What is Unified Cloud Communications? What are its benefits?

What is Unified Communication?
Unified Communication is a set of products that provides a consistent unified user interface and user experience across multiple devices and media types. By combining instant messaging, present information, mobility features, audio, web & video conferencing, fixed-mobile convergence, desktop sharing, data sharing, etc., optimization of business processes is achieved, thereby increasing user productivity.

The Study

It was found in a recent study by analyst firm IDC that companies which use both unified and contextual cloud communications saw a 47% improvement in speed to market for products and services, 42% improvement in customer satisfaction and loyalty, and a 34% reduction in costs. The firm surveyed 805 mid-sized businesses and enterprises around their communications strategy and found, productivity, customer satisfaction, and business success were the three key benefits to cloud communications, according to a new study.

CoreIT explores the research here to understand the benefits of Unified communication. The research case put respondents into four buckets depending on their business goals. It showed communications at the top of the user list and used text and voice messaging to automate delivery of notifications for effective communication. 96% reported that frequency and timeliness of communications were effective while 100% reported it for the quality of their customer-facing interactions.

“Digital natives may completely disrupt an industry, but companies need to look at this as an opportunity to conduct business and engage customers in new ways. Our data clearly shows that cloud communications enable businesses to quickly adapt and transform and, as a result, not only survive but actually thrive in their respective industries,” said Mark Winther, group VP of telecom custom solutions at IDC.  The study was sponsored by Vonage, a cloud communications software provider.

CoreIT summarizes UC as the integration of various communications methods with collaboration tools into a single platform for distinct solutions and enhanced flexibility and scalability. We often recommend it for cloud-based UC&C platforms due to the SaaS subscription model and benefits that are greater than those achievable by personal productivity methods alone.

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