In a digital world, efficient, adaptable and innovative communication tools are critical to growing businesses.
How teams connect, collaborate, and engage with customers has a direct impact on a business’s long-term success. As organizations face increasing expectations for speed, flexibility, and seamless service, smart communication tools have become essential for unlocking new opportunities.
At iPECS, we believe that communication should empower businesses to do more, from streamlining workflows and supporting hybrid workforces to delivering exceptional user and customer experiences. In this article, we explore how our iPECS solutions achieve this.
Flexible solutions tailored to any business
At iPECS, we understand that every business is unique, and every business will have its own communication requirements, infrastructure, and growth trajectory. That’s why we’ve created a full range of flexible solutions, from cloud-based platforms like iPECS Cloud, to on-premises systems such as iPECS UCP and iPECS eMG100.
For organizations that want to elevate customer service, iPECS Contact Centre offers a powerful set of tools that manage customer interactions at scale with features that include intelligent routing, analytics, and real-time monitoring. Whether it’s a start-up business that wants a strong digital communication foundation or an enterprise that requires advanced features and custom integrations, iPECS allows organizations to choose a solution that fits and grows with them.
Seamless collaboration with iPECS ONE
In the modern business environment, it’s essential for collaboration tools to offer a seamless experience. At iPECS, our innovative solutions are designed to enhance collaboration for any team. Our industry leading solution iPECS ONE, brings teams together through voice, video, messaging and presence into its single, easy to use platform.
In real-time, teams can connect, communicate and collaborate with ease, optimizing the communication needs of any business. iPECS ONE is the ideal tool for remote and hybrid teams, providing access from both desktop and mobile devices and unlocking the ability for businesses to expand their teams with no boundaries on location.
Smarter workflows with communication tools all in one place
iPECS ONE and iPECS Cloud plays a key role in streamlining how teams communicate. Businesses can centralize communication channels, allowing teams to reduce the time spent switching between platforms and simplifying everyday tasks.
Real-time presence indicators and instant messaging keep teams connected and aware of each other’s availability, while the integrated voice and video capabilities makes it simple to hold quick discussions or meetings without delay.
iPECS solutions integrate seamlessly with existing business applications allowing teams to remain focused in one space, reducing interruptions to workflows. By bringing all communication tools into one space, our iPECS solutions help businesses work smarter, not harder.
Supporting hybrid and remote work with iPECS Cloud
iPECS Cloud delivers the flexibility modern businesses need to grow, support a dynamic and mobile workforce. Secure, cloud-based access allows teams to connect to the tools they need from anywhere while delivering a consistent user experience across desktop, mobile, and tablet devices.
Scalable communications
Growth doesn’t have to mean disruption. iPECS Cloud enables businesses to easily add or remove users or features based on their needs. This makes it an ideal solution for organizations that are growing or experience seasonal fluctuations in demand.
This scalability makes iPECS Cloud a dependable solution for businesses of all sizes across all industries, allowing them to grow at their own pace.
Smart communication tools to enhance customer engagement
Innovation is key to business growth, which is why iPECS ONE has an open architecture. This open architecture opens the door to a more connected and intelligent communication environment. Integration into well-known CRMs and Web APIs allow organizations to take advantage of all the systems their business uses as well as third-party client applications through iPECS solutions.
This flexibility allows businesses to create workflows that match their unique operational needs now and in the future.
Next generation tools for modern businesses
Our iPECS global partner community are leading the way in innovations using iPECS API to meet the demands of modern businesses. Innovation empowers businesses to grow and adapt to changing communication needs.
Our UK partner Pragma, is one example. Pragma have successfully developed solutions like CONNECT for iPECS which offers fully bespoke integrations into other cloud services, automatically logging calls in CRMs into AI transcriptions and summaries. Through CONNECT, businesses benefit from fully unified communications, combined with bespoke integrations and automations which are essential for any growing business.
iPECS enables global partners to offer smarter ways to engage with customers and support the next generation of communication such as chatbots, real-time analytics, and sentiment analysis through the use of open architecture.
Future ready communication for long term growth
To remain competitive, businesses need to be connected and iPECS solutions are built to evolve. Regular updates, innovation and ongoing development of iPECS ensures organizations worldwide can remain aligned with the latest technological advancements and communication tools.
At iPECS we make it simple for communication to grow as businesses grow. At iPECS we understand that smart communication is more than a tool, it’s a strategic advantage. Businesses that invest in streamlined, intelligent communication grow faster, adapt more easily, and deliver better experiences to both their teams and customers.
