In our previous two blogs, we discussed the evolution of B2B communication. From the advantages of our iPECS UCP series to how its flexible, modular system architecture and cost-effective redundancy make it an ideal choice for businesses of all sizes.
Now, as we wrap up this series, we will explore the wide range of added-value applications that make iPECS stand out from the crowd. These applications meet the unique requirements of different verticals, providing businesses with professional, secure, and reliable communication tools.
Omni-channel contact centers: meeting the needs of modern businesses
Contact centers are no longer exclusive to large corporations like banks or utility companies. Customer service is at the heart of many industries, with the modern demand for businesses of all sizes to establish front-facing help desks that prioritize customer experience. These services no longer need large teams, but they do require a multi-channel approach.
Communication channels for customer service has evolved. Not limited to just voice communications, they also include email, web chat, SMS, and social media platforms like WhatsApp. This allows businesses to engage with their customers across multiple touchpoints, creating a seamless experience that meets the growing demand for customer accessibility and convenience.
The iPECS UCP series is equipped to handle omni-channel communication, ensuring that they stay connected and responsive. This boosts customer satisfaction but also drives brand loyalty in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
The iPECS UCP operator application for productivity & user experience
Another standout feature of the iPECS UCP is its custom-designed operator application. Unlike many competitors, IPECS offers its own operator dashboard that is highly intuitive, versatile, and user-friendly. The result? Increased productivity for operators and enhanced user availability awareness.
The application allows operators to easily manage multiple calls, route them efficiently, and view the real-time availability of users. This level of functionality is especially beneficial in environments that require fast, efficient call handling, such as corporate offices, customer service departments, or front desks.
Hospitality-focused iPECS UCP operator application
The hospitality sector can benefit from the hospitality-focused version of iPECS operator application. Managed through a single application, it goes a step further. Designed specifically for hotels and resorts, this application allows operators to monitor the status of rooms whether they are clean, dirty, or out of service.
It can also manage guest services such as wake-up calls. This tailored solution adds tremendous value to the hospitality industry, making iPECS UCP series a versatile tool for managing both guest and operational needs.
Secure call recording for enhanced business operations
The ability to record calls is an essential practice for many industries. Whether for quality assurance, compliance, or training purposes, businesses need a secure, reliable solution that allows them to store and retrieve call recordings easily. iPECS call recording application is a feature-rich tool designed to handle these requirements.
This user-friendly application ensures that businesses can record conversations between their team and customers while maintaining strict security protocols. The detailed retrieval system allows recordings to be accessed quickly and efficiently when needed, which is great for finance, healthcare, customer service, and legal services, where accurate record-keeping is critical.
iPECS UCP: a complete solution for every industry
Offering complete, customizable communication solutions, from omni-channel contact centers to hotel management tools and even secure call recording, the iPECS UCP series has an application suitable for virtually every industry. It’s versatility is perfect for retail, hospitality, finance, healthcare, and other sectors that benefit from solutions tailored to their specific needs.
With iPECS, businesses don’t need to look elsewhere for specialized communication tools, they can find everything under one roof. From small businesses to large enterprises, the iPECS UCP series has the flexibility and functionality to scale and adapt to any industry’s requirements.
iPECS UCP series: a wrap-around communication solution
As we conclude this series, it’s easy to see why the right communication solution can bring huge value to businesses. Much more than just a communication system, iPECS UCP series is designed to meet the diverse needs of modern businesses.
From its modular architecture and omni-channel contact centers to its operator dashboard and secure call recording, the iPECS UCP series offers unparalleled flexibility, security, and reliability. Whether it’s boost customer experience, operational efficiency, or scalability, iPECS UCP has the range of applications and security required for every scenario, and every environment, building confidence and trust along the way.
It’s important to choose a future-proof communication system that evolves to the changing landscape, and that’s what iPECS users will experience.
The future of UCaaS
Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) has already transformed our ability to communicate. Seamlessly integrating various channels and communication tools into one unified platform has revolutionized how businesses communicate internally and with customers. Through consolidating voice, video, messaging and collaboration tools in a single interface interactions have been streamlined and productivity boosted.
