What Is Unified Communications For Small Businesses?

While VoIP offers many benefits for voice calling, it also helps businesses streamline communications across multiple channels with unified communications.

If you’re looking for a solution that allows you to communicate more effectively with customers and employees, you’ll want to keep reading. We’ll explain unified communications, what it includes, and how to start using UC in your business.

What Is Unified Communications?

Unified communications (or simply, UC) isn’t a specific product. Instead, it’s more of a concept of integrating multiple communication tools on a single platform.

Unified communications is used to enhance communications with customers, which in turn can boost customer satisfaction. It also allows employees to collaborate more effectively, leading to a more productive workplace.

UC allows its users to move seamlessly through various communication channels. Think of it as a one-stop shop for communications among customers, businesses, and employees.

What Are Tools For Unified Communications?

The tools included on a UC platform vary based on a business’s and its customers’ needs. However, there are a few common communications channels that most businesses can benefit from, including:

• Voice calling
• Voicemail
• Instant messaging & team chats
• SMS/MMS text messaging
• Live chat
• Video conferencing
• Audio conferencing
• Screen sharing
• File sharing
• Email
• Push-to-talk (PTT)

Benefits Of Unified Communications

Why should you use unified communications in your business? Benefits include:

• Improved Collaboration: With UC, employees can communicate in a variety of ways from a single platform. Whether it’s through a simple phone call, reaching someone immediately with the walkie-talkie-like functionality of PTT, or engaging in a video conference, UC is an easy way for businesses to improve communication and collaboration.
• Customer Satisfaction: UC lets you connect with your customers through multiple channels. No longer does a customer have to wait on-hold to get an answer to a simple question. With features like live chat on a website, email, and VoIP systems with advanced features like interactive voice response, you can easily boost customer satisfaction.
• Supports Remote Workers: UC simplifies communications with remote workers. Video conferencing can be used for meetings, instant messaging, and team chats make it easy to communicate in real-time, and screen sharing and file sharing are additional tools that remote workers can use outside of the office. Bonus: Remote workers can even reduce your business’s carbon footprint!
• Reduced Costs: The great news is that VoIP business phone systems allow you to easily integrate communications. Whether available as part of your monthly plan or as an add-on feature, your business may be able to drop other software and programs and potentially reduce operational costs.

How To Use Unified Communications In Your Business

While unified communications might seem complex, it’s actually easy to set up and implement within your business, starting with a VoIP business plan.

VoIP (or Voice over Internet Protocol) is modern technology that uses an internet connection for voice calls. Beyond that, VoIP supports UC, boasting plenty of great communication tools on a single platform.

Of course, the tools you’ll have access to vary by factors such as your VoIP provider’s offerings, the plan you select, and any add-ons you pay an additional fee to use. The best VoIP providers offer multiple pricing plans with advanced UC features (or add-ons) that simplify communications across businesses of all sizes.

To find the option that’s right for you, make sure to do your research, ask questions to potential providers, and utilize free trials when available.