As the demand for new ways of communicating like messaging and collaboration through unified comms increases, it spells trouble for legacy systems like the traditional office telephone. Or does it? Many still believe there is a place in the office environment for more traditional ways of communicating, with some even clinging to these methods in defiance of emerging technology.
But with the imminent arrival of Generation Z into the workforce with expectations of instant communications and seamless collaboration, could we see the desk phone, or even voice itself, become redundant within a few years as we try desperately to accommodate future generations?
Here’s our CEO, Darren Lake with his view on whether unified comms is taking over and voice really is dying …
New Ways to Communicate
“When this question was first asked, one thing ran through my mind – absolutely not! Voice is not going away, but there has been a shift. Unified Comms (UC) as a term has been around for a very long time. It is a way of integrating the software that supports all types of communication, meaning voice calling, web and video conferencing, voicemail, mobility, desktop sharing, instant messaging, presence and much more can be accessed from whatever device is in use.
But what does that actually mean? Well from my perspective as a general business user, unified comms means that I can actually stay in touch with my team and my clients from virtually anywhere on the planet. All of this whilst having immediate access to information and people whenever I need.
To give you an idea of how that really works, here’s a scenario that recently happened at Pure Cloud Solutions. I was out of the country on business earlier this year at the same time we were acquiring a company. While away I needed to be involved in a meeting with my business partner and our solicitors to agree some documents and get them signed.”
Anytime, Anywhere
“The meeting was held using our unified comms app UCA on my mobile device which has full video conferencing and desktop-sharing capability built in. Our solicitors shared their screen so we could read and agree the relevant points on the document. Once this was done, the document was sent to me on an e-sign platform (Signable). It was then electronically signed by all parties with the completed document sent to my email address.
The whole meeting took around 45 minutes, with me overseas, my business partner in the office and the solicitors in their offices. This is the real-world benefit of Unified Comms – instant access to information & people when needed.
It was so easy, so quick and offered such a broad range of functionality, something a mere call could never provide. In this instance, it would be easy to see why people would shun traditional voice. But would I say that voice is dying because of it? No. And here’s why …”
Choice Not the End of Voice
“Unified Comms does and will continue to offer choice while enhancing and improving the flow of communication. It means we are not abandoning voice, but offering customers the opportunity to use whichever communications best suits their needs.
Howard Lewis, surface business group lead at Microsoft UK says, “What these collaboration tools offer is choice. Choice about how we communicate and the tools that will best suit the project and the team in question.”
And that’s so true. There are industry’s where voice is more appropriate, others where messaging is suitable and others that will prefer a combination of both. But for me, whatever communication method you choose, voice will always play a key part.”
Switch Up Your Comms!
We know that every business is different, and that means the way you communicate is different too. Whatever you’re looking for, we’ve got you covered. Our experts tailor solutions so you get the most from your comms. Get in touch for a free no obligation quote today!
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