With iPECS, organizations gain more than a technology provider, they gain a long-term partner committed to innovation, connectivity, and their success.
For more information on how iPECS can unlock your business growth, speak to your local iPECS partner today.
A connected world is a better world. At IPECS, we are dedicated to improving productivity and performance for businesses across the world as a global unified communications and collaboration leader.
IPECS is more than just cutting-edge technology. We believe bringing communities together to succeed through collaboration leads to achieving great things. More than just communication we not only add value to our partnerships through world class communication tools, but by uniting our global family to share in our expertise, ideas, and success stories.
Driver of positive change
A sustainable and connected future requires an industry and community to work together. To lead in global unified communications, we take proactive steps to drive positive change and create technology that is easy to use, adaptable, and scalable.
By keeping humanity at the core, we create technology which improves lives, contributing to a better society in an ever changing and complex world.
Our global family
Big ambitions and dreams create big opportunities, and the IPECS family is at its best when we bring together the skills of our global communities. Based in over 30 countries, our community shapes our culture. At IPECS we encourage innovation and seek to tackle the issues that face society and communities around the world through technology and communication.
We achieve this through our monthly ‘iPECS Insight webinars’ with our community partners and annual highlight events like our ‘Global Partner Conference’. Creating these opportunities to collaborate and connect means our iPECS solutions can benefit organizations across all sectors around the world, allowing customers to connect better.
Global Partner Conference
We add value through partnership. And, the success of IPECS is attributed to our global community and shared vision and values in providing world class communication tools.
In March 2023, the IPECS Global Partner Conference was held in our home city of Seoul. This fantastic opportunity allowed our partners to reconnect, host dynamic discussions, and share the latest innovations face to face. This year’s theme #FutureTogether, celebrated our amazing partners and winning portfolio.
The conference saw insightful presentations from across the IPECS family, highlighting the continued success of iPECS and exceptional performance of iPECS Cloud.
Our Global Partner Conference is the perfect platform to connect our IPECS family and provide value to our partners unlike any other vendor. Not only does the conference fulfil the opportunity to collaborate but it allows us to share the successes of our Global Partners. We achieve remarkable things together and this is clearly demonstrated through the achievements we witness every year.
iPECS Insights
The Global Partner Conference is certainly a highlight of the year, but we continue to add value throughout the year through our monthly ‘iPECS Insights webinars’ with our community of partners.
The webinars are an excellent opportunity to share advice, essential information, and success stories with our partners. Each session offers something different.
In July, we followed up on the Project Management session held 6 weeks earlier, clarifying answers to questions raised and highlighting our priorities in the near future.
June’s session provided partners with two inspiring case studies from our Indonesian partner ITCOMM. Partners heard how ITCOMM overcame geographical challenges to win major projects.
In May, partners learned about the innovative developments happening in the UK using iPECS API to integrate third party tools such as ChatGPT.
The first session of the year in April introduced partners to integrating iPECS vUCP with Contact Center and Teams to improve productivity.
These are great examples of how we come together with partners to add value in collaboration, continuously improving the solutions we offer. The benefits are felt all the way from us to our global partner family to users across the world.
iPECS Cloud
We have shown how our collaborative approach drives continuous improvement. This is all rooted in leading-edge technology.
iPECS Cloud is leading the global cloud revolution, allowing our partners to provide a business communication solution which evolves with their customers. Like our IPECS family, iPECS Cloud brings together communication and collaboration, and provides businesses with benefits including:
Scalability – When a business is looking to expand, iPECS Cloud expands with it.
Cost savings – iPECS Cloud eliminates the need to replace or maintain outdated hardware.
Simplified communications – The platform is easy to learn with an intuitive interface which looks and performs the same across any device.
Flexible working – iPECS Cloud will work on any device, allowing teams to work from anywhere with uninterrupted access. With our mobile app and WebRTC client, iPECS ONE, business mobility reaches new heights.
Effortless collaboration – Using voice, video, instant messaging, and file sharing, iPECS Cloud makes working together simple, allowing teams to connect and communicate in a way that suits them.
Tailored to the business – Apps and integration add-ons including CRM, Skype for business, call recording and analytics can be added on depending on the needs of the business.
At IPECS, we provide the freedom to create a Cloud business to best suit your business model. iPECS Cloud is a best-in-class UCaaS solution, keeping teams connected and communicating from anywhere at any time.
