Shifts in technology are rarely simple. New technologies tend to solve known problems, but they create dilemmas of their own.
The trend towards cloud services is no different. Many businesses are switching to the cloud for their communications, and for good reason. It offers significantly more flexibility and scalability than on-premises alternatives, with generally lower up-front costs. All organizations need to communicate. In the age of hybrid work, cloud is an appealing option to support remote collaboration.
When deploying cloud solutions, we must be conscious of their potential vulnerabilities. If enterprises centralize everything without backup, the consequences of any outage are severe. The need to avoid single points of failure will never change. In this post, we will consider some approaches to these dilemmas.
The growth of cloud
There is no doubt that cloud-hosted business technology is a growth market. Researchers at Gartner.
Much of this growth is driven by the trend towards hybrid and remote work, which was dramatically accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the question of where we work becomes more flexible, businesses want more flexible technology. This is what cloud provides, from storage and backup to virtualized desktops.
Our industry is no exception, as we see in the growing popularity of hosted phone systems and unified communications as a service (UCaaS). These are excellent solutions that are quick to deploy across multiple sites, and give remote workers the same great collaboration tools as those in the office.
Benefits of cloud communication
Cloud offers far more flexibility to admins and users. Our iPECS Cloud platform is a great example. This offers cloud-hosted telephony, along with unified communications (UC) features like videoconferencing and instant messaging through iPECS ONE.
iPECS ONE, can be used on any device with an internet connection. Thanks to WebRTC technology, it can be accessed through a web browser, with no complex installations required.
With cloud hosting, users can access these tools from anywhere. This supports the hybrid workplace by giving remote workers the same tools as those in the office. This makes remote collaboration easy, and offers businesses true flexibility. Adding users and locations is also easier, since you simply need to add more user licenses. This makes it more easily scalable than on-premises solutions.
This scalability especially suits large and growing businesses, but there are also benefits for the SME market. Since cloud is paid for on a subscription model, there are few up-front costs. This is extremely helpful for SMEs and start-ups looking to promote a BYOD culture.
Cloud offers great resilience as well. iPECS Cloud is hosted in tier-one data centers, away from your business location, which gives it geographic redundancy. And if there is an outage in one data center, the service automatically fails over to another.
Potential vulnerabilities of cloud
As with pre-cloud technologies, problems can arise when deployments contain single points of failure. Although cloud is resilient in many ways, an all-cloud infrastructure carries this risk.
Cloud depends on internet connectivity. Businesses with many cloud applications and users require enterprise-grade bandwidth and speeds to support good performance. Any outages to connectivity can cause severe local disruption.
This is a location-specific question. In areas with well-developed internet infrastructure, outages and poor performance are less likely to be a problem. Nonetheless, the consequences of an outage are serious if there is no backup. The risks must be taken into an account.
Similarly, a single, central UCaaS solution may be easy to deploy in a multi-site organization. But if the UCaaS platform suffers an outage and there is no backup, all sites will be unable to communicate.
Hybrid technology for hybrid workplaces
To avoid these problems, many enterprises are combining cloud and on-premises solutions. This requires strategic thought on the part of CTOs but can harness the benefits of both approaches.
For example, a multi-site enterprise might run through a central UCaaS platform but locate PBXs on each site for failover. This makes the best of both options. The cloud platform supports all sites, but there is backup in case of UCaaS or internet outages.
Hybrid solutions like these significantly reduce the risk of downtime. Our iPECS technologies can easily be adapted in these ways. The trend towards hybrid is a positive one, we have seen it led to success for many of our global partners, and their customers.
iPECS: communication solutions for every business
Technology changes, but some things stay the same. Every technology carries some vulnerabilities along with many benefits. The goal should be to harness the benefits and minimize the risks.
A hybrid strategy is an excellent way of achieving this, and iPECS solutions can sit at the heart of this approach. Our cloud and on-premises communications platforms offer advanced features with high levels of resilience, along with a comprehensive range of optional add-ons from analytics to CRM integration.
iPECS solutions can provide what all businesses should aspire to: robust technology that increases efficiency and minimizes downtime.
The modern workplace is more reliant than ever on digital technology. This makes us stronger and more efficient, but it also creates a new potential for vulnerability.
