Ever played Chinese whispers? If you did, I am sure by now, you already know the importance of effective communication. Well, while Chinese whispers are just a fun game, it is essential to pay close attention to its dangers to avoid any kind of miscommunication in personal or professional lives.
Considering a business scenario, effective communication is an essential element of business success as it helps build a rapport within the organization and with clients, ultimately enhancing employee engagement and overall effectiveness of the team.
On the contrary, when teams fail to maintain balanced communication, they leave room for ambiguity, and the results are detrimental. If we happen to talk about this in numbers, research by Gartner states that 70% of business mistakes are a result of poor communication. Therefore, right from offering the right training to investing in most appropriate unified communications solutions can take us a long way.
Role of technology in business communication
Are you a company operating in multiple countries or cities?
Do you have employees whose role demands to be deputed at the client location?
Do you have employees who work round the clock?
Well, the reasons could be many. But today, in the digital era, where businesses see no boundaries, staying in touch and communicating on a regular basis is inevitable.
Remember, communication is the support system for every successful business. Well, this is a business technology truth that needs no proof. Today, as enterprises are widespread nationally as well as internationally, having the right unified communications solution in place is need of the hour. And since human resources are widespread too, technology is the element that can keep strings attached.
Not to forget, technology has made several changes to modern life, especially in the workplace. Right from the invention of computers to miniaturization of electronics and progress in the genre of wireless communication, everything has changed the way businesses communicate.
Overview of the role of technology in business communication:
- Development of mobile devices
- Teleconferencing
- Image Scanning
- Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tags
Take a look at how businesses are using UC tools:
- Audio conferencing (79%)
- Web conferencing (76%)
- IM/presence (73%)
- Video conferencing (68%)
- Screen sharing (67%)
- Social collaboration (43%)
(Source: http://www.westuc.com/)
How does unified communications help connect, collaborate, and drive business success
Unified communications is a concept that is rapidly being adopted by organizations of every size and type. I mean, it is impossible to find a conference room without a calling device, or a skype setup. So, let us check out why this is important.
1. Improves employee collaboration
Unified Communications solutions enable employees to collaborate and communicate from anywhere on earth. All that needs to be done is set up an interface with IP servers or IP phone users with the primary server installed at the head office.
2. Enables business continuity
Deploying the most suitable unified communications solution offers businesses the flexibility to communicate from a variety of networks such as ISDN, GSM, PRI, or VoIP, keeping in mind the national and international involvement of the enterprise.
Additionally, the best part about unified communications is the fact that enterprises can deploy the same network arrangement like the one used for data.
3. Helps stay connected with field employees
Another essential advantage of unified communications is that it supports BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and strengthens the fundamentals of staying connected with field employees, who are often available on phones or via emails.
Most recommended unified communications’ companies
As the world is moving toward a more agile way of working, there has been a noticeable shift in the way businesses communicate. As employees these days are working remotely from diverse office locations, sometimes from home, these variations make it inevitable to choose the best for supporting communication services.
Additionally, cloud adds more power to this service and gives organizations the freedom to grow in today’s complex environment. However, to be on the same page, unified communications’ vendors ensure that enterprises of every size can connect their communication offerings on the same platform. This means companies now don’t separately need to invest in voice communications, video conferencing, text messaging, and more.
Listed below are unified solutions providers that can be considered based on various aspects.
1. Avaya
Recognized as one of the most reliable and trusted names for unified communications, Avaya provides a range of solutions to choose from. Right from messages to meetings to calls to collaboration, the company offers everything under one roof.
Interesting facts: Today, over 90% of the largest companies in the US work with Avaya, and about 144 million people rely on the brand for reliable communication strategies.
2. Cisco
At par with Avaya, Cisco is growing in the unified communications space since 1984. Tirelessly working with designing unified communications solutions, the company helps businesses seamlessly connect computing devices, networks, and people to transform information at a rapid pace.
Interesting fact: Cisco is the face behind the world’s most reliable and popular collaboration tools for enterprises–Cisco Webex Teams.
3. RingCentral
Although relatively smaller than Cisco and Avaya, RingCentral is one of the leading contenders in the unified communications genre. The specialty of the company is that it works in collaboration with businesses and offers tailor-made solutions based on communication needs.
Interesting facts: RingCentral believes that no matter what their customer company type of strength is, RingCentral works passionately toward making available latest technology in the market to all.
Conclusion
I would repeat myself by saying that communication is the key to success. Hence, if you want your business efforts to flourish and transform into content employees and happy customers, master the art of effective communication and don’t forget to invest in the most suitable unified communications strategy.