As we look ahead to the future, there is no doubt that UCaaS will continue to evolve. Emerging technologies will continue to leverage the power of AI and automation, creating an even brighter future for communication and organizations around the globe.
In this article, we will continue to explore the impact of UCaaS and how it will transform customer experience in the future.
UCaaS ecosystems – elevating customer journeys
As UCaaS ecosystems evolve, so will customer journeys. Interoperability will only increase as UCaaS platforms seamlessly integrate with varied business systems, providing the opportunity to create even smoother and cohesive customer experiences and interactions.
Integration and automation
CRM integration is already well established. As we move into the future of UCaaS, partner integrations across third-party applications and services will continue to enrich the UCaaS landscape, services such as advanced collaboration tools and immersive video conferencing platforms.
Our iPECS API enables continuous expansion of integration. APIs and developer tools empower partners to tailor UCaaS solutions specific to customer experience requirements.
iPECS global partner community are already leading the way with innovative applications, combining the power of UCaaS from iPECS with AI. Applications like Engage from our UK partner, Pragma. Engage is an AI-powered chat widget elevating customer experience through chat, voice and video.
Harnessing innovative technologies like AI and machine learning will improve customer experiences. Looking ahead to the future, emerging trends such as the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are lined up to redefine customer interactions. As these technologies grow and enter the UCaaS market we will be entering a new era of personalized, immersive, and transformative experiences that will enable us to tailor communication experiences even further.
Adapting to changing customer expectations
Understanding customer expectations
Customer expectations are continually shaped by technological advancements, cultural shifts, and industry trends. From the rise of mobile connectivity to the growing emphasis on sustainability, businesses need to adapt and take advantage of these changes to stay competitive.
Staying at the forefront of evolving expectations is crucial for remaining relevant and meeting the needs of customers. Our global partner community are attuned to staying ahead of the curve and through continued collaboration we can continue to be leaders in innovative technology and customer experience.
Personalized customer experience
UCaaS solutions offer the capability to personalize interactions with customers at scale. By leveraging data analytics, customer insights, and automation, businesses can not only tailor communications, offers, and support services to individual customer preferences but also anticipate their needs before they arise.
As AI algorithms advance, businesses will be able to harness this to create even more personalized experiences, delivering targeted marketing messages and providing customized product recommendations with exceptional accuracy and relevance. These personalized experiences will allow businesses to forge deeper connections with their customers resulting in loyal, long-term partnerships.
Omni-channel communication strategies
As we head into the future, UCaaS integration and automation will take omni-channel communication strategies to new levels, transforming the customer experience across every touchpoint. As the omni-channel landscape evolves, UCaaS platforms will be even more instrumental in streamlining communication workflows and ensuring consistency across multiple channels.
As we are already seeing in our partner community, leveraging advanced AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants will be central to UCaaS, providing real-time, personalized support across voice, email, chat, social media, and beyond. By seamlessly integrating these channels within UCaaS ecosystems, businesses will deliver not only consistent but also pre-emptive, context-aware experiences, taking the overall customer journey to new levels.
Real-time feedback
Leveraging UCaaS analytics tools to track customer interactions, sentiment, and satisfaction levels in real-time is already underway and is only set to continue. By harnessing the power of advanced sentiment analysis and predictive analytics to foresee customer needs and preferences, customer experiences will be boosted.
As real-time feedback increases, organizations will not only be able to identify areas for improvement quicker but also seize opportunities for differentiation and innovation, ensuring that their offerings remain relevant and competitive.
Adapting strategies for different customers
As we know, the flexibility of UCaaS platforms allows businesses to tailor communication channels and messaging to appeal to specific audiences. As the integration of advanced AI-driven algorithms strengthens, businesses will be able to adapt their customer experience strategies based on real-time customer behavior and preferences.
By embracing this adaptive approach, we can ensure inclusivity and relevance across diverse customer sectors, generating deeper connections and driving sustained growth in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Embracing the future of UCaaS for enhanced customer experiences
As we navigate the changing landscape of customer expectations, the future of UCaaS holds immense promise for transforming the way businesses engage with their customers. With the ability to seamlessly integrate a range of communication channels, harness innovative technologies like AI and machine learning, and provide real-time insights, UCaaS allows businesses to deliver truly personalized experiences.