If the technology we depend on fails, business is interrupted. This can happen for reasons beyond our control, from power cuts to extreme weather. The resulting downtime always costs time and money, but the consequences can be even worse. If your infrastructure is not secure, this could lead to data breaches, reputational damage, and even legal problems.
The goal is to harness the power of new technology, while creating contingencies in case of failure. This is why every organization must have a BCDR (business continuity and disaster recovery) plan.
The unstoppable rise of digital technology
In the age of the internet of things, interconnectivity, automation, and globalization make our economies more advanced and interdependent.
Increasingly complex networks connect people, devices, and offices across borders and continents. Even the smallest businesses depend on connectivity, for processes ranging from customer relations to administration and point-of-sale.
The need to be prepared
While we live in an age of digital transformation, we also live in an age of disruption. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted economic life worldwide, while also showing us the possibility of remote work. Post-pandemic, supply shocks and inflation have brought new uncertainties.
Many businesses were unprepared for these shocks and had to improvise to adapt. Some did not survive. In the United States alone, COVID-19 caused an additional 200,000 business closures, according to research from the Federal Reserve.
In the coming months, energy shortages could bring power cuts and other problems. Businesses must be agile and prepared.
The need for robust technology
Business continuity is essential if we are to continue to deliver for customers. This is why resilience should always be a consideration when you are building your technological infrastructure.
Communication technology is a core part of this. If we cannot connect with customers, suppliers, or colleagues, we cannot do business at all. Cloud technology is bringing new levels of resilience to this vital part of business.
iPECS Cloud: bringing reliability to business communication
Our iPECS Cloud is a unified communications (UC) solution that is built with resilience at its heart.
Traditional on-premise business phone systems are vulnerable to any outages or other problems affecting your location. iPECS Cloud solves this with geographic redundancy.
The entire platform is hosted in secure data centers away from your site. If there is a problem at one data center, it automatically fails over to another. Geo-redundancy makes businesses significantly less likely to suffer downtime, so that you can continue to deliver for customers.
Business mobility is business continuity
If you do have problems affecting your site, it is essential that business continues. From power cuts to severe weather, there are all sorts of reasons why the office might have to close. Business mobility allows your team to carry on.
With the right technology, remote working has many benefits, which have become well-understood since the pandemic. These include improved team morale, wider recruitment pools, and improvements in productivity. But there is a less well-known benefit too. This is resilience.
If you can work from anywhere, this can form part of your broader BCDR strategy. Problems on your site do not have to prevent your team from working. But you will need technological solutions to support them.
Agile, flexible communications
iPECS ONE is a UC app supported by the iPECS Cloud platform. By putting all the power and features of a modern business phone system in an easy-to-use app, it brings business mobility to new levels.
It offers full UC features, with voice, video, and instant messaging in one place, along with options for CRM and email integration. This allows you to bring the office with you, wherever you need to be, with no loss in productivity or professionalism.
Better still, thanks to WebRTC technology, users can access iPECS ONE through a web browser, with no downloads at all. If you cannot work in the office, your team can still provide the highest standards of service from anywhere.
Everything is still possible, from collaboration and team meetings to administration and customer contact. With add-ons like call recording and iPECS Analytics, it is even possible to run an enterprise-level contact center remotely.
The cloud: working any time, anywhere
Cloud technology is one of the main engines behind the digital revolution. It enables us to work anywhere without compromise on quality, service, collaboration, or productivity.
The risk of disruption to business is significant, and is with us every day. Cloud technology offers resilience through geo-redundancy. It also helps to make businesses agile and prepared for trouble, whether in the form of local outages or larger macroeconomic shocks.
iPECS: your communication solution
At iPECS, we recognized the power and potential of the cloud early. This gives us experience and expertise in realizing its benefits, from productivity to resilience. Your communication solutions should form a core part of your business continuity plan.
iPECS Cloud and iPECS ONE are designed and built with this in mind – to give businesses worldwide the resilience, agility, and efficiency to face the challenges ahead and thrive. To find out more, speak to your nearest iPECS Global Partner.
