Enterprise Cloud Communications Platform

Managing multiple communication channels across large teams can be daunting, especially when you’re trying to stay on top of ever-changing technology trends. That’s where enterprise cloud communications come in!

Communications systems have evolved to become more affordable and flexible, moving away from costly and inflexible on-premise communications solutions. With modern communications services, companies can scale their infrastructure up or down as needed without needing expensive hardware or maintenance. The ability to work from anywhere, on any device, has also become necessary for companies to stay competitive. Here, we'll look at the different functions of enterprise cloud communication systems and how they can help your business easily connect with anyone around the globe.

• What is Enterprise Cloud Communications?
• Examples of Cloud Communications Services
• Benefits of Enterprise Cloud Communications
• Best Practices For Implementing Enterprise Cloud Communications
• Choosing the Right Enterprise Cloud Communications Solution
• Bottom Line
• FAQs

Enterprise cloud communications refers to a comprehensive suite of tools and services designed to help organizations manage their business communications more efficiently. It provides top-notch collaboration, messaging, enterprise calling, video conferencing, and more. With cloud solutions, companies can access all these features from anywhere on any device with an internet connection.

Cloud communications services include a wide range of options, such as voice and video conferencing, instant messaging, email, and more. Some examples of cloud communications services include:

Contact Center Solutions

Contact center systems can be a part of cloud communications services. They provide businesses with a suite of tools and features to help streamline customer service operations. These features can include voice automation, workforce management, centralized dashboards for call analytics, omnichannel routing, advanced reporting functions, and AI-powered bots that allow customers to use self-service for their requests.

Messaging

Cloud messaging platforms provide businesses with the ability to communicate with their customers asynchronously through various channels, including SMS messaging and instant messaging.

A quick note on the difference between these two types of messaging—

• SMS is a text-based service that allows companies to send and receive short messages directly to a customer's mobile device.
• Instant messaging, also known as chat, provides a more interactive communication experience between businesses and customers and could be accessed via browsers or apps.

Both SMS and instant messaging can be integrated into contact center solutions, enabling businesses to automate responses and use advanced reporting functions. In using these platforms, businesses can ensure they remain connected and responsive to their customer base, regardless of their location or preferences in communications channels.

Cloud PBX

Cloud PBX systems enable businesses to manage their communications from the cloud, enabling them to direct their phone lines and extensions remotely. This setup allows enterprises to reduce costs by eliminating specialized equipment while providing enterprise-grade features such as call routing, forwarding and recording, auto attendants, unified messaging, and voicemail transcription.

Video Conferencing

With cloud video conferencing, employees in a business can meet with clients and colleagues remotely. It offers interactive communication, allowing real-time collaboration on projects, remote board meetings, and virtually any other type of employees collaboration. Cloud video conferencing is a powerful enterprise communication tool that can be used for both internal and external conversations.

Enterprise Calling

Enterprise calling is a voice communications solution that businesses use to connect people within and outside their organization regardless of their location. It offers various benefits to businesses of all sizes with its robust features to drive real-time conversations for partnerships and commerce.

Companies can significantly improve customer experience and reduce operational costs by leveraging cloud-based contact center technology. Here are some of the key benefits associated with enterprise cloud communications in this context:

Increased Scalability

With enterprise cloud communications services, businesses can scale their operations as needed—and they can do this quickly. This enables enterprises to respond rapidly to changes in market demand and ensure they can handle peak and off-peak call volumes efficiently. Business owners can take advantage of opportunities without worrying about running out of resources by having the flexibility to increase capacity rapidly and cost-effectively.

Enhanced Security

Cloud communications solutions ensure corporations can keep their data secure in the cloud. By encrypting data during transmission and protecting it against unauthorized access, enterprise cloud communication solutions can help eliminate the risk of data breaches and make sure that only authorized users have access to sensitive information.

Improved Customer Service

Cloud communications can help you provide better customer service by giving your customers the ability to contact you through different channels like instant messaging, email, or video—and you can manage all of these on one platform. By streamlining the customer service process, enterprise cloud communications can help businesses save time and money while improving customer satisfaction.

Reduced Costs

Solutions that fall under this category can save businesses money by eliminating the need to purchase, install, and maintain on-premise technology. By taking advantage of enterprise cloud communications, companies can free up funds that would have been spent on hardware and software licenses. Other things it can save? The time and resources required for customizations and upgrades.

Greater Flexibility

It lets firms easily integrate different tools with a single system for business communication. Companies can use enterprise cloud communication platforms for video conferencing, text messaging, and other similar services. This flexibility allows businesses to easily scale their enterprise cloud communications solutions up or down as needed, making it easier for them to meet customer demands and stay competitive.

Superior Mobility

One of the crucial benefits of enterprise cloud communications is the mobility it offers employees when dealing with customers and vendors. It allows businesses to take advantage of the latest mobile technologies, enabling them to stay connected anytime and anywhere. With enterprise cloud communications, employees can access their business communication tools from any device, allowing them to work remotely without sacrificing the quality of their customer service initiatives.

