More and more organizations are moving to the cloud, and for good reason! The benefits and capabilities of cloud collaboration seem to be endless. From increased employee connectedness to significant cost savings by using features such as whiteboarding and analytics, cloud collaboration is quickly becoming the new norm.
Here we will review a detailed definition of cloud communications and why businesses need to begin utilizing this incredibly useful and cost-effective workforce management tool. We’ll also cover some concerns of cloud communications and how they can be resolved using Webex suite of products. Finally, you’ll get to know six benefits of collaboration with cloud communications.
Are you ready to dive into the cloud and come out on the other side more connected and profitable? Let’s find out!
What Are Cloud Communications?
Cloud communications occur in a hosting environment that provides servers, storage, data security, email, backup, data recovery, voice, and other communication resources. Basically, cloud communications are internet-based communications. The cloud’s environment is instant, flexible, scalable, and secure. Cloud communications providers own and maintain servers, giving access to all the above through their services. Customer costs are lowered when utilizing cloud communication services because they are hosted, managed, and maintained by the provider.
For the purpose of this article, cloud communications cover methods such as voice, email, chat, video, and other collaboration efforts all integrated together in one application to eliminate communication lag, offer greater productivity, and bring people together from anywhere on nearly any device.
Why Businesses Need to Collaborate In the Cloud
Usually, the first question a business wants answered about shifting to the cloud is, “Will it save money?” While we don’t know your specific situation, the answer is almost assuredly yes. Shifting away from a traditional phone system saves businesses on their communication costs because there is less infrastructure to invest in, no expensive long-distance phone bills, a smaller data center footprint, and fewer IT support needs.
Other reasons businesses should collaborate in the cloud are as follows:
- It Offers Business-Rich Features: Workforce management tools include high-quality video conferencing, content sharing, and seamless integration with third-party calendar, chat, and other oft-used software programs.
- It Enables a Remote and Global Workforce: The amount of non-traditional, off-location employees has skyrocketed in the last few years, with no signs of slowing down. With the cloud, there is no need for a VPN or separately installed phone lines to connect employees with their work. Now, the barriers have come down and meeting and collaborating with team members, wherever they are, is easy and productive—often more productive, in fact, than making everyone drop everything they’re doing for multiple physical meetings each day.
- It Supports Growth: To ensure a highly available, highly scalable infrastructure, the cloud is key. The scalability of the cloud is just about endless. No matter your need, whether you size up, downsize, specialize, or refocus, the flexibility and consistency of the cloud are always there to ensure your needs are met with ease.
- It Increases Efficiency and Productivity: With options such as whiteboarding, file-sharing, and all-in-one communication capabilities, work can get done fast. Less time is spent problem-solving technical glitches and trying to explain complex ideas. Instead, problem-free technology and real-time video and content-sharing communication help the work keep moving at an unprecedented pace.
Solving Cloud Collaboration Concerns
Some may have concerns about moving their collaboration efforts to the cloud, namely with:
- Reliability
- Privacy
- Scalability
- Compliance
- Security
Seeing that 53% of small business workloads and 46% mid-size business workloads are in the cloud, those concerns are very legitimate. However, with the right cloud collaboration suite, these concerns can basically dissipate due to the extreme levels of reliability, privacy, scalability, compliance, and security that are provided.
What Is Webex?
This intuitive and secure meeting space gives teams a place to congregate and collaborate using HD audio, video, messaging, and desktop sharing. With one click, anyone can host or join an interactive meeting with anyone from anywhere.
This technology brings people together through video conferencing, voice-to-email transfer, content-sharing, and instant messaging all in one place. These allow for increased intimacy, interaction, and understanding among even distant colleagues. It’s quick and doesn’t interrupt the flow of the meeting.
Here are a few key features of Webex:
- You get your own virtual meeting room that is accessible anywhere, anytime.
- You can quickly find people and simply drag or invite people into your room to communicate and collaborate.
- It integrates with both new and traditional ways of working, from simple calls to content sharing.
- It allows users to control where and when they can be contacted with flexible configuration options (and allows colleagues and customers to view your availability).
- The improved Call-Through allows direct dialing from any mobile device while maintaining your in-office appearance.
To take it a step further, consider the benefits of bundling Webex with SD-WAN assisting. The package boosts security, detects failures, and routes faster than traditional IP—which allows Webex to truly shine.
The Benefits of Webex
Now let’s review six of the benefits that inherently come with using Webex for all your cloud communications.
- Easy to Use
With no end-user training needed to get started (or endless help desk calls), your people will be pleased to use Webex for all their collaboration needs. The simple, intuitive interface allows the focus to be placed where it should be: on the meeting agenda and on achieving goals.
- Mobility
Regardless of location or time zone, in the office or on the go, everyone can join a meeting when it’s scheduled. Even transitioning between devices mid-meeting is seamless. Each person on a team should get the ability to work outside the confines of standard local business hours, brick-and-mortar locations, and work-only dedicated devices. Breaking free of these constraints opens the door to more possibilities than ever before.
- HD Audio and Video
With global data centers, connectivity is always of the highest quality so there is no annoyance with delayed speech or jumpy video. No matter how many locations need to connect and how many employees are joining, audio will be crystal clear and video will be of the highest quality.
- Improves Productivity
Costly, wasted time is minimized when meetings begin promptly, and people are able to be much more productive when able to communicate back and forth clearly and without interruption. Plus, productivity soars when all communications are on the same platform, making every capability accessible with the click of a button and with one familiar interface.
- Empowers Virtual Teams
No matter the media form, teams can collaborate virtually. This solidifies professional trust and business relationships. The flexibility and interconnectivity that cloud communications offer breaks down barriers between employees and the work to be done together.
- Increases Guest Participation
Extending participation beyond the four walls of a conference room allows guests and employees located elsewhere an opportunity to contribute to the conversation. Even clients and customers are better served when they can lend their voices and know they are being heard.
A Few Helpful Hints for Successful Cloud Communications
The ability to communicate through the cloud should not overshadow the need to do your part to make interactions successful.
Here are a few tips that will only enhance your team’s collaboration:
- Keep all communication in one centralized location so you can track your discussions, invite participants, and document progress.
- Don’t handle everything yourself or together as a group. Delegate tasks to individuals and be sure each knows what they are supposed to be doing, the expectations for the work, and its deadlines.
- Keep your team organized and on the same page. With this integral piece of the puzzle in place, there is a greater chance of success.
Get a Quote
To begin rolling out Webex to your organization, all you have to do is fill out our online form. A FirstDigital solution specialist will contact you and build a quote that fits your specific business needs. Get a quote now!