10 reasons UCaaS fuels growth for scaling businesses

For growing and expanding businesses, a communications solution that can support and grow alongside them is key. UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) goes beyond traditional voice phone calls, and offers a scalable, robust solution with a whole host of features available in a singular, user-friendly platform. This translates to cost savings, and less technical headaches for growing businesses down the line. 

In fact, Comms Business estimates that the UCaaS market will grow to over 131 million users by 2028, due to the ease of scaling and user experience. Here are just a few of the ways that UCaaS platforms can fuel growth for businesses, as well as suit all sizes from start-ups to industry leaders:

1. Flexibility and scalability

UCaaS solutions eliminate the need for any on premises hardware and reduces the burden on any IT specialists in the business. In fact, it is often possible to start using a UCaaS service without specialist IT support. 

Adding new users can be as easy as a few clicks, and the service, including landline numbers that are often included for free, can be utilised on an app on almost any device with an internet connection - no need for a desk phone! This makes expanding and scaling a user-base easy and manageable. 

A solution deployed through public cloud infrastructure eliminates the cost of upfront investment, and when new users are created, this can be automatically deployed internationally, offering maximised flexibility. Additionally, by leveraging Google Cloud Services, for example, businesses can leverage the world’s best load balancing technology, which ensures smooth performance even during traffic sites, with no diminishment in quality of communication. 

In fact, it is the same technology that powers Google Search. Utilising trusted cloud solutions prioritises disaster recovery also, with geographically distributed data centres that guarantee minimal downtime even in the case of a server failure.

2. Cost-effective and predictable pricing 

As-a-service models are a way of delivering software and other services over the internet. This means that businesses essentially rent access to software instead of buying it upfront. This can be beneficial as businesses always have access to the most recent updates, and do not need to worry about hardware, support or upkeep, which is instead managed by the service provider. 

They are often deployed via a pay-as-you-go monthly subscription model. This means that pricing is predictable each month, and customers can choose how much they wish to use, and what will be the right price-point for their business. 

This eliminates paying for features a business won't use, and makes it easier to predict overall monthly business expenses. It also means that they can scale costs at the same time as the business, with less up-front costs. Furthermore, as-a-service models can provide the following features to give businesses granular control over their communications solution:

• Free calls between users - Businesses can benefit from unlimited internal calls for easier collaboration and communication within a team at no additional cost.

• Inclusive call bundles - Choosing pre-defined call packages tailored to a business’ needs ensure that they always have the right amount of minutes for a reasonable monthly cost, which is key particularly for growing businesses.

• Cost-effective out-of-bundle rates - Even for calls that exceed included minutes, as-a-service models will often offer competitive out-of-bundle rates. This gives businesses flexibility without having to worry too much about extortionate prices.

• International call restrictions - Businesses can make and receive international calls at affordable rates. This means that they can easily connect with geographically dispersed teams or clients without incurring high costs.

• Outbound call restrictions - For even more granular control, some as-a-service models will allow businesses to restrict outbound calls to specific area codes or countries, This helps to manage expenses and avoid any unexpected bill shock.

3. Suitable for hybrid, remote, and office work 

With UCaaS solutions, the transition between office work and remote work becomes seamless, and, should circumstances change at short notice, employees can continue normal productivity no matter where they are. 

It also is helpful when dealing with a distributed workforce, as it breaks down geographical barriers that would once hinder businesses. 

Employees can access communication features like voice calling, video calling, and messaging from virtually anywhere, which fosters seamless communication and collaboration with both employees and clients.

4. Advanced features and integrations

In the world of business communications, only making voice calls does not cut it anymore. There needs to be multiple options for communication to suit customer needs, and tools for employees to collaborate and streamline workflows, all in one platform. 

A platform that is able to integrate with tools that businesses already use day to day, such as CRM tools, and project management tools means that all aspects of workflow can be streamlined, saving time and increasing productivity.

5. Cloud provider security benefits 

In all aspects of business, security is of course paramount. When a UCaaS solution is deployed with a trustworthy cloud provider, businesses are able to harness some of the world’s best threat defence. 

