One area where this becomes particularly evident is the area of enterprise communication. In the past, employees used to be available mainly in person or via analog connections, while today there are myriad ways of getting in touch with colleagues, partners or clients. Influenced by digital technologies, businesses must ensure that the own infrastructure is constantly adapted and analyzed to keep up with the pace of modern technologies. With the switch from ISDN to VoIP, there is also a certain need for action to move away from outdated workplaces models.
This of course may pose a financial and structural challenge to businesses but should also be seen as a great opportunity. In order to remain competitive, scalability is of utmost importance so that flexibility can be guaranteed to meet the requirements concerning growth and fluctuation. Since the work processes are becoming increasingly flexible in general, the workplaces of employees also reflect this trend. Availability regardless of the location (think of the anywhere workplace) in combination with a sophisticated concept for mobile integration so that mobile employees are perfectly integrated into the telephone system of the company therefore keep gaining in importance. Companies that successively substitute fixed workplace models with alternative models (e.g. hot desking) also need an IT infrastructure that meets the necessary requirements.
Global companies are also exhibiting a growing awareness concerning their own sustainability and climate protection. UC components such as video telephony and virtual conferences offer a sensible alternative to cancelled flights, travel restrictions, as well as expensive and time-consuming business trips that harm the environment. During video calls or online conferences, colleagues that work at different sites can easily talk with each other “face-to-face”. Additional tools such as Application Sharing enhance the collaboration.
The implementation of latest software and communication solutions further speed up work processes which increases productivity and efficiency. Data volume and communication traffic are steadily growing which can quickly put too much strain on an outdated communication system. Therefore, more and more companies already rely partially or entirely on cloud services. Outsourcing to the cloud offers extensive data storage, relieves the own IT department, provides a high degree of flexibility and scalability while the service agreement may also include all the latest updates and upgrades.
Another significant aspect is security. By switching to All IP, companies need to be aware that the communication system is exposed to risks and attacks coming from the internet. Companies opting for a new communication solution should ensure that adequate security mechanisms and security protocols are implemented so that the encryption of sensible data is ensured for all communication channels.
This also applies to reliability. Should the telephone system fail even for the shortest time period, this may have a considerable negative impact on the business. Therefore, it is only reasonable to include a well-functioning back-up system (e.g. via redundancy) so that no data is lost if an emergency occurs.
Employees will certainly have a different focus: user-friendliness and the available functionalities such as different apps and programs. An intuitive client with a uniform user interface and responsive design will ensure the same operability, regardless of what device is being used and will be given high priority.
At first, digitalization may be a challenge but if tackled with a well-planned digital roadmap, new opportunities can open up new possibilities.
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