Efficiency with Cloud PBX

April 18, 2016 by ronbeltz Leave a Comment

Integrating solutions that empower better communication between employees and clients builds a foundation that engenders business productivity and success. However, many organizations are unaware of the cost-saving advantages provided by migrating their private branch exchange (PBX) to the cloud.

With the proliferation of mobility, the increased specialization of the workforce has expanded productivity — but often the benefits of a remote workforce are counteracted by a lack of effective collaboration within the organization. Moreover, recent results of an Osterman study found that 48 percent of IT and business decision makers admit their total lack of comprehension regarding the overall impact a cloud-based unified communications (UC) solution would have on the organization’s bottom line.

However, the benefits of uniting voice, data, video, and social collaboration tools into a single functional system are very real. They include:

Measurable Cost Reductions

Utilizing the cloud for PBX activities reduces the capital expenditures normally associated with traditional in-house deployment costs. Moreover, the flexible options provided by a cloud UC solution enable organizations to migrate services at a rate that maximizes internal and external collaboration while minimizing expenditures.

Increased Productivity

UC empowers workers with real-time information. Each desktop, mobile device, and user with access is able locate critical information when needed, essentially eliminating wait time. UC improves productivity key performance indicators (KPIs) by seamlessly delivering real-time data exactly when it’s needed.

Improved Customer Service and Engagement

Even without a traditionally staffed call center, unifying a business’s PBX with cloud solutions offers customers multiple methods of contact and streamlined resolution. Voice, web chat, and email inquiries are automatically routed to the right individual, who is prepared with real-time information to serve that specific client or prospective buyer. Customer service improvements such as these have far-reaching effects that serve long-term growth and expansion goals.

Heightened Efficiency

Transforming how employees and customers communicate significantly improves efficiency metrics. Plus, the cloud offers built-in redundancies and heightened encryption for voice conversations that solve IT issues, allowing staff to focus on developing innovations that will contribute to the overall success of the organization. Businesses experience improved continuity, which supplements their disaster recovery protocols. On-site failovers are redirected to mobile devices and proactive monitoring ensures uptime.

The agility and infrastructure solutions provided by cloud-based options have the capacity to transform business PBX. Discover practical methods for building UC within any size organization by contacting Enterprise Visions for a no-obligation strategy session today.

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