5 changes you’ll experience when converting from legacy voice to unified communications

March 16, 2021 Rich Martin 3 min
Summary
Are you still utilizing outdated voice services for modern-day business needs? Explore the many benefits when converting from legacy voice to next-gen unified communications.

For those old enough to remember the 80’s and 90’s, you’ll recall days well spent listening to Snoop Dogg on our Walkman, saving files on floppy discs and renting the top flicks from Blockbuster on Friday nights. While it’s easy to reminisce and even wish to return to the “good ol’ days,” the high-tech world we live in today is a much different reality—it’s safe to say we have moved on.

5 changes you'll experience when converting from legacy voice to unified communications

The same can be said about underlying access technology like Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), DS1 and DS3 Access solutions and copper-based services, such as primary rate interfaces (PRIs) and plain old telephone services (POTS). TDM came on the scene in the late 80’s and really hit its stride in the ‘90s, providing a reliable method of business voice communications.

The need for next-gen voice services

The reality is that technology has greatly advanced and it is clear that legacy voice will no longer support the basic necessities of modern business communications and the need to collaborate remotely both internally and with customers. With 36.2 million Americans (22% of the workforce) working remotely by 2025—a staggering 87% increase from the number of remote workers prior to 20201—this problem will only continue to worsen as we grow into a more dispersed workforce with additional demands for agility, remote collaboration and uninterrupted experiences.

Furthermore, the underlying technology will soon be obsolete. Our vendors are dramatically increasing their prices and retiring equipment and whole market networks. The result is higher costs, lower productivity and a poor customer and employee experience. For that reason, legacy voice services can no longer be seen as a viable solution.

The grass is greener

Upgrading from legacy voice services to next-gen Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) makes it easier to meet the needs of businesses today and will help future-proof organizations by embracing the ever-changing landscape. These benefits include:

  1. Work from anywhere: Because UCaaS is delivered from the cloud, employees can communicate with colleagues from anywhere, on any device, at any time. This is a big deal for business models that rely heavily on remote working capabilities and management tools.
  2. Avoid cost increases: Not only will you prevent increasing charges experienced while leveraging outdated access mediums, but next-gen voice services better position your organization by eliminating costly software updates and heavy upfront investments.
  3. Enhance the experience: It’s easier to achieve improved customer experiences (CX) and employee experiences (EX) through feature-rich technologies like high-speed Internet, mobility, real-time video and audio collaboration.
  4. Stay calm and collaborate on: Unified communications (UC) allow employees to work collaboratively from wherever they sign on, leading to a more productive and flexible workforce.
  5. Keep security top of mind: When looking into next-gen services, find a highly reliable and secure option that ensure calls, chats, messages and meetings are encrypted.

Case in point

When Wright & Filippis recognized that its end-of-life voice system and legacy network was leading to frustrating outages at many of the company’s clinics. Windstream Enterprise developed a robust networking and telephony solution that greatly improved the experience for their patients and employees alike. Adopting OfficeSuite UC® resulted in a significant reduction in voice outages and helpdesk calls regarding Internet performance. The installed UCaaS solutions made business communications easy to manage and, above all else, the solution was far less costly for the organization to maintain.

Why OfficeSuite UC

Windstream Enterprise’s OfficeSuite UC is an award-winning 100% cloud-based phone, mobility and UC solution that improves efficiency and collaboration. It does so by unifying all employees and sites within a single, centrally managed system, reducing reliance on help desk support and enabling WFH capabilities to meet, chat and collaborate from any location and any device. By meeting SOC 2 and HIPAA compliance requirements, everything remains secure for OfficeSuite UC users on top of ensuring business continuity. Learn more about what OfficeSuite UC can do for you and how it will help your organization avoid the pitfalls of legacy voice services. When you make the upgrade today, WE will ensure your complete satisfaction with locked-in rates and future-proofed tech with our WE will Commitment.

References

  1. Ozimek, Adam. “Remote work: From temporary shift to strategic advantage.” Upwork, December 2020. Accessed March 11, 2021.
Key Takeaway
Don't let outdated voice services inhibit modern collaboration and business communications. Upgrade to cost-effective, next-gen UC solutions that will position your business for success.

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