Five Sure Signs Your Phone System is Ready for An Upgrade

Transcription

1 Five Sure Signs Your Phone System is Ready for An Upgrade BOOK

2 Getting the Most Out of Your Collaboration System We live in a world where phones are so commonplace it s easy to take them for granted - even in the workplace. As long as they re operational, it s normal to assume that everything is working just fine. But we also live in a world where technology is changing the competitive dynamics of the agency at an ever-increasing rate. Keeping current can seem time consuming and expensive, yet nothing is more costly than being left behind. The question isn t whether or not the phones work. The question is whether they are working to best serve an organization s objectives and maintain its competitive edge. In this ebook we ll examine several key indicators to help decision makers determine when it s time for a unified communications upgrade.

3 1) Does your UC system encourage collaboration or impede it? In business terms this means that the current system is no longer competitive with its peers. A few years ago, an on-premise VoIP system was the best your technology team could provide but the workplace has undergone a significant technology shift. Your phone system from even a few years ago probably doesn t support the collaboration technology that today s workers expect. To excel in today s fast-paced world, businesses have to communicate and collaborate from anywhere, using any device, on any network in a cost-effective, reliable, and secure manner. Some of the older systems have great integration with WebEx, video and IM as long as you are at your desk but what about mobility features? With the increased use of cell phones, tablets and laptops, organizations must make sure that they have a system that will integrate these features. Here are some questions to ask when looking at your system: - Can my remote employees participate easily in a meeting from wherever they are without needing access to more than their mobile phone? - What about security my employees are using mobility products, are their communications secure? - Can our team participate on a conference call and switch sessions between mobile and desk phones? - Does my system currently support a range of video endpoints for smartphones, tablets, and desktops? What about IM? Jabber? Team collaboration? Perhaps you re thinking, I ve heard this before, but our organization is fine the way it is. Before reaching this conclusion, NWN recommends some important points to consider. In a recent, professionally conducted study 60% of the organizations surveyed found that an effective UC system created an increase in productivity. Over 50% of the companies surveyed reported they found cost savings associated with the increase in throughput. This suggests that rather than simply thinking of UC as a technology, decision makers should reframe their thinking. The questions to ask are (1) whether your existing system is helping to grow your business, and (2) if it s delivering the best possible results to your end users.

4 Business Communication Performance Challenges 2) Are you managing your business or your communications system? It s safe to say few things bother IT managers more than assigning valuable talent to repair or attempt to upgrade outdated communications systems. Distributing resources to patchwork solutions is costly and unproductive. But how do you know if you are currently investing too much time in your system? Here are some questions to ask: - How many hours are being allocated to software upgrades and patches? - Do we have the budget for continual maintenance and upgrades? - How often are we replacing or upgrading end of life equipment such as phones, routers, servers, and more? - Can we easily scale up and down depending on the number of lines we need, or are our options seriously limited? - How many hours are we spending with end users troubleshooting phone system issues? - Is our phone system nearing end of life and likely to face difficulty getting support? - Do I have one number to call for issues with the system? - Do I have off-hours, 24x7x365 support for my phone system? If the hours are adding up in your head, newer VoIP systems, specifically cloud based offerings, may be a better option. Cloud providers will enable you to transfer routine management from in-house IT to the host service provider. While the vendor retains oversight responsibilities, professionals can be redeployed to mission critical issues and long-term corporate strategy. A conscientious service provider recognizes the need for speed to innovation. Cloud service solutions assign responsibility for end-to-end system upgrades, technological updates and maintenance releases to the service provider, freeing IT from the drudgery of constant patch and repair. A typical SLA ensures that performance, support, and service uptime is met on a 24x7x365 basis. Ultimately this releases all the key players IT managers, service providers and upper management to focus on driving the strategic initiatives of the business eliminating the need to place Band-Aids on aging installations and equipment. If, at a minimum, the existing system cannot easily facilitate growth, support cost-effective repairs or meet mobile demands it s obsolete.