Work/life balance is becoming an increasingly pivotal issue for global businesses. The global remote working revolution was accelerated, while many businesses have now returned to the office part or full-time, and many of the working habits from the pandemic have remained. This includes a renewed focus on mental health and the balance between work and life. It’s crucial that the modern business can address these employee needs.
In addition, the US and other markets are still experiencing ‘The Great Resignation’. 47 million US workers quit their jobs in 2021 alone. To support staff retention and wellbeing, businesses need to be able to meet their work/life balance demands. This need is only set to increase in the future too, with trends such as co-parenting meaning that staff will seek even more flexibility.
The benefits of supporting a positive work/life balance
Businesses need to adapt to these changing work habits, rather than fighting against them. There are demonstrable benefits to implementing a hybrid or remote working policy in your business. The first and most immediately noticeable will be improved staff morale and productivity. A new study found that staff that have the opportunity to work remotely at least monthly are 24% more likely to feel happy and productive in their roles.
Cutting out the commute to work is a huge part of where this productivity boost comes from. The average American commutes 16 miles each way to the office, while 61% of Europeans spend over 60 minutes per day commuting. Being able to spend this time productively can benefit any worker. We have even seen teams adapt sales roles that traditionally featured long travel times, converted to a remote model centered around video calls.
Being able to offer a flexible working plan provides your business with a far wider talent pool when recruiting. Many of the best candidates for your vacancies may need a role that offers them more flexibility, and being able to offer remote working allows you to fulfil this. You can also hire from a far greater geographic range, ensuring you find the right person for the role.
Finally, employee retention has also been shown to increase dramatically when more flexible arrangements are supported. One study has shown that talent is 10% more likely to stay with a business who supports their work/life balance.
How iPECS Cloud supports remote working
At IPECS, we recognize that remote and hybrid working are redefining the business world. We have worked alongside our range of global partners to ensure that our iPECS portfolio of services can continue to meet the standards of businesses everywhere. Due to this work, our iPECS Cloud UCaaS solution is now the perfect platform to support flexible businesses anywhere.
iPECS Cloud has been supporting business for years. However, we greatly accelerated its rollout to businesses around the world in 2020 and 2021 to support their switch to remote working.
The flexibility of iPECS Cloud is powered by its namesake, the cloud. Hosting iPECS Cloud systems in a secure, remote data center means that you need to host far less equipment in the office. An endpoint and a reliable internet connection are all that is required in most cases. This means that businesses can easily implement hot-desking practices for added flexibility, or simply take their device home. The uptake and feedback around this service has been incredibly positive. This led to the development of iPECS ONE in 2021.
iPECS ONE – the next step
iPECS ONE is designed around the needs of the modern business, that is to promote productivity, work/life balance and great customer experience.
iPECS ONE is a unified communication application that can be added on to an existing iPECS Cloud platform. It is hosted on a web browser, meaning it is completely portable and accessible from any location. The benefit that will be immediately noticeable for businesses is just how many features they can access remotely. This includes video, voice and instant messaging services, with one user or a group. This allows all users to communicate with the same high level of quality.
One of the concerns that businesses have with implementing a remote policy is that customer experience might suffer. With fewer resources from the office, your service can become less personalized to each customer. iPECS ONE prevents standards from slipping by integrating with a business’s CRM. This ensures that teams will always be able to access the contact details and customer data they need to provide a great service.
Finally, iPECS ONE supports the balance between work and free time. When staff are away, iPECS ONE’s presence system displays this to the rest of their colleagues through a status icon. This means there is no confusion, productivity is maintained and colleagues that are away can enjoy themselves.
iPECS ONE is the perfect hybrid working tool. To find out more about iPECS ONE, speak to your nearest iPECS Global Partner.
Cloud-based solutions are an increasingly significant part of business worldwide. This reflects broader changes in working practices and a growing push toward digital transformation.
As the internet became integral to working life and Wi-Fi speeds increased, more and more tasks could be completed online. As cloud technology developed, these possibilities increased, giving users access to more storage space, apps, and computing power than ever before, with no specialized hardware required.
Cloud technology is only growing in popularity as flexible work becomes the norm. Hybrid work was already becoming more prevalent and the cloud is powering these changes. By making information and apps accessible from anywhere, it frees businesses from the office.
