Over the next few years IP telephony will replace conventional telephone technology (also known as Time Division Multiplex, TDM for short) across much of Europe. In Switzerland, the changeover is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2017. In discussions with partners and customers, I have found that this is mostly seen as an opportunity. The changeover, and the use of UCC in particular, opens up new possibilities and applications which were unthinkable up to now with conventional TDM technology. They not only change telephony but offer a great deal besides. We could exaggerate slightly and say that this is perhaps even a minor reformation of the way in which we communicate. In this blog article I would like to go into a little more detail about the opportunities offered by the use of UCC.

Single Number Reach concept

A further useful side effect of UCC is the Single-Number-Reach approach, i.e. all employees can always be reached at the same telephone number, which is why it doesn't matter which end device an employee is using for communication. This could be a desktop PC, a notebook or –using the corresponding app – even a smartphone or tablet. What's more, the functions on the mobile devices are not restricted at all. Just like from a desktop PC, besides voice calls, chats and video calls can be made, for example. This means that employees are much more independent and can work from any location, provided that an Internet or mobile network connection is available. This is line with current requirements for a modern workplace.

Increase in productivity due to UCC

Many experts are saying that UCC solutions enable an increase in the productivity of employees. Is that really the case? I personally agree wholeheartedly with this statement. Of course, certain requirements such as the option of mobile working or multiple company locations must be met, so that UCC can contribute to an increase in productivity of employees. If employees are not always working at the same location or workspace, the use of a UCC solution alone can increase their productivity, whether this is due to the fact that these employees always have their own "communication equipment" with them or due to the standardized communication infrastructure.

Simplified cooperation

In today's working environment, it is more and more frequently the case that team members do not all work at the same location at the same time, but are spread across different company locations or that some of the team members regularly work in a home office. Although not so long ago, cooperation for these team constellations was difficult or even unthinkable, the use of a UCC solution means that this is no longer an obstacle. Whereas the Presence indicator provides information about a colleague's presence status, the collaboration features of the UCC solution enable an on-the-fly conference to be set up, for example, and extended through desktop sharing, if, for example, a project document has to be viewed together. If there are brief queries, there is no need to make a call straight away, a chat message is probably sufficient.

CRM Integration

A key requirement for nearly all applications is the possibility of connecting to other IT systems. Many well-known UCC manufacturers therefore offer pre-configured plug-ins for connecting the UCC infrastructure to the company's CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system. When a customer calls, his or her contact data can be displayed directly on the screen. This contact data can be supplemented with additional data from the CRM system. For example, it wouldn't be a problem to also display all the current queries of the customer in question, so that they can be directly dealt with. In addition, new contact options, such as chat or direct calls can be offered to the customer via the homepage.

Involvement of employees

In order to make use of all these opportunities at all, one task which is frequently neglected during the changeover must absolutely not be forgotten: the early involvement of a company's own employees. For many IT projects fail not because of the technical implementation, but rather due to the lack of acceptance on the part of users. If both technology-related departments and tech-savvy colleagues are taken on board during integration, for example, they frequently serve as a multiplier for the positive perception of the new UCC solution. And finally, we must definitely not forget training. For only employees who clearly understand what the new solution has to offer and how it can be used efficiently, will contribute to the internal acceptance of the new technology.

Conclusion

I am of the opinion that the manner in which we work and communicate has been undergoing a transformation process for a number of years. UCC solutions undoubtedly play a role in this. We should therefore try to regard this not as a threat, but rather as an opportunity for a new, more efficient and more flexible way of working. Due to this digital transformation, the world of work is already in a state of flux, which is further accelerated by the deployment of new technologies. But employees have to be ready to accept these new UCC tools, use them appropriately and increasingly free themselves from their time-tested ways of working. This is just a matter of time, however. For UCC solutions will be the standard in a few years time and telephone sets on every desk will most certainly join the annals of history.

This could also interest you:

What you always wanted to know about VoIP.
Changeover to VoIP - Use the opportunities to your advantage.
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