It has been well documented in the past that the telephony is migrating towards the cloud. It may not be happening as quickly as some may say but it is happening nevertheless. Here, Nigel Dunn, Managing Director, Jabra Business Solutions UK & Ireland talks about his vision of the future of communication platforms and why looking to the cloud is an inevitable choice but there are still plenty of things to consider before making the leap.
The move from PBX to hosted telephony has gained momentum in the past few years and will continue to do so going forward. However, we have not seen the mass rip and replace of business PBX systems to make way for a new UC telephony application that was anticipated. Questioning why this is, we believe this is predominantly due to two key elements – network infrastructure aka lack of trust and lack of awareness of the benefits of UC voice.
A reliable voice application within a UC client relies on a robust network infrastructure - bandwidth issues causing intermittent breaks in audio or call quality, insufficient capacity to dial out as all available IP lines are in use or the chance that the system could be hacked into doesn’t encourage businesses to adopt the technology in earnest and throw away their PBX and deskphones.
Until the Telco’s can deliver a stable, consistent and secure IT network infrastructure within the UK and beyond that can support a robust VoIP service, we won’t see large-scale deployments of Enterprise voice licenses. Organisations want to feel confident that the complete removal of the traditional deskphone system heralds a new and improved technology that works effectively at all times. Therefore the shared scenario we currently see will prevail for some time, until national network infrastructure is robust enough to cope with the demands of VoIP telephony and companies can start to feel confident in investing in this solution.
A second key component in the shaping of communications platforms is that of realising the potential of the technology. Recognising that embracing new technologies can lead to new, more efficient ways of working and a more productive workforce, as well as rapidly yielding ROI benefits, can support adoption of the application by organisations.
Both vendors and resellers have an obligation to drive awareness of the productivity gains and financial benefits of utilising the voice application within their deployed UC solution, as this will encourage adoption and support the growth of Enterprise Voice and the subsequent renewal of licenses from both LE and SME’s. The inclusion of supporting devices within an overall deployment, such as headsets or speakerphones, can also help to drive greater adoption of the voice application by supplementing ease of use, enabling staff to embrace this new technology and use it to maximum effect.