This blog is about cloud service management (CSM), and how our solutions fit within a broader cloud infrastructure.
What is cloud service management?
Cloud service management refers to the control, administration and organization of cloud products and services.
What are the benefits of the cloud?
Cloud technology brings many benefits to modern organizations. These are just some of them.
Flexibility
Traditionally, workplace ICT was on-premises only. This meant that the office was the only place staff could enjoy unrestricted access to the software, systems and information required to do their jobs. The cloud has changed that completely.
Cloud solutions are accessible on remote devices – users simply need to log in from a device, and they enjoy the same functionality as everybody in the office. This can power a hybrid working culture.
Scalability
As businesses grow, scaling up infrastructure can be a dilemma. You may need to upgrade or replace hardware, which can be complex and expensive. The cloud removes these difficulties. You can simply add new users to existing platforms with the click of a mouse.
What this means is that your expansion plans will be helped, not hindered, by technology. Sometimes in business, you need to move fast. Cloud solutions make this possible.
Reduced hardware costs
No hardware lasts forever. It has to be maintained, repaired, and eventually replaced. This is true of servers, phone systems, and any other hardware solution. The expense of this can be troublesome for any business, especially at a time like now, when inflation is a problem across the world. The costs of a surprise hardware malfunction can be severe.
With cloud-based “as-a-service” solutions, organizations can remove that risk. Maintenance and updates are all a part of the service. This can also be less expensive than upfront costs for hardware, which makes cloud technology attractive to startups.
Future-proofing
Since all hardware becomes obsolete, it has to be replaced. Even if it lasts a long time, it might cease to be fit for purpose. Cloud-hosted solutions do not have this problem.
First, cloud services are constantly upgraded to meet new business needs. This allows them to evolve and develop new features. In addition, if a cloud services no longer meets your needs, it is easier to move to a new provider without the prohibitive upfront costs that hardware presents.
Collaboration
Collaboration is an increasingly valued work practice. It allows businesses to make use of the creativity and skills of their whole team, while also ensuring that workflows are not overly dependent on individual specialists.
With cloud technology, collaboration is made possible in even the most flexible workplace. Because workers can share information, apps and documents in real time from anywhere, this enables the highest standards of teamwork, wherever your team is based.
How iPECS fits in a broader cloud infrastructure
At IPECS, we saw the potential of cloud technology early, and worked to develop cloud-hosted communication solutions to realize the benefits we have described.
iPECS Cloud
iPECS Cloud takes all the power and features of a cutting-edge on-premise phone system and delivers them through the cloud. This includes call handling features that every business needs to remain professional. iPECS Cloud can be expanded upon with advanced handsets and a range of applications.
Communication is fundamental to the daily functioning of every business, regardless of every sector and size. It is how we connect with customers, clients, and colleagues. By making communication more efficient and simple, cloud communications brings productivity benefits to any organization.
iPECS ONE
iPECS ONE takes the flexibility of iPECS Cloud and multiplies it. It is a UC solution provided via an app, downloadable to any computer, tablet, or smartphone. This opens up immense new possibilities, because it gives any device the functionality of a high-powered terminal.
Users can click to dial, and enjoy the features of an enterprise-level contact center from anywhere, on any device. Better still, thanks to cutting-edge WebRTC technology, iPECS ONE is usable through a web browser, with no downloads required. This can be used to power the most flexible, agile working culture possible.
Add-ons and integrations
In addition to best-in-class UC solutions, iPECS provides add-ons and integrations that further power productivity. iPECS ONE and iPECS Cloud can integrate with all major CRMs. CRM-phone system integration takes efficiency to new levels. This means that for any incoming calls, your team will be able to view caller details, along with any notes you have on them. This allows your team to handle calls with confidence and efficiency, even if they are working remotely.
As well as CRM integration, iPECS Cloud supports a range of productivity-boosting apps that maximize performance. These include Call Recording, Auto-Attendant, and iPECS Analytics, that offers the insights you need to make the most of your resources.
Cloud-based solutions will be a core part of working life for years to come. This is why iPECS has developed a suite of solutions designed to bring the power of cloud to communications to sit within your broader CSM infrastructure. To find out more about iPECS Cloud, click here or 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.
