Business 2.0: is unified communications the solution of the future?
Must the business of tomorrow, the 2.0 Business, absolutely use unified communications as its future-proof solution? Is this unified communications trend really as promising as analysts (and solution providers) claim it is?
In one word: yesssssss!
The advent of the iPhone changed everything … but not necessarily for reasons we were expecting
Let’s go back to June 29, 2007. Steve Jobs announced the launch of the iPhone. Apple was about to revolutionize the world of mobile telephony. As you watch the launch video on YouTube, Steve Jobs launches three products: a wide-screen iPod, a revolutionary mobile phone and a breakthrough Internet communication device.
The first announcement received warmed cheers from the crowd. After all, Apple had just completely changed the music industry a few years prior with its hugely successful iPod.
When Jobs confirmed the widely leaked rumors of a new phone, the crowd went wild as if a rock star was appearing on stage!
As for the third product, only a very “polite” welcomed the slide as it appeared on the large screen. Obviously, at the time, none of us understood that one day we would surf the Internet more often on our mobile devices that on any other devices combined.
The arrival of unified communications will change everything
Today, our mobile phones are supercomputers in the palms of our hands. Oddly, before the advent of unified communications, businesses would not reap the productivity benefits that such powerful tools enable.
Unified communications (UC) is the set of business communications services that organize various communications means, collaborative work tools, as well as existing electronic communications including, amongst others, instant messaging (aka chat) and presence.
Unified communications and collaboration (UCC) transforms the way today’s businesses operate. It enables rich connections between people, galvanizes your teams and empowers your organization to offer an exceptional customer experience.
With the help of instant messaging, you obtain faster answers from your colleagues. With video conferencing, you create richer meetings. With screen sharing you make better decisions.
With the presence function, you no longer waste time literally running around the office to see if a colleague is at her desk. Use the voice mail to email function to quickly reply to customers or to forward messages to a colleague more apt at servicing the request.
Embrace the Millennial generation
In today’s roaring economy with a full-employment market, a 2.0 Business must become more attractive for the new generation of employees. Employers can improve their “wow factor” with modern, smartphone based communications tools. In this millennial era, when the new generation takes an ever-growing role in the workforce, it is fundamental the 2.0 Businesses offer winning conditions.
According to a PwC study, by 2020, millennials will represent 50% of the workforce. However, this arrival will not replace baby boomers leaving for retirement thus creating a workforce scarcity. 2.0 Businesses must court millennials with modern tools such as unified communications and other uses of technologies in the workplace.
Millennials require enterprise mobile telephony services that unify desktop systems with mobile devices such as those from Apple’s iPhone or Google’s Android. A technology-centric 2.0 Business is poised to welcome new and creative hires that will contribute to the growth of your enterprise.
Summary
Businesses of tomorrow, 2.0 Businesses must build their business telecommunications infrastructure on unified communications solutions. Unified communications and collaboration solutions, powered by the IP4B BroadSoft platform, is tomorrow’s business communications for today.
Unified communications, with its instant messaging and presence functions, contribute to improving the productivity of 2.0 Businesses by reducing communication silos and by improving the customer experience.
To adopt unified communications is to fully leverage the power of smartphones like Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android.
To embrace the millennial generation, 2.0 Business must leverage modern technologies like unified communications.