Unified Communications: a Guide for Small and Medium Business - Simpson Telecom

Unified Communications: a Guide for Small and Medium Business

By implementing Unified Communications, small and medium-sized businesses can raise the efficiency in their communication to the next level.

Unified Communications – Simpson Telecom Group - Brampton, Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Milton. Telecom Equipment Supplies for Canada and the United States.

This may be internal communication between employees, or it may be with outward prospects, to whom you are trying to sell your goods or services.

Indeed, with people nowadays quite rightly expecting quick and reliable access to after-sales help and assistance, it may also be with people with whom sales have already been made.

In any case, poor communication reflects badly on a business.

For small and medium-sized businesses who perhaps don't have the capital to invest in human resources, making the best use of the technology available is the best way to ensure their communication is up to scratch.

Today, the best technology available is Unified Communications. 

By adopting and making best use of UC, small and medium-sized businesses can raise the efficiency in their communication to the next level. Helping to speed up internal processes, improving the sales operations which results in an increased level of customer service, UC can help small and medium-sized business perform way beyond expectations.

What is Unified Communications?

Unified Communications is the name given to the technology that allows all business communication to be directed to one central Internet Protocol (IP) based platform. This in turn means the employee can be reached, and can respond, at all times and wherever they may be.

Specific examples of UC practices in action include communications such as emails, SMS, voicemail messages, and individual phone or conference calls being available in text form on any device included in the system.

A well-implemented UC platform makes communication both immediate and natural. An employee can receive an SMS from a colleague on his desktop computer and respond orally on his cell phone. At the same time, a customer may send an email to a business service center, which is then automatically broadcast to the appropriate employees via an instant messaging client.

Unified Communications for small and medium-sized businesses

For small and medium-sized businesses whom need to find the most cost-effective ways to improve and expand their operations, UC brings more bang for their buck than most other investments they could make. The time saved by the increase in communications efficiency alone could be worth its weight in gold, but the benefits of UC don't end there.

By allowing employees to work effectively without commuting to a central hub, travel expenses can be greatly reduced.

Depending on the nature of the business, it may also become possible to save costs on a bricks- and-mortar office, either by downsizing or by discarding regional branches.

In helping to streamline internal communications as well as those with customers and clients, and in helping to reduce the need to travel to or even maintain an office, investing in UC is one of the most effective ways small to medium-sized business can improve their operations while saving money on things that become unnecessary. 

Where should a small business purchase a UC system?

Installing such revolutionary software or hardware can be overwhelming to businesses that have not previously employed any sort of UC practices. 

A good starting point is to explore some of the brands and types of equipment available; specifically those geared towards small and medium-sized businesses, or those on a tight budget.

For call centers, headsets are usually preferable to traditional phone systems that require employees to work with cumbersome receivers. In these cases, brands such as Chameleon and Plantronics offer UC headsets that fit the needs of a variety of call center configurations.

Should I buy brand new UC equipment?

In addition to different styles and brands, it is important to consider whether a refurbished phone system might be appropriate for your business. 

As larger businesses upgrade phone systems more frequently, numerous parts or pieces of used yet perfectly good phone equipment are often available at much less than their retail price. For small to medium-sized businesses with less capital to invest, this equipment may be the ideal solution to their communication issues.

Either way, making the jump to fully integrated Unified Communications does require an investment of both time and money. It is important to consider the individual needs and capabilities of your business before selecting a platform and brand with which to move forward, and whether to buy refurbished or not. 

However, once the changes have been implemented and each employee is up to speed, the productivity and ability to communicate of a small to medium-sized business will only find itself dramatically improved.