Implementing an enterprise cloud communications solution can significantly improve your business's collaboration and productivity, but it's crucial to approach it correctly. Here are some best practices for its successful implementation:

Plan and Prepare

Before jumping into using a cloud communications solution, assess your organization's existing processes. Identify areas that need improvement and determine what features are essential to the business’ workflow.

Choose the Right Provider

Once you’ve identified your business needs, the next step is to research the different cloud services providers. Select one that can help you stay productive, now and in the future. Look for providers with solid track records, and consider other factors like security, reliability, scalability, and cost. Start with 8x8—it’s been recognized as a leader in offering reliable cloud communications solutions to businesses of all sizes.

Test Before Deployment

Implementing a faulty system can have severe consequences for your business. Conduct thorough testing before fully deploying the cloud communication solution across the company to ensure it meets your organization's requirements and operates without any issues.

Ensure Seamless Integration

Make sure the cloud communications solution integrates seamlessly with your existing IT infrastructure and other applications to avoid disruptions to your business operations. Smooth integrations help maximize the benefits of the solution.

Train Your Staff

A well-informed and trained team is more likely to use the new system effectively. Provide comprehensive training to your employees to help them understand and use the new solution efficiently. (Better yet, find a provider that offers comprehensive training resources for your end users)

Monitor and Review

Monitoring and reviewing the cloud solutions regularly are critical to identifying areas for improvement and ensuring they align with your organization's goals. By keeping a close eye on the technology, you can make the necessary adjustments to make sure the solution continues to deliver results.

Update and Maintain

Regular updates and maintenance are essential for keeping the cloud communications solution secure and compatible with your organization's evolving needs. Neglecting these can limit the solution's effectiveness and potentially leave your business vulnerable. What’s great about this type of technology, though, is that you can almost always rely on your service provider to take charge of updating and upgrading it—all you need to pay attention to are announcements about changes to the system and requirements associated with them.

The power of modern communications technology can revolutionize the way your business operates. Implementing an effective enterprise cloud communications solution is the key to unlocking that potential. With so many options available, you must carefully consider your needs and choose a solution that will provide maximum benefits and help you achieve your goals.

Here are some factors to consider as you select an enterprise cloud communications service.

Understanding Key Features and Capabilities

Start by evaluating your organization's specific communication needs and then check what features do you need. When searching for the right solution, it's important to analyze the features and capabilities of different enterprise cloud communications services. Look into HD video conferencing, instant messaging, voicemail, and virtual phone systems, for example. Additionally, ensure your chosen provider offers reliable uptime and security measures.

Evaluating Providers and Their Offerings

Once you know which features are critical for your organization, you can evaluate different providers. Research the industry and read reviews from other customers to get an idea of the overall experience of using the solution, as well as the customer service and technical support.

You should also analyze their pricing structure and packages and any additional fees or charges associated with their services. When it comes to features and quality of service, 8x8 stands out from its competition. They offer unique features at reasonable prices.

Consider Industry Compliance Requirements

Another important factor is making sure that the provider meets industry compliance requirements. To ensure that sensitive information remains secure, ensure that the provider follows best practices for data protection and privacy standards (such as HIPAA). Additionally, consider whether they offer encryption protocols such as AES 256-bit when transmitting data between servers.

Some necessary standards to consider are:

• SOC 2
• HIPAA
• FISMA
• NSIT 800-53
• ISO 27001
• CPNI

Making an Informed Decision Based on Budget, Features, and Future Plans

When evaluating providers, it's important to consider each company's standard price, features, and plans to make informed decisions. Consider how much you can afford to pay for a service and determine which package will best meet your needs. Evaluate each provider's offerings and decide which are most important for your organization’s communication needs.

Investing time in researching different providers and weighing the costs against the benefits can ensure that your organization makes the best choice when selecting its cloud communications partner.

The power of the cloud is undeniable. Consider making the switch for your enterprise communications needs today. With help from professionals, the transition can be seamless - and you may wonder how you ever functioned without cloud-based systems in place.

8x8 provides reliable, scalable voice, video, and messaging solutions for businesses of any size with a full suite of features at market-leading prices. Tap into what the cloud can do for your business communications with 8x8.

Request a Quote today and see your business transform.

• Why do businesses need cloud communications?

Businesses may need cloud communications solutions for reasons like:

1. Cost savings
2. Scalability
3. Improved collaboration
4. Enhanced security
5. Increased mobility

• How do cloud communications differ from traditional on-premise communications systems?

Cloud communications systems are hosted in the cloud and can be accessed through the internet, whereas traditional on-premise communication systems are installed and maintained on a business's servers. Cloud communications allow employees to communicate and collaborate from virtually any location.

• Why choose 8x8 for cloud communications services?

8x8 is a leading provider of cloud communications services and its solutions have several qualities that convince businesses of all sizes to choose its services. Among other things:

1. It’s secure and compliant
2. It’s integrated its business phone and contact center capabilities
3. It’s reliable
4. Its analytics tools help you be more insightful about your interactions with customers
5. It’s easy to use