These days, constantly evolving methods of communications, along with computing and networking technologies, have collaborated in order to create a very amazing and fresh market for high-quality business services. This is particularly because there is a consistent move in technology. Far from the traditional telephone-based system, new cloud services are becoming more popular with businesses. In some companies, they have replaced their telephone sets with their local VOIP based handsets, mobile devices, as well as computer-based handsets.
For the longest time, there had been stress placed in the development of vital in-house expertise used to drive companies to create, implement and maintain their own telephone infrastructures and manage them in-house. While those tasks turned out to be really complex, they have been adhered to in several ways in recent years, when all vital elements in a company have since moved to the cloud.
UC Functions And Features
While United Communications services are moving to the cloud, users of the cloud telephony system still want to keep all the necessary and advanced functions and features such as:
ü Call screen
ü Automatic directory
ü Auto attendant features
ü Voicemail options
ü Hold music
ü Forwarding inbound calls to pre-assigned mobile phones or handsets (follow me functions)
At the same time, caller ID management in these systems will also allow for the outbound calls to take advantage of the caller ID displays though they are created on a mobile phone or out of the house. There are specific systems that also collaborate, not just with traditional VOIP systems and landlines, but also with certain services such as Google Talk, Skype, and even though the cellphone connections of the user.
Cloud Telephony & UC Services
The typical requirements in implementing cloud telephony & UC services apply, such as knowing the number of sites and users, as well as the number of services needed. At the same time, it is also important to consider various important links to acquiring data, management systems, and key communications.
On the side of email management, most offers include links to services such as Gmail, Exchange/Outlook, Lotus Notes, as well as other higher-end mailing systems. As a result, connectors allow systems to communicate with each other, moving files to and from between them. They also link to workflow environments and collaboration with SharePoint servers and Microsoft’s Lync.
At the same time, different companies also create connectivity to management packages that focus on customer relationship, such as Microsoft Dynamics, SalesForce.com, and ACT! By Sage, as well as to other different enterprise resource platforms, like QuickBooks, Sage and SAP.
Pricing
Since the types of solutions and services are still under discussion and are cloud-based, they typically copy a pay-as-you-go financial strategy. Even though certain offerings require rental or purchase of certain VOIP handsets and use them for business use, these offers do not really need investment and maintenance of infrastructures and servers which are needed in order to deliver unified communications and advanced telephony functions and features.
Rather, companies who decide to implement these solutions typically pay a per-user fee monthly that ranges from $25 – $30 for simple no-frills email coverage and telephony structures. For more sophisticated features and advanced capabilities, $50 – $60. These features include speech-to-text and text-to-speed rendering, automated directory, advanced caller ID handling, and follow me functions, which directs calls to cellphones or desktop handsets.
However, the business behind the pay-as-you-go strategy may be favourable, especially since companies who apply this method can forgo certain services to acquire infrastructure and systems, cutting off on costs for installation, configuration and maintenance of the systems.