Callswitch One is deployed in Google Cloud Services, which is geographically redundant, encrypts data held within servers, and offers the most comprehensive cyber threat defence of any cloud service provider in the market.

6. Future-proof solutions 

Cloud-based solutions are perfectly positioned to be flexible and adaptable, as they are able to continuously adapt to industry trends and evolving customer needs. 

Adding or removing users in UCaaS is as simple as a few clicks and takes seconds,and the platforms receive automatic updates which ensures businesses are always working with the latest features, functionality, and optimal performance. 

This means that whether it be changes in the industry or within a business, teams have a solution that will not become outdated or need replacing quickly.

7. Increased collaboration and team connection

Features like instant messaging, video conferencing and file sharing make it easier for teams to share ideas, brainstorm, work on collaborative projects and overall feel connected to their colleagues no matter the geographical distance. 

Fostering a sense of connection, especially as businesses scale, is important for employee wellbeing and making sure staff feel seen and valued. 

Ultimately, this translates to productivity, and studies show that a company with good collaboration tools can see up to a 25% increase in gross margin, so it is a worthwhile investment for businesses of all sizes.

8. Growing CCaaS capabilities 

On its own, UCaaS offers a powerful platform for business communication, but for an even greater customer-centric focus, businesses can utilise the growing trend of CCaaS capabilities within UCaaS systems.

CCaaS, or Contact Centre as a Service, provides a host of tools specifically to enhance customer experience. These include:

• Multi-channel communication for handling inquiries across multiple channels, all from a signal platform 

• Intelligent call routing, to route customers quickly to the most qualified agent. This can be based on multiple factors such as skills, availability and history.

• Real-time analytics and wallboards, to gain valuable insights into calls to identify trends, performance and customer sentiment.

This convergence of UCaaS and CCaaS represents a shift in business communications in recent years. If your business deals with customer calls, it likely can benefit from contact centre features to drive efficiency and professionalism.

9. Attracting remote talent 

Offering a flexible and mobile work environment, with seamless communication tools, allows businesses to tap into a wider talent pool which may have otherwise been geographically incompatible. 

The world has shifted in favour of hybrid and remote working since the pandemic, and despite a push to return employees to the office in some cases, the benefits of flexible working are undeniable. This fosters a wider scope of diversity within a team, and means that the best skills can be utilised, which is particularly beneficial within a growing business, 

This also means potential savings on office spaces and hardware like computers and desk phones, if the company is fully remote and implements a bring-your-own-device strategy.

10. Improved customer experience 

Traditionally, providing exceptional customer service might mean businesses juggling multiple communication channels and manal work to provide a complete view of customer sentiment and analytics. 

However, UCaaS provides a centralised hub for all of these features, consolidating all communication channels, collaboration tools, and data. 

It also integrates with tools such as CRM platforms to further improve customer experience. These tools can pull up a customer file as they ring into a business, meaning that agents can view history, personalise interactions, and solve problems faster and more efficiently.

UCaaS solutions offer in-call features such as queues, automated agents and call-back features, which ensure the best possible customer experience on the phone. If the calling process is seamless, with as little wait time as possible, and also has flexible features to best suit a customer’s needs, this will not go unnoticed and will boost their experience tenfold.

Creating a positive customer experience is key particularly for growing businesses in order to secure loyal customers and create a foundation of trust. Zendesk suggests that 88% of customers expect consistent experiences across all channels, so this really is an area to invest time in for prolonged success.

Final thoughts

This convergence of UCaaS and CCaaS represents a shift in business communications in recent years. If your business deals with customer calls, it likely can benefit from contact centre features to drive efficiency and professionalism.

UCaaS is an inherently scalable solution which is perfect for businesses poised for growth. As the business grows, adding extra features and seats is easy, and the solution ultimately grows with a business. 

By embracing UCaaS, businesses can prepare well in advance for the future, improve both employee and customer experience, and set themselves up for sustainable, realistic growth with no worries about changing large factors of business operations down the line.

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