Is Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) the same thing as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)?
NO but they are closely related.
VoIP is a technology that allows telephone calls to be placed over the Internet instead of using traditional Telco (phone company) copper wires. It’s primary appeal is that it is less expensive than landlines, it’s easy, portable and can also be extremely reliable depending on how it is accessed. For example, if your network [Internet] connection is slow or prone to a lot of ‘Jitter’, this can have a direct effect on your call quality. If you have a good connection then your calls (depending on the provider) may be better quality than a landline.
Okay, so what about UCaaS?
The first 2 letters of the acronym are the differentiator. Unified Communications is more than just VoIP or phone calls. It adds more ways of communicating and also ties them all together. For example, UCaaS may include video calls and video conferencing (e.g., MS Teams), Chat, Email, CRM, Call Analytics (what calls are received when, who made the most calls, average length of a call, etc.) as well as billing and customer support integrations. Additionally, depending on the platform, data can be shared among all the communication options. This allows groups to collaborate from anywhere (out of the office) and have access to all the information they need wherever they happen to be.
Call centers are a great example. We’ve all spoken to customer or technical service representative and heard lots of people in the background as everyone was literally sitting in one big [noisy] room. Covid has changed this and as a result companies have struggled with ways to provide the same support and coverage. With UCaaS this couldn’t be easier. Each rep can sit in their living room at home completely isolated from others and have full capability and access the same tools as if they were sitting in that big room. This is a real game changer. No more capital equipment, rent, electricity, having to find people to hire who only live within a certain commuting distance of ‘the office’, etc. Now employees can be hired anywhere and work anywhere - no physical office location is needed.
Like to see how UCaaS can benefit your organization? Contact us and try it out for yourself.
