Putting Unified Communications to Work for You

At a time when employees are as technologically advanced as ever,

using varied communication vehicles, devoting longer hours to work,

and staying in touch using a variety of devices, there is a disconnect

between being plugged in and being effective.

WORK EFFICIENCY

A Fonality study found that for companies with knowledge

workers who average an eight-hour workday, nearly 50 percent

of that time, (almost four hours a day) is spent trying to

contact people, find information, schedule meetings, dealing

with unwanted communications, duplicating information, and

other tasks that could largely be eliminated by a strategic

approach to unified communications.

Unified communications, or UC, is built on an integrated platform to

support and enhance the wide range of communications functions

necessary in today’s competitive work environments. Voice, data, and

video communications are all managed on a single IT infrastructure that is

accessible through in-office equipment, laptops, and a range of mobile

devices.

Employees, clients, and other authorized parties can transfer calls, share

screens, send email and instant messages, and access applications and

data seamlessly, regardless of where they are located. UC systems are

quickly scalable to accommodate fast-growing companies and those that

have peaks and valleys in their communication demands.

Phone is Just the Beginning

UC Applications:

UC Applications: Phone is Just the Beginning

PhoneUC offers the functionality of the most sophisticated phone system.

The business can receive unlimited inbound and make unlimited

outbound phone calls and maintain standard functions such as call

forwarding, hold, paging, intercom, and voicemail, among others.

DataUC systems provide traditional email, chat, Internet access, and

application support just like any other computer system.

However, because UC integrates traditional phones and other

devices, including smart phones, tablets, and computers, phone

calls may trigger a voicemail prompt and voicemail prompt and

allow the employee to return a call by simply clicking on the

message.

UC Applications: Phone is Just the Beginning

VideoIf a picture is worth a thousand words, then video is

invaluable. Video communication between workstations

improves productivity while giving employees and clients

the relationship-building “face time” they need. However,

instead of footing the bill for expensive trips and meetings,

you’ll be saving money on your communications

infrastructure because UC supports robust video

conferencing.

CollaborationA good UC system keeps employees informed of co-workers’ presence and preferred method of

communication. By checking the system’s dashboard, employees can usually see whether the

colleagues they need are available and whether it’s best to communicate by phone, chat,

email, or another method.

What's In It For Me?

Considering UC:

Considering UC: What's In It For Me?

In evaluating UC's impact on real-world settings, consider this:

A company with 50 knowledge workers earning salaries between

$40,000 and $100,000 migrates to UC. Downtime is reduced and

the IT staff is al lowed to refocus on activities that benefit the

company’s bottom line. A modest, two-hour-per-day gain in

efficiency results in an annual productivity gain of nearly $1 million.

As a company grows, its employee-to-IT professional

ratio becomes more unwieldy. A Fonality report

illustrated that while a startup might have five or seven

employees per IT professional to help manage IT

challenges, when the company grows to more than 100

employees that ratio could be as much as 40 employees

to one IT professional. At 500 employees, each IT staffer

might be responsible for the technology needs of as

many as 152 people.

Considering UC: What's In It For Me?

Real case studies show how UC helps small businesses:

Case StudyVariQ is an IT firm based in Washington, D.C. President and CEO Ben

Edson turned to UC when he needed the ability to transfer calls

between his small network of employees and contractors working in

various locations. He tried free conference call services, but was put

off by the advertisements.

UC offered the solutions he was seeking—including integrated

conference calling—with a whopping 35 percent savings. Now VariQ’s

network of 45 employees and contractors stay connected primarily

through voice, conferencing, and chat functions.“UC makes us look, to the outside world, like a cohesive organization, and allows us to work

anywhere at any time. That’s a huge advantage for small companies.”

- Ben Edson, VariQ

Considering UC: What's In It For Me?

Case StudyVeteran Corps of America is an information technology products and

services firm in Illinois that gives disabled veterans a vehicle to find

meaningful work. Soon after its launch, the founders concluded that

its rudimentary communication system of cordless telephones, an

answering machine, and computers was creating a choke point and

inhibiting the company’s growth. Veteran Corps needed an anytime,

anywhere communications platform, co-founder William Wheeler

said.“With [UC], as long as someone can operate a computer, we can put the equipment in their home, and they’re fully

linked with our system, no matter where they are. That lets

us create job opportunities and grow our business.”

- William Wheeler, Veteran Corps

Drafting a Plan

Considering UC:

Considering UC: Drafting a Plan

As they evaluate UC and its ability to reduce costs and enhance

communication, collaboration, and productivity, businesses should initiate a

process that ensures the investments of time and resources have sufficient

returns. That process includes:

Evaluating the current state of communications. Conduct a thorough audit of your company’s

communication needs, and cross-check them with the functions the UC provider offers. Use this phase to

set the goals you wish to reach and identify the markers for success to help you set goals for the system

implementation.

Building user buy-in. The success and ultimate ROl of your UC implementation isn’t going to lie with your management, tech team, or even the provider. It’s critical that employees—the people who will be using the system on a day-to-day basis—believe in it. So, building employee buy-in is critical.

Vetting the technologies. Some businesses may be comfortable outsourcing email hosting but may

be uneasy when it comes to outside hosting of their phone systems. Your team will need to evaluate which

technologies are best kept in-house and which can be outsourced. Your provider should help you evaluate

your site and the existing technological capabilities to ensure that the site is ready for a UC

implementation.

Considering UC: Drafting a Plan

Accounting for cost savings. A key driver for a UC plan is cost. Small and midsize

businesses using UC strategically can enjoy significant savings that can be reinvested

in other areas to grow the company. For example, a UC system that centralizes

inbound calls and uses the company’s data network for connectivity can save a company 20

to 30 percent over legacy phone sys tems.

Developing a migration plan. Your UC provider should be able to give you a clear

understanding of the training, downtime, and other effects the migration to UC will have on

your company. Be sure to allow ample time to roll out com ponents of the system, test them

and gather feedback from your cross-func tional team to ensure that the rollout is going as

planned and meeting expecta tions.

Identifying opportunities for growth. Among the core benefits of a UC system is

its ability to seamlessly grow with your business and offer a variety of options as your

business needs them. As your business grows, conduct pe riodic evaluations of your

system’s effectiveness and look for ways that en hanced functionality might be able to

improve it and facilitate further growth.

Choosing a ProviderConsidering UC:

Considering UC: What's In It For Me?

Real case studies show how UC helps small businesses:

Ability to meet current needs. The UC platform needs to support the

techno logical functions your employees need and use each day. Your

provider should have excellent customer support and give you a reliable

roadmap for rolling out your UC platform with minimal downtime.

Features to better support in-house and mobile workers. As you consider UC

providers, look at other features the UC platform has and evaluate how those might help

your company streamline or be more effective in its current communication practices.

Flexibility and scalability. Your UC provider should work with you to develop solutions that

meet the needs of your business, based on its current size and communications practices, but

that don’t include expensive add-ons that your employees won’t use. Look for a provider

that has tiers of service and can easily upgrade your company to the next level when

growth demands.

Learn more visiting www.fonality.com or calling 1-877-FONALITY.

Visit our website atwww.fonality.com

Or give us a call at1-877-FONALITY

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