Cloud-based unified communications provides businesses the ability not only to save money but also to streamline core business processes, allowing departments to focus on their primary responsibilities in order to deliver superior performance and results. This opens up an opportunity in the cloud services market for service providers to offer solutions that can better assist and improve an enterprise’s communications and performance.
In a recent interview with TMCnet, Dean Parker Jr., president and CEO of Callis (News - Alert) Communications, a provider of cloud communications services, discussed some of the advantages for business and looked at some industry trends that will shape the future of cloud communications. First and foremost, Parker emphasized the benefits of shifting to cloud communications.
“Cloud computing has enabled businesses to reduce and, in some cases, completely eliminate the barriers and challenges of working with a remote workforce. The accessibility of the cloud has provided its users to reach and service larger geographies in a simpler unified manner than ever before,” Parker said. “Through the growth and adoption of the cloud, enterprises have been able to more effectively integrate and use enhanced collaboration services to communicate and share among diverse locations.”
Without a doubt, with more applications moving into the cloud, cloud computing has also significantly impacted and advanced real-time communications.
“As more applications and key business processes have been shifting towards the cloud, enterprises have been able to store and use real-time data in order to scale and deploy resources. Thus, the integration and interoperability of cloud services has provided greater value-added benefits in driving business, maximizing efficiency, and increasing profitability,” Parker explained.
Today, enterprises are often looking to their communications providers to help lower costs and increase productivity, which allows providers to leverage the cloud to deliver on those expectations.
“Business enterprises are continuously seeking to find better solutions to increase productivity and reduce cost. Organizations routinely seek to lower the total cost of ownership while increasing productivity in order to generate more revenue and enhance workflow,” Parker said. “However, aside from cost-savings and productivity, enterprises also want the reliability, security, and accessibility of their communications services. Businesses want to be able to communicate and collaborate on a secure, reliable network while having the flexibility and mobility of these services.”
Therefore, communications providers can more effectively leverage and deliver on these expectations by providing cloud-based solutions that augment enterprises’ needs and enhance business performance, Parker explained.
“By offering and leveraging cloud services, providers can offer solutions to better assist and improve an enterprise’s communications and performance. Increased productivity, security, mobility, and business continuity can serve as a by-product result of transferring to the cloud,” he said. “These value-added solutions can yield to time and cost-savings, reflecting a company’s bottom line. Thus, through cloud services, enterprises have the accessibility and availability to better communicate and collaborate in order to improve business continuity.”
Cost savings is often the first benefit named when it comes to pros of cloud, but aside from cost, there are other value propositions in cloud communications as well, including efficiency and scalability.
“The value proposition in cloud communications lies within the ability to improve ROI through the efficiency, scalability, and accessibility of its services,” Parker said. “Through cloud-based applications, core business processes can be migrated and stored in the cloud in an effort to better scale and deploy services in a more efficient and cost effective manner. Users can have easier, enhanced access to real-time communications and data, ultimately driving business performance.”
Nothing says more about a company’s service than those that drink their own “Kool-Aid,” and gained from using their own products. Based on his experience, Parker explained how his own business – Callis Communications – has benefitted from cloud-based communications.
“Cloud-based communications has allowed our business to enhance collaboration among groups and maximize productivity throughout the entire organization, which has generated a greater ROI and increased profitability,” Parker said. “Cloud-based unified communications provides businesses the capability to not only save money but also streamline core business processes, allowing each department to focus on their central capabilities and key responsibilities in order to deliver superior performance and results.”
One of the greatest growth areas as a result of cloud is embedded multimodal communications in applications such as Skype (News - Alert) and Facebook, Parker added.
This week at ITEXPO East in Miami, attendees gathered at Cloud Communications Expo to learn how to integrate and leverage cloud-based communications applications, process enhancement techniques, and discuss network-based communications interfaces and architectures.
Parker was part of a panel, “The Next Generation of Collaboration,” that explored how the cloud is enabling easier and more flexible, yet more intensive, collaboration in a variety of scenarios for any number of users, allowing them to be more effective in their activities and even opening up new opportunities for business growth.
“The Cloud Communications Expo provides a unique opportunity for attendees to unite in a central location and share industry best practices. Industry leaders, experts, and analysts from all various spaces are afforded the chance to network, engage, and discuss with one another the industry’s future growth and rapidly changing evolution,” Parker said. “This enables participants and providers to acquire deeper insight into new emerging trends and the educational properties to more effectively leverage their resources and deliver superior services.”
Want to learn more about cloud communications? Then be sure to attend the Cloud Communications Expo, collocated with TMC’s ITEXPO East 2012, happening NOW, in Miami, FL. The Cloud Communications Expo will address the growing need of businesses to integrate and leverage cloud based communications applications, process enhancement techniques, and network based communications interfaces and architectures. For more information on registering for the Cloud Communications Expo click here.
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Erin Harrison is Executive Editor, Strategic Initiatives, for TMC, where she oversees the company's strategic editorial initiatives, including the launch of several new print and online initiatives. She plays an active role in the print publications and TMCnet, covering IP communications, information technology and other related topics. To read more of Erin's articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by Rich Steeves