5 3) Are you improving Customer Service or are you falling behind? Today s cloud-based UC systems not only increase communication between employees, they also expand capabilities between you and your customers, partners and suppliers. Because issues can be instantly addressed, the chances of a small irritant turning into a major problem are greatly reduced. This is changing customer expectations and raising the client satisfaction bar. Organizations without cloud-based tools may easily fall behind. Commercial Enterprise: In the world of Internet Customer Service, it s important to remember your competitor is only one mouse click away but are you? Customers today expect instant access to your organization, including the ability to reach whomever they want, whenever they want them. But not all customers are alike. Some prefer contact by phone - others do not. So how do you reach the newer generations? Newer collaboration solutions can extend traditional voice technologies via: integrated voice, video, , text, web, social-media monitoring and on-demand access to experts. Education: The education landscape is evolving. To stay competitive, colleges, universities and K-12 schools must provide the latest collaboration tools to next generation learners who not only expect them but also require them. When evaluating schools, the depth of the collaborative learning environment is a top priority in determining their choice. Tools like video conferencing and telepresence, on-demand video, Cisco WebEx, and Cisco Spark Team Collaboration help educators teach beyond the four walls of the classroom, so that students can participate in classes and consume information from virtually any location. Video and collaboration technology is also enabling students, faculty, and administrators to communicate and share ideas in new and flexible ways, expanding opportunities to learn and grow. Government: New tools, unavailable just a few years ago, are enabling government employees to connect with constituents, colleagues, and vendors more efficiently, streamlining operations, reducing costs, and increasing satisfaction. Innovative collaboration applications are also enabling programs like connected justice, real-time field data and telemedicine to make resources more accessible and enhance the citizen experience.

6 Why Cloud Matters for the Modern Organization 4) Do your budgets demand predictable costs? The cost of managing an on-premise communication system, especially one that is older, can be quite onerous. On-prem phone systems depend on infrastructure that is costly to maintain, and requires frequent software updates and patches. Keeping these systems going may be difficult and expensive, but the ultimate price of non-maintenance can be even greater. In fact, since the introduction of Cisco Unified Communications Manager Release 7.x in 2008, Cisco has provided new releases every 12-to18 months and they are not alone. So how is it possible to create a more predictable cost structure? Adoption of a cloud-based UC as-a-service (UCaaS) can make costs more predictable in several ways, including: - Transferring equipment ownership and updates from user to host provider - Establishing monthly subscription rates - Providing flexibility to expand or contract usage as needed - Setting pay-for-use-only agreements - Shifting support responsibility to the service provider whose expertise becomes part of your IT team, and is available to you 24x7x365 to operate and maintain your system Perhaps even more important is the move away from an embedded, trunk line PRI pricing model, to a more cost effective, centralized, SIP deployment methodology. Eliminating the need to pay for access to gateway infrastructure such as BRI, PSTN, or PRI creates an immediate cost savings. The reduced cost of local and long distance calling can also realize savings.

7 5) Remaining Obsolete Could Prove Disastrous Living as we do in an advanced information age, loss of a communications system can be critical to businesses large and small. During an emergency companies need to prevent service interruptions and keep people connected. A hosted UC system can avert an interruption in business simply because employees are mobile. Even if it s physically impossible to get to their office, employees can set up shop anywhere there is a high-speed internet connection and keep the organization up and running. In addition, another key element of a hosted service is the failover and redundancy built into the core offering. By contrast, on-premise systems are especially vulnerable in the event of a hurricane, tornado or other natural disaster. They can easily be shut down and it may take days or weeks before they are once again operable. Cloud based UC solutions are largely immune to physical harm and offer several benefits in case of emergency. These include: - Continuous connectivity, keeping employees connected via mobile devices or computer soft-phones as well as IM, presence, and web and video conferencing - Continuous customer service, with hosted contact center solutions that can answer client calls even if offices are closed

8 Benefits of a Hosted Communications Model Reading the Signs Do any of the issues raised here sound familiar? Then it may be time to look into the option of a more robust cloud communication service. With cloud services, frequently referred to as UCaaS, the return on investment is quickly captured and future capital outlays are significantly reduced. Operational risk moves from the company to the service provider, as does the need to keep abreast of changes in technology. Critical IT resources can be redeployed to more strategic business initiatives and leadership concerns. Employees can remain connected anytime, anywhere even in a disaster scenario. In the realm of communications, everything is changing so fast, that it s easy to get left behind. If any of the points highlighted in this piece ring true, then now may be the time to look into cloud communications services and how they can benefit your organization. About NWN NWN solves customers business problems with smart, sustainable technology solutions and services. With extensive business IT expertise including IP telephony, security, client computing, data center design and implementation, NWN offers the personal service of a neighborhood provider, the deep resources and engineering skills of a large IT solutions company, and access to the best technologies. NWN holds national Cisco awards and elite partner certifications from Cisco, HP, NetApp, EMC, VMWare McAfee and others. With more than 500 employees in 14 locations across the U.S., the company has earned accolades from clients who appreciate our deep commitment to putting customers first. Learn more about NWN s cloud-based communication solutions: Reach Out to NWN for IT Support and Planning Call Toll Free: NWN Corporation, 271 Waverley Oaks Road, Waltham, MA 02452