At IPECS, our global partner community will continue to be at the forefront of UCaaS technology, embracing the future and unlocking the potential of modern technologies and creating exceptional customer experiences.
Together, we can shape a future where every interaction leaves a lasting impression, and every customer feels truly valued.
Communication is essential for business success. In order to connect with customers and collaborate with colleagues, you need reliable and effective communication technology. Otherwise, efficient workflow will never be possible.
Voice calls are a vital part of this, but video calls and instant messaging are just as important, especially for collaboration. Meanwhile, businesses need to consider how they access these vital tools. With more people working from home and the rise of hybrid work, you need a solution that makes this possible.
Choosing the right technology is essential. Today, we are considering how to make that choice – and explaining why iPECS Cloud could be the answer. We will start with a brief introduction to UCaaS.
What is UCaaS?
UCaaS stands for unified communications as-a-service. We can break the term into two parts. By “unified communications”, we mean the ability to use multiple channels of communication from one platform. Instead of having separate voice, video and instant messaging platforms, you access all of them in one place. This is much more efficient.
The “as a service” model simply means that the platform is a software product, delivered as a cloud service. It is a more modern and flexible alternative to on-premise systems. Before introducing iPECS Cloud, we will briefly explain what this model involves.
How do cloud communications work?
We can contrast cloud systems with on-premise. Traditional on-premise phone systems are hardware, located on your site. They will generally have a limit on the number of users, and in some cases may restrict you to working in the office. You purchase the system either up front or using finance, and are responsible for maintaining it.
A cloud communications system will offer more features, in a much more flexible way. First, like all cloud services it is hosted off your premises. You access it over the internet, which means you can use it from anywhere. Instead of paying a large sum up front, you pay a subscription, normally monthly, for each user. These costs will include maintenance and updates to the software. Cloud solutions are also more scalable, as you can simply add users as required.
This makes cloud more flexible, and so it is no surprise that so many businesses are turning to UCaaS for their communication. Now, we will explain the benefits of our own UCaaS solution: iPECS Cloud.
Introducing iPECS Cloud
iPECS Cloud is one of the leading UCaaS platforms. Trusted by thousands of businesses worldwide, it offers all the benefits we have discussed as well as many more. We will conclude by highlighting how it meets the most important needs for a UCaaS solution.
Boost productivity
As a UCaaS platform, iPECS Cloud provides voice, video and instant messaging in one place. This saves the time you would spend flicking between these services, and provides richer communication options. For connecting with customers, you will experience rich call management features, allowing you to set up and monitor efficient call queues with ease on one screen.
Video and instant messaging provide great collaboration options. You can create instant messaging groups for different projects and departments, so that all stakeholders can rapidly communicate and share files in one place. If you need to escalate to a video call, iPECS Cloud allows you to do this in a few clicks.
Work anywhere
With the rise of hybrid work, the ability to work from outside the office is increasingly important. iPECS Cloud makes this exceptionally easy. Users can log in from anywhere with an internet connection.
Flexible working is enhanced further by iPECS ONE, our mobile and WebRTC-powered browser app. This puts the full power of iPECS Cloud into any device, anywhere, so that you can be more flexible and more productive.
Additional features
UCaaS is a great option for almost any business, but many organizations have more specialized requirements. When approaching a new UCaaS platform, it is essential to ask whether it meets all your organizational needs. iPECS Cloud is an excellent example here, because it can be adapted to any business.
For example, it can be integrated with major CRMs. This will allow further productivity-boosting features, including the ability to click to dial contacts. Other optional extras include iPECS Analytics, which delivers real-time wallboards and regular, automated reports showing call-related performance and KPIs. These insights allow you to make smarter decisions
Resilience and business continuity
Another important consideration is the ongoing performance and security of your UCaaS solution. The features matter, but you need to be assured of security and business continuity. iPECS Cloud offers both in abundance.
For resilience, the platform is hosted in high-quality data centers away from your site. This offers geographical redundancy and significantly reduces the risks of outages. It is also possible to pair with an on-premise platform from iPECS for a failover option, and many of our global partners have delivered a hybrid solution like this for maximum resilience.
iPECS: your communication solution
UCaaS is an increasingly popular way to deliver enterprise communication technology. As hybrid work becomes the dominant model and more businesses place trust in cloud services, it is no wonder.
iPECS Cloud is the choice of businesses of all sizes across the world. To find out more about what iPECS Cloud can do for your business, contact your local 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.
