How Unified Communications Technology Benefits the Workplace

Kent Yunk

January 31, 2020

Unified communications (UC) technology helps organizations communicate more effectively. This increases productivity, improves employee and customer satisfaction and saves money. Your communications are more organized, transparent and easy to follow than ever before.

Here’s how unified communications technology can benefit your workplace.

What Is Unified Communications Technology?

Unified communications technology is the platform for a unified messaging system. You don't need to use different apps for different types of communication. Instead, each person has a single platform and a single inbox. All texts, voicemails, emails and faxes come to that inbox. Team members can check their inbox on any type of computer or mobile device.

UC technology also lets people get their messages in the best way at any time. Want to listen to your email or read your voicemail? Now you can.

Also, the technology lets team members and clients connect across various platforms. Through a unified messaging app, you can link together different apps and programs. Each person can communicate and share information through the unified messaging app. There is no need to leave their preferred platform.

How Does Unified Communications Technology Work?

UC technology helps coworkers tackle important work challenges via a single platform. They can log in and use the system from anywhere. They only need a high-speed internet connection.

Unified communications technology works with your VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service. All your communications, including voice calls, are converted to digital signals. They are then transmitted via the internet. UC software brings different types of communications together. They are then organized in a central dashboard.

How Does Unified Communications Technology Benefit the Workplace?

A 2006 Harvard study showed that even elite heart surgeons perform better when backed by a trusted and supportive team. Communication is essential to building that trust and teamwork. Yet communication tends to get bogged down in a modern office.

All forms of communication into a single platform helps teams better use their time. It encourages collaboration, makes employees feel heard and boosts productivity.

Benefits of Unified Communications in the Workplace

There are many benefits of unified communications in the workplace. Here are a few:

Cost control: Unified communications technology reduces your investment in different communication systems. Fewer systems means fewer opportunities for things to break down. This lowers your labor costs for systems administrators. Also, faster communication minimizes wasted labor hours. Better communication increases productivity, further improving your bottom line.
Convenience: This technology puts all your communications in a single, organized portal. It’s far more convenient to check one inbox than to switch back and forth between several.
Real-time communications: Are your coworkers down the hall or across the world? Unified communications technology makes it easy to talk, text and share data in real time.
Mobility: You never have to worry about missing a call or camping out by a fax machine. Your communications go wherever you do. All you need is a high-speed internet connection.
BYOD (bring your own device): The system works with the devices you and your team members already own. You can work on a desktop computer, a laptop, a tablet or even a smartphone. All you need to do is log in to the system.
Improved customer service: Better communication equals happier clients. It’s easy to keep them in the loop, share important documents and respond quickly to their needs.
Customization and scaling: Flexibility is one of the biggest benefits of unified communications. Whether you have 10 employees or 10,000, you can customize the system to meet your needs. It’s also easy to scale as your business grows.
Enhanced productivity: Unified communications technology makes it easy to stay organized. This boosts productivity and reduces the chances of making mistakes.
Insignificant learning curve: UC systems use an intuitive interface. Since all your messages come to the same place, you only need to learn one system. This shortens the learning curve and gets you back to work fast.
Tracking and analytics: You can track and analyze your data within the system. This lets you keep up with how well your communications are working and make changes as needed.

Why Choose Unified Communications Technology for Your Business

According to DMR (Digital Market Ramblings), office workers receive a stunning 121 emails per day. CBS News claims that only 33% of people check their voicemail. That number drops to 18% when the call is from an unfamiliar number.

Part of the reason is that it takes up a lot of time. In fact, Quantified Communications studied senior leaders. On average, those leaders spend 80% of their day communicating in some way.

Communication is the lifeblood of any successful company. Collaboration is the best way to push projects to their greatest success. So cutting down on the amount of communication is not a good solution. Instead, think of the old maxim, “Work smarter, not harder.”

Streamlining communications and making them as easy as possible on everyone is key. Unified communications technology is an easy and cost-effective way to take your business to the next level.

Factors to Consider When Choosing UC Technology

There are many different unified communications systems on the market. Each has its own unique set of features and benefits, as well as drawbacks. Here are some things to look for when choosing your unified communications technology:

Seamless integration: A unified communications system should make your life easier. Choose a system that integrates with your existing VoIP service. It should also be easy to connect to your various apps, platforms and devices.
Intuitive interface: Make sure the system is easy to set up and logically organized. Your employees should be able to learn the system and start using it without a steep learning curve.
Presence: A good unified communications system lets team members decide whether they’re available on the system. When someone is present, others know at a glance that it’s a good time to talk to them.
Global directory: A global directory makes it easy for people in your system to connect. There is no need to send invites or manually add people to different teams.
Complete communications bundling: The best systems bring together all forms of communications. These include voice, fax, text and email. They also allow you to conduct meetings from within the system.
Customization and scaling: Your unified communications technology should fit your business. It should be simple to customize, whether you have a small business or an enterprise-level organization. Your system should scale with you as your company grows and evolves.
Unified messaging support: Unified messaging is a subset of unified communications technology. It allows everyone on your team to communicate in real time. It doesn’t matter what device they prefer or where in the world they are. They can share documents and files from their favorite platforms without logging out.
Discussions tailored to individual needs: Each person can follow or unfollow discussions at any time. They can also choose whether to make a specific conversation public or private. Make sure the unified communications system you choose has strong unified messaging.

Communication is one of the most critical aspects of any organization. Employees perform best when they are part of a strong team. Customers are more loyal when they feel that their time is respected. Collaboration strengthens projects.

Yet many modern companies are drowning under inefficient and time-consuming communications. Switching back and forth between apps? Walking down the hall repeatedly to catch someone in their office? Waiting for email responses that never come? These common occurrences can all drain productivity. Morale often drops when people feel like they aren’t heard and supported.

Unified communications can solve these problems. Put all your communications in a single place. This makes it easier to keep up with conversations. Response times are faster. Employees know how to get hold of the people they need. Collaboration is simpler. Ultimately, productivity goes up, so do both client and team members' happiness. Costs go down, mistakes become less likely and project quality improves.

If you run a busy organization, you can’t afford not to invest in this type of technology.

Why 8x8?

8x8's web-based UC technology makes it easy to set up and customize communications. The system works across different devices and geographic locations.

Here are some reasons to choose the unified communications suite from 8x8:

Team chats for improved cohesion and workflow management
A single system for all types of communications
Mobile integration software for remote workers
Public and private chat settings

Collaboration is key to the success of any business. With VoIp and Unified Communications technology, you can rely on cloud-based communications. It doesn't matter how many employees you have or where they're located. Contact 8x8 today at 1-866-879-8647 or fill out our online form to request a no-obligation quote from an 8x8 product specialist.