Final thoughts
We become stronger through collaboration. Working with our global partners enables us to continue to provide cutting edge technologies to the market. Our monthly webinars, annual conferences, and project manager meetings enable our community of partners to deliver the best unified communication solutions to their customers.
Together, through our networks, specializations, and ideas we drive success and achieve great things.
If you are interested in finding out more about iPECS Solutions and our global partner community, please get in touch.
2022 was a year of instability, and 2023 is continuing in the same way. Inflation remains high in many major economies, while supply chain disruption is an ongoing theme.
Although many forecasts predict reductions in inflation, experts including the World Bank are warning of the risk of recessions.
This creates a challenging economic environment, which all businesses must contend with. Efficiency always matters, but especially now. At the same time, customer expectations are more demanding than ever. Customers are more informed, they expect quick, efficient service on their terms. The growth of online reviews and comparisons only increases the need for great service.
This creates a dual challenge for business. They must maximize efficiency in the face of economic uncertainty, without compromising on standards of service. This is why so many businesses are embracing the opportunities of digital transformation. This month, we are looking at how this can help businesses face the challenges ahead and thrive.
What is digital transformation?
Broadly, digital transformation is the adoption of digital technologies into business operations. This includes the shift to cloud services, which has been one of the most significant technology trends of the past ten years. Cloud is increasingly relied upon for such diverse areas as accounting and project management, as well as our specialty of communication technology.
Why has this transformation been so rapid? This technology allows us to perform the same tasks faster, but it offers more than that. It also transforms the possibilities of how we work, where we work, and the service we are able to deliver to customers.
The power of cloud communication
Cloud communication is a great example of this possibility. More businesses worldwide are migrating voice and other communication services to a cloud environment. The reason is clear. Cloud offers more flexibility. It is quick to deploy and accessible from anywhere, allowing a work-anywhere culture.
In a dynamic, challenging and competitive business landscape, this can be a significant advantage. Our iPECS Cloud is the perfect example. It offers full unified communications functionality, with voice, video, conferencing and instant messaging delivered over the cloud.
Not only does this offer convenience to users – it also allows a transformation of customer experience. Combined, these benefits can offer a huge boost to businesses as they face the challenges of 2023.
iPECS Cloud and iPECS ONE: a boost to service and efficiency
iPECS Cloud is the flagship cloud unified communications solution. iPECS ONE is the app that makes it fully mobile, giving users access on their cell phone or tablet. Thanks to WebRTC technology, iPECS ONE is accessible on any web browser with no downloads at all.
Now we will explain how these solutions can help improve service and efficiency.
Work from anywhere
As a hosted solution, iPECS Cloud is accessible anywhere with an internet connection. This is a huge benefit in the age of remote and hybrid work. It means your whole team has full access to your communication system wherever they are based.
This in turn allows businesses to recruit more widely to include fully remote workers in any location, potentially saving costs and attracting more talent. With full access to all the collaboration and customer contact tools they need, they can perform these tasks seamlessly.
Smoother collaboration
Collaboration is an excellent way to share creativity and divide tasks to manage individual workloads more effectively. However, without the right technology in place it can be difficult to maintain smooth workflows. This is especially true in an age of hybrid working, which requires some digitization of project management.
iPECS Cloud makes it easy, by placing all channels of communication in a single place. You can create instant messaging chat groups for different teams and projects, allowing everyone to share ideas and files immediately. If you need a quick video catchup, this only requires a few clicks.
Scheduling video calls is equally easy, and Outlook calendar integration ensures that everybody is aware of the meeting. Such seamless collaboration can improve both the quality and quantity of work you produce.
Multi-channel customer contact
Customer contact is changing. Many customers still want to contact you with voice calls, but preferences are diversifying. Some prefer instant messaging chats, or email forms.
Multi-channel customer contact is becoming the new norm, and it is important to be able to meet that expectation. Through integrations, iPECS Cloud can be seamlessly configured to offer customers the omni-channel experience they expect.
Service-enhancing extras
iPECS Cloud also comes with optional extras to further boost customer service. This includes an easy-to-use, cloud-based call recording tool, allowing quick quality assurance. Sampling calls allows you to assess the quality of your service, and suggest improvements and additional training where necessary.
iPECS: your communication solution
2023 will present challenging circumstances to many businesses. Economic uncertainties remain, but customers will continue to expect great service. iPECS communication solutions can help businesses to meet these challenges and succeed, by maximizing efficiency and boosting customer service.
To find out more, speak to your nearest iPECS Global Partner.
