3 considerations when buying unified communications products

CONSIDERATIONS WHEN BUYINGUNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS PRODUCTS

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Once you have defined the specific benefits and impacts of a unified communications system for your organization, you

need to consider these 3 buying principles:

1- VALUE PROPOSITION

2- DEPLOYMENT MODELS

3- VENDOR-PARTNER RELATIONSHIP#UCJourney

A challenge with a UC deployment is the various applications and integrations that are potentially involved in the deployment.

You will need to have an clear understanding of which applications are required

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The proposed benefit of more frequent, more effective and more efficient communication is a realization with all of the UC applications when presented in a bubble

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But reality is…your business requirements are unique and you will face several challenges when moving toward a UC decision

Here are 2 examples…

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ONEUC solutions do not fix current issues or problems that existed with many of the legacy systems that you may be replacing.

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TWOMost unified communications products do not completely replace existing technology, and can be a new experience that may not be easily adopted.

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BUT THERE ARE TREMENDOUS BENEFITS WHEN DONE PROPERLY

Decrease costs Improve business outcomes

REDUCE TRAVEL EXPENSESREDUCE AUDIO CONFERENCING CHARGESREDUCE TELEPHONY CHARGES

IMPROVE END-USER PRODUCTIVITY

RESOLVE CUSTOMER ISSUES FASTER

SHORTEN SALES CYCLE

30 min/day

Up to 50%

Up to 20%

5% - 30%

30% - 95%

50% - 70%

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Making a purchasing decision requires careful consideration. There are three core considerations when buying a UC solution that all businesses can use.

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THE UC MARKET IS EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE

By knowing the vendors’ differentiators, you will be able to determine if their

solution aligns well with your business case


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Almost all the providers will be able to offer telephony.

This and several other applications would be considered a right to play and not a differentiator.


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Here are some services that would be considered differentiators that you should look for:


CONTACT CENTER MOBILE CLIENT VIDEO CONFERENCING CRM INTEGRATION

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Carefully evaluate each vendor and rank them on how well they align with your business

case for Unified Communications


The comparison between vendors will not be easy

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There are several deployment models for UC solutions and the deployment model will very likely be the most important consideration in

the decision making process


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There are 3 available deployment model options:

1- Based On-Premise

2- Cloud-Based

3- Hybrid UC


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Usually an evolution of a traditional phone system where the customer and vendor have upgraded over the years to include UC features.

Businesses with large IT staffs and in-house expertise, and businesses that have a high degree of customization requirements will often opt for an on-premise deployment.


1- Based On-Premise

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The need for a private cloud solution is generally driven by a need for high availability with a need for high customization.

Multi-tenant cloud is a very popular model for the SMB and the Enterprise market due to the ease of implementation, low level of IT resources required, scalability, and monthly licensing fee payment model.

2- Cloud-Based (Private and Multi-Tenant)

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Hybrid solutions are implementations that move certain applications to the cloud while running other applications on-premise.

Hybrid solutions can be complex and require a high degree of technical resources from the IT staff and the provider.

3- Hybrid

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Not only is it important to understand the deployment models currently supported, but also what the vendor's roadmap looks like.

Many are moving to the cloud as fast as possible, and these won't be good choices for businesses that will need support on-premises for the foreseeable future.


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Determining the strength of vendors' partner networks will require extensive research as you examine their customers and channels

3- VENDOR-PARTNER RELATIONSHIPS

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Strengths to research:

• Past performances

• Ability to meet customization requests

• Resources within the company and their network


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No UC vendor has a complete in-house solution, especially when considering future needs.

All vendors have a partner ecosystem to support their offering, and along the way, many will simply acquire companies and integrate them into their platform.


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The extent to which UC vendors rely on partners varies greatly. Understanding this

partnership dynamic can help you determine the vendor's ability to meet your

business needs and its vision for UC.


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The three areas of consideration are a great starting point in determining how you will choose the right UC solution, vendor and applications

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By conducting the research to create your business plan and having a clear understanding of your requirements

you will be able to quickly narrow down the potential vendor list.

VENDOR-PARTNER RELATIONSHIP

DEPLOYMENT MODELS

VALUE PROPOSITION

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