The Rise of Unified Communication and Collaboration in the Pandemic Era

When the pandemic caused a sudden hit to the workforce, businesses continued to switch to new and advanced technologies. During the beginning of unprecedented times, there was a sudden shuttering of offices, global lockdown, and canceling work-related travel. The businesses had to undergo a period of challenges and struggle to keep flowing with uncertainty. Still, most of the business leaders were able to overcome the crisis by embracing advanced technologies.

To make remote working more adaptable, businesses leveraged technology with marked enthusiasm. These platforms provide infinite flexibility to organizations and employees alike. It paves the way for increased communication and collaboration, which helps to keep all the employees connected in a loop, though employees were miles apart.

A unified communication platform enables employees to have real-time access to services like video or audio conferencing, messaging, data sharing, etc., and streamlines business processes. Integration with these advanced technologies enriches the face of business communications.

Virtual assistants, bots, and other technologies that focus on machine-to-human interaction have improved response times, allowing for a better customer experience. Enterprises are attempting to integrate AI capabilities into their UC platform, and the Internet of Things has allowed for the integration of communication equipment and data.

Numerous factors drive businesses to adopt UC&C solutions. Some factors include reliability, better scalability, simplified deployment models, lower telephony costs, flexibility, etc.

As businesses continue to adapt to the digital evolution, advanced communication solutions are required to cater to the diversified roles of people in the firm. Seamless connectivity and flexible device usage are essential for the employees to have communication convenience.

Cloud dependence is another major factor that is rising for businesses worldwide. Most organizations resort to the use of cloud-based services and infrastructure in the times ahead. Cloud-based communication platforms allow employees around the globe to connect in real-time.

Thus, unified communication platforms and cloud-based hosting will eliminate the need to meet physically.

The future of UC & C tools

The remote work or work from home is here to continue for the times ahead. Many of the organizations leverage the possibilities of UC platforms like:

Work from anywhere enhances employee productivity. When employees are not tethered to a fixed workspace, it gives employees more freedom to move around and work from anywhere. It helps to increase employee satisfaction and productivity.
A unified platform or a cloud-based communication solution leads to reduced silos, and employees can access data from anywhere, anytime from a cloud-based platform.
Moreover, switching to unified communication solutions is cost-effective and can consolidate legacy fees for various communication systems.

Let us move on to see some of the tips to consider while choosing the right UC & C platform for your business:

Choose a platform that can be easily customized according to your requirements for video/audio conferencing, messaging/chat, call routing or voice mail, etc.
Ensure the solution can support your organization’s work models and employees
Select a platform that allows you to conduct activities without requiring you to leave the platform
See to it that the platform is market-tested and is being used by many customers
Security should not be compromised in any way. So, ensure the platform has a proper security plan and is secure against data breaches, thefts, or any cyber-attacks.

To sum up

Undoubtedly, the epidemic has had an enormous impact on how we work and collaborate and work as we know it has been irreversibly changed. One notable example is the rapid adoption of UC&C platforms by businesses. We can expect those adoption rates to rise more in the future. Companies can be tremendous assets for helping people prosper in a post-pandemic environment if they use these solutions effectively and use the right tools for their enterprises.