The digital transformation has revolutionized the world of work. With each year that passes, we can do more and more jobs remotely, and this is a trend that will only accelerate. But while so much has changed, certain fundamentals remain constant.
All businesses must find ways to be efficient without compromising the service they offer. Communication is at the heart of this – whether it’s allocating tasks, collaboration, project management, trouble-shooting, or customer relations.
Every business must have an effective communications infrastructure. But this presents dilemmas around cost. They could invest in hardware, but this is costly to maintain and hard to scale, and may demand extra expenses like IT support teams.
For businesses that face these dilemmas, unified communications as a service (UCaaS) is a solution that helps you build financial and operational efficiency into everything you do. We have written this blog to explain how.
What is UCaaS?
UCaaS combines two cutting-edge concepts in ICT. The first is unified communications (UC), which boosts productivity by integrating all business communications into a single platform. This includes everything from instant messaging to videoconferencing, eliminating the need to keep switching between systems. This allows your team to collaborate and communicate efficiently at all times.
“As a service” simply means the platform is hosted on the cloud and paid for by subscription. This means that businesses can enjoy all the benefits of UC without tying themselves to the expenses of hardware and in-house IT support.
Boosting efficiency and reducing costs are in the interests of every business. Next, we will explain how UCaaS makes it possible to achieve both.
Save on hardware
Traditional on-premises solutions have advantages, but also drawbacks. You have to invest in hardware that can deteriorate and be costly to maintain. You also may need technical support when something goes wrong. By operating on the cloud, UCaaS eliminates those costs. Maintenance and support are the job of the host and provided as part of the service.
In addition, users can access UCaaS on any device with an internet connection. This allows the cost savings of a BYOD culture within the office, along with the opportunity of remote and hybrid working. With UCaaS, companies no longer need large, expensive offices or the equipment that goes with them. With cloud communications, you can work any time, anywhere.
At iPECS, we offer a powerful range of productivity-boosting cloud solutions, from specialized and industry-specific applications to comprehensive business phone systems.
Scalability
Business growth is not always predictable and managing expansions can be a strain. If you over-invest in new infrastructure, you risk waste. If you under-invest, you risk compromising your operation. Scaling down is similarly tricky if you have a lot of hardware and equipment.
Thanks to cloud technology, UCaaS platforms can be scaled up and down with seamless ease. You can simply add or remove users any time on a pay-per-user basis. This is perfect for startups and growing businesses, as well as any operation in volatile and unpredictable markets. Business can change at a moment’s notice. UCaaS gives you the mobility to adapt without unexpected additional costs.
Our latest UCaaS platform, iPECS ONE, offers new levels of flexibility. Through WebRTC technology, it can run on a web browser. This gives users a full UC experience without even needing to download software, while administrators can add and remove users with ease. By taking the cost and operational complexity out of scaling, you can focus your efforts on what matters: your business.
Collaboration
As remote working becomes more popular, some business leaders feel that collaboration will suffer as a result. In fact, thanks to cloud communication platforms, collaboration can be enhanced. Video conferencing allows face-to-face meetings from anywhere. You can share screens and documents in real time or use quick instant messages to provide quick updates on your projects.
All of this is logged and accessible in one application, making remote collaboration as effective as in-person teamwork. This means greater efficiency without any additional hardware.
Our product range is designed with collaboration in mind. In a single, easy-to-use interface, iPECS ONE enables group chat, instant messaging, voice and video call, and file sharing. In the age of hybrid working, this not only enables but enhances teamwork.
Analytics
Analysis is fundamental to any business. In order to manage workflows, plan ahead, and assess strengths and weaknesses, you need to understand your current performance levels. UCaaS can be enhanced by analytics suites, offering rich insights into your operation.
This includes call metrics and other KPIs, allowing you to make informed decisions about how to use your time and resources in the most efficient way possible.
Integrations
Another benefit of UCaaS is its ability to integrate with other tools. You can use it together with CRMs, APIs and other third-party applications, providing a further boost to productivity. There is no need to be slowed down by constantly switching between different systems.
This also means that you can enjoy the benefit of UC without having to spend extra on the rest of your ICT infrastructure.
Our UCaaS solution, iPECS ONE, is one of the market leaders for integrations. These include most third-party CRMs, and many other customization options.
iPECS ONE
iPECS ONE is a cutting-edge UCaaS solution from one of the most trusted brands in the business. It is a feature-rich digital workplace that combines all business communications in one application. With call handling, video conferencing and messaging in one place, teams can collaborate from anywhere.