Changing communication practices and working environments have left some businesses disconnected from their employees. Maintaining team collaboration was a reason for the shift toward cloud services and that global businesses took over the past eighteen months. Voice communication has always been preferred for business’ customer interaction, but for team collaboration there has been an increased demand for video, messaging, analytics and integrations. This is where iPECS services have allowed businesses to thrive.
With businesses now seeing the benefits that effective team collaboration has on productivity and customer service, there is a drive to find solutions that provide this. iPECS ONE and other iPECS Cloud services help businesses manage collaboration and keep their entire team productive and motivated.
Creating an effective collaboration environment
iPECS ONE promotes collaboration in the office. Being powered by WebRTC technology means that iPECS ONE allows you to access video conferencing in real time on a Chrome browser, no matter where your team are based. This is useful for teams in the same office, working across multiple offices or working remotely. The WebRTC framework makes initiating meetings between staff faster and more accessible than ever before.
Part of the push towards cloud services involves staff using personal devices for their work. iPECS ONE is compatible with a wide range of these devices. Smartphones, tablets, laptops, and Macs are all supported. iPECS ONE supports video conferences of up to 15 participants. This can be either members of your team or 3rd party users, each using a device of their choice. This makes effective collaboration more accessible to a wider range of users without the need to download additional software or applications.
Presence displays whether individual colleagues are online and ready to collaborate, away from their workspace, or busy on a different call. This ensures there is no confusion when it comes to arranging meetings amongst staff. iPECS ONE also includes instant messaging, that allows you to reach colleagues and share information in a fast and professional way.
Facilitating teamwork from any location
One of the greatest challenges for any business looking to adopt a remote working policy is how they maintain collaboration amongst their team. If users cannot effectively reach their colleagues and customers, then they will feel isolated and unproductive.
The iPECS range of mobile apps counters this. iPECS ONE mobile delivers a consistent user experience on both Android and iOS devices. The Mobile client contains all the UC features users have come to expect. From call management services to instant messaging and video conferencing.
When users are working on the go, they still need to be able to contact their team. We understand that not every role is static, and iPECS Cloud support this. When making calls on an iPECS Cloud system, users can switch devices instantly, meaning they can stay on calls even when they are on the move. This enables better collaboration amongst users in sales or support roles who travel frequently.
Analytics supports staff
Team collaboration is not just about hosting calls and video conferences, it also means guaranteeing that your team are always supported. The new iPECS Analytics suite has features that make this possible.
A live wallboard shows how many calls each member of staff handle every day. This allows management teams to understand who is performing well and can easily identify where added support is needed. This extends to remote staff as well. Without the right analytics tools, it can be a challenge to see when staff working away from the office require extra support. iPECS Analytics allows you to identify remote staff at risk of being overwhelmed and offer them additional training or resources when required.
Integrations improve workplace efficiency
iPECS ONE integrates with over 60 major CRMs. This revolutionizes the way that you and your colleagues can collaborate on customer projects. With iPECS ONE you can update CRM details for individual clients, and that information will instantly be added to your communication service. This means your system is always up to date with the most important customer information and your staff can respond in a more personalized way to each client.
When customers call in to your business, Inbound CRM Record Population quickly displays customer details, added by your team. This data helps you to provide a bespoke service for each customer.
When staff are working across many different roles or locations it’s difficult to schedule meetings that everyone will reliably attend. iPECS Cloud integrates alongside scheduling and productivity software such as Outlook. This ensures staff have a clear view of when meetings are taking place and who else is attending.
Collaborate securely
Collaboration is crucial for business success, but it needs to be handled securely. This is especially true when staff work remotely and are using personal devices. Video Conferencing & Sharing among your teams is done on encrypted media by sRTP/DTLS so your teams can communicate visually and share contents securely using WebRTC.
All our Cloud services at IPECS are market orientated and designed to facilitate team collaboration. If you would like to find out more about our cloud solutions, speak to your nearest iPECS Global Partner.
