Eight Steps to Reach New Heights with Unified Communications

The way businesses communicate today is changing rapidly; advanced mobile devices, video solutions and cloud computing have opened the door to new and inventive communications capabilities. But these same unified communication technologies have also driven additional complexity into the IT department. Converged Technology Group, an award-winning managed services partner (MSP) serving clients throughout the Northeast, has put together an eight-step plan for CIOs and IT professionals who want a truly scalable, secure, and converged unified communications solution that can deliver business-critical voice, video and data to the next cube, office, building, branch, state or country.

In all, the company says there are eight steps to a complete unified communications solution, and while one step can be implemented independently from another over time, a well-planned collaboration strategy will take into account an organization’s current and future unified communications needs, as well as the internal IT support required to capture the best ROI at the least cost.

To further help CIOs and IT professionals take their communications to new heights, Converged Technology Group has created an eight-step plan outlining the key elements in a complete unified communications strategy.

Click through for an eight-step plan outlining the key elements in a complete unified communications strategy, as identified by Converged Technology Group.

Take traditional voice to a new level

Consider an IP telephony solution for voice communications, which can offer significant advantages over traditional PBX systems. IP telephony can give the enterprise improved scalability and flexibility for both internal and external collaboration while also reducing provisioning and maintenance costs.

Integrate messaging technologies

Technologies like instant messaging (IM), texting, and video chatting have become both staples of the work environment and some CIOs’ worst nightmares. Look for an IP communications partner that can architect, implement and manage a single collaboration solution to unify a wide array of messaging capabilities.

Get face-to-face with videoconferencing

When face-to-face communication is an absolute must, but the rising cost of travel makes a company’s army of road warriors a drain on profits, there is another solution: videoconferencing. The right video system improves employees’ ability to communicate with each other, with customers and with business partners in a seamless way that makes video calls as easy as phone calls.

Consider collaboration

From endpoints to networks to servers, it’s critical to deploy, implement and operate collaboration solutions that have a demonstrable ROI that includes the increased productivity and strategic advantages that are created.

Keep in contact through presence

The power of instant communications has transformed the way forward-thinking enterprises collaborate internally. However, instant isn’t instant if the person on the other end of the IM, email or voice message isn’t available; that’s where comprehensive presence solutions can amplify the effectiveness of a business’ communication tools.

Extend your workforce with mobility

The explosive organizational growth of smartphone and tablet use on the job has made it critical for businesses to take the same email, document viewers and other applications that help employees be successful at their desks and push them out to mobile devices. For the CIO, this means building a secure mobility platform that IT can manage while generating a rapid ROI for the increased mobile capabilities that go along with improved employee productivity outside the four walls of the office.

Streamline your contact center

By giving customer service representatives full access to an efficient unified communications toolset, companies can streamline the communications process in their contact center and provide improved customer service at lower operating costs.

Employ managed services for end-to-end support

Supporting the wide array of enterprise communication tools available today may place an unnecessary burden on the shoulders of many internal IT departments. Managed services not only relieves the support burden from internal IT teams, but can, in many cases, improve solution ROI and reduce costs in the process.