Unified Communications and Collaboration in SMEs - 5 Tips for the Right Deployment

Dhe workplace is becoming increasingly digital. This is true for corporations as well as for small and medium-sized enterprises. The technological basis for the digital office, in which employees can network more easily and share information more effectively, is provided by platforms for unified communications and collaboration (UCC). These combine all the functions for communication and collaboration - i.e., voice, video, messaging, screen sharing and file sharing - in a single, intuitive user interface. Here are five tips for the right use of unified communications and collaboration:

1)    Protect investments already made

Good UCC platforms have an architecture and platform (CPaaS) with open interfaces. This means that existing infrastructures, such as existing communications systems, CRM applications, databases, or - increasingly important today - social media platforms can be integrated into the solution and investments already made can be protected. Chatbots help to increase automation and also to realize integrations in IoT platforms.

2)    Get in step by step

Those who opt for a scalable and flexible platform that requires little technical expertise can later integrate additional employees into the UCC system all the more easily or add any additional functions that are needed. This gives SMEs future and planning security. Further advantages arise when using a solution that does not require any additional hardware: This speeds up the rollout and minimizes the installation and administration effort.

3)    Thinking about the cloud

Communication and collaboration solutions are increasingly moving to the cloud. There, the resources are available on demand. This makes the use of a UCC solution via the cloud a cost-effective alternative, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises with a tight IT budget. Not only can they keep entry costs and upfront investments low, but they can also benefit from on-demand usage and billing. Ideally, customers should be able to choose between several deployment options - from public cloud to hybrid models to private cloud in their own server room.

4)    Do not compromise on safety

Data security and data protection are also high on the agenda of SMEs. But corresponding experts are particularly rare there. Here, too, a cloud-based UCC solution plays out its advantages: A good provider offers a solution that encrypts the data on the server and during transfer. On the other hand, it complies with the strict European regulations on data security and the obligation to provide proof, which - keyword EU Data Protection Regulation (DSGVO) - are also highly relevant for Switzerland.

5)    Rely on managed services

Managed services in the UCC environment mean that user companies receive services completely from a single source. This model can be particularly interesting for SMEs. After all, it is not the number of users of a UCC solution that determines whether a managed service is worthwhile. Other factors are decisive here, such as particularly high security requirements, for which a managed private cloud can then be the best option. In addition to manufacturers, national telecommunications providers and regional specialist dealers also offer innovative services tailored to a company's requirements in the managed service model.

Author:
Drazen-Ivan Andjelic is Managing Director and Vice President Channel CEE Unify at Atos