Best of all, thanks to WebRTC technology, there is no need for users to download a single plug-in or any software at all – they can simply open a link and access the entire service in a web browser.
If you would like to find out more about our cloud solutions, speak to your nearest iPECS Global Partner.
Why is Remote Working becoming more common?
Remote working as a form of professional working is fast becoming a new normal in our daily life. When referring to the term “Remote Worker” it is meant for boundless working environments including working from home, hotel, or just about anywhere with an Internet connection using smartphones, laptops or desktops that can provide information technology aided working.
Remote working allows employees to take advantage of more flexible time and work wherever they want, which can be a great motivator for people who are tired of the monotony and repetitive office life. It helps to maintain continuity of work even when it is inevitable to go to a designated office due to special circumstances such as childcare, business trips and disasters.
OWL Labs said 62% of respondents use Remote Workers and 48% of them do it at least once a week in its 2019 State of Remote Workers report. Also, Deloitte’s 2018 Millennials study found that 50% of millennials consider the flexibility of location where they work and hours to be very important when choosing whether to work for an organization or not.
With the development of technology for communication, such as mobile and wireless Internet, and the emergence of a variety of mobile devices represented by smartphones, Remote Working is now recognized as a common way of working.
Below are the benefits expected from Remote Workers.
- Flexible working environment can provide free from time and location.
- Work continues even in times of emergencies.
- Helps to balance the work and life.
- Cost savings for office management and commuting.
- Work satisfaction rates of employee can be improved.
At the heart of successfully settling the remote work culture, lies ‘communication’.
Nonetheless, remote working does not always solely bring benefits. There can be the difficulties when the work is being done outside of the office?
FYI said that according to ‘The Remote Work Report’, communications (27%), social isolation (16%), and loneliness (13%) are to the most difficult things to deal with when working remotely from the office. Another research also pointed out ‘collaboration and communications’, ‘work life balance’, ‘isolation and loneness’ can be some of the hardest difficulties to overcome that need special attention.
As mentioned above, we now have an improved IT infrastructure and communication means, and we have a variety of devices and applications for communication. Yet so many people are still talking about communication as the most difficult thing about remote work? That’s probably because the various communications tools and devices you’re using are not managed in an integrated way, and they’re being used individually for each purpose.
Companies should consider introducing a unified communications solution to improve communication difficulties and facilitate efficient collaboration. Unified Communications (UC) refers to utilizing of e-mail, voice messaging as well as video conferencing etc. by combining all the possible solutions into a unified platform for maximum efficiency in operation and management of the solutions.
So, what needs to be considered when introducing UC for remote working?
For successful adoption of a UC solution that will make remote working smooth and seamless, the below aspects should be considered.
1. Presence
Presence is the crux feature of UC that shows the status of a user available for collaboration. Therefore, the more details of the co-worker’s presence that are shared, the more fluent communication becomes. Not only if they are available but whether they are in a meeting, busy or in some other status that needs to be shown and the solution of your choice should provide these features.
2. Supports diverse means of communication
To support whenever and wherever availability for hassle free communication, your best options will be with a single platform, unifying phone calls, e-mails, messages, and more by means of a communications solution that supports diverse technologies and devices like smart phones and tablets. One important aspect to consider is that all the means must be made manageable in a single platform.
3. Security features that are highly accountable
It’s easy to have only the UC part, but if security and stability are not guaranteed is it easy? Some solutions over emphasis the easy part over security and that often fails to deliver the most important aspect of the professional arena, the “IT security”. Especially when you are outside the physical office, a solution must provide for the businesses safety and security which could unintentionally shift the entities’ fate. The need to communicate in an encrypted manor means other data protection features must also be secure for critical business information under the IT security control.
4. Robust collaboration tools
Multi-lateral video conferencing as well as file sharing, program sharing, remote monitoring, voice and video recording should all be supported without issue. Presentation mode, white board mode or like detailed features during multi-lateral conferencing can be very effective in delivering information for professional collaboration which must be reviewed not only for the variety of collaboration tools but also for the quality of the tools.
5. Mobile Client
When on the move or at a remote site, a mobile client is a must have component to achieve seamless communications. The availability to support mobility and mobile clients must be considered when looking for a UC solution. A mobile client that is compatible on a variety of operating systems? Does the UC solution provide a mobile client? Is the interface or UI built for convenience? There are many areas of UC that need double checking but please let the lists of considerations have mobility as a priority for your UC consideration.
iPECS provides diverse solutions for easier and more effective remote working. Click here for more information.
