As workplace dynamics change, it is crucial to integrate communication and collaboration capabilities throughout the business. When discussing technology, it is essential to focus on how it can improve the experiences of both customers and employees.

Integrating communication and collaboration features throughout the company is essential as workplace dynamics evolve. Discussing technology’s importance to focus on enhancing customer and employee experiences.

Let’s talk about the shift towards unified experiences.

Getting caught up in industry jargon and forgetting about the human element is straightforward. But it’s crucial to remember that communication and collaboration directly impact the experiences of both customers and employees. Considering the broader ecosystem, it becomes clear that these experiences are interconnected and make up the overall “experience of things.” It’s these three pillars of expertise that matter most.

When discussing technology, it’s essential to focus on experiences. Ring Central’s success as a communication and collaboration provider during the pandemic highlighted how the industry overlooked the importance of user experience. In contrast, Zoom’s popularity demonstrated the power of providing a positive user experience.

Video communications become something you do to connect with others in real-time over video when you cannot meet in person due to public health restrictions. It resonated because it was a thing and a verb people could do. It was a tangible experience that didn’t need a technical acronym.

Given the current emphasis on integrated platforms and solutions that provide unified experiences for businesses, both for their customers and employees, video communication has become essential. Although video communication has existed for some time, it has become a much-needed solution to support internal and external communications during the pandemic.

The movement towards unified platforms and experiences for individuals did not originate from Zoom alone. Prominent UCaaS providers like Cisco, Microsoft, RingCentral, and 8×8 have expanded their platforms and solutions to eliminate the perceived separation between UCaaS and CCaaS by offering either a single stack or a tightly integrated solution. The idea of separation developed due to technology disrupting how individuals engage with their internal and external customer workflows and procedures.

The evolving dynamics of the workplace have led to a surge in the demand for cloud communications technology.

The increasing demand for UCaaS led to customer support operations relying more on cloud communications and contact center services to fulfill customer requirements. The shift to remote customer support caused significant changes to work routines as online interactions became more crucial for business operations. The solution involved the integration of technology platforms to support the ability of remote agents to help customers seamlessly.

According to research, the UCaaS market may experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of almost 15% until 2028. The CCaaS market experts predict experiencing a 15% compound annual growth rate until 2028. Although the data pertains to various markets, technology convergence, and integration will influence how buyers assess comprehensive, integrated solutions, whether from a sole supplier or multiple providers. IT leaders and other technology decision-makers must consider more flexible and open communications platforms from a solutions perspective that deliver specific experiences for people.

It is vital to provide support for all kinds of experiences.

Gartner predicts that 53% of the U.S. workforce will be made up of remote workers in 2022. As a result, buyer requirements will adapt to accommodate the need for employees to work from any location. To evaluate communication and collaboration needs for employees and customers, it’s essential to consider how people will experience the technology in every interaction, requiring a targeted focus. Can customers control and personalize their experience across all channels? Do customer-facing employees have the tools for effective communication and collaboration to enhance customer experiences? Can employees manage their experiences based on where and how they want to work and interact?

As a technology decision-maker, there are essential questions to consider when choosing communication and collaboration solutions that improve the customer and employee experience. It’s also necessary to assess the vendor landscape for a comprehensive approach. When making decisions about communication solutions for customers and employees, it’s vital to consider providers who specialize in UCaaS or CCaaS and evaluate their level of integration for a complete communications solution. Organizations must look closely at the forward-thinking providers making definitive steps for broader, more flexible platforms that support better management and ownership of experiences. Cloud DFW is here to help; first, we start with an interactive assessment. Then please visit our Unified Communications Solutions page and then turn to our Interactive Assessment for CCaaS. Oh, and remember to ask about our competitive matrix if you want to compare services.