A recommended selection approach for UCaaS and CCaaS

UCaaS and CCaaS are two distinct communication solutions aimed at improving business operations. UCaaS offers a range of communication tools like phone, messaging, and video conferencing, designed to facilitate internal business communication.

On the other hand, CCaaS is focused on enhancing customer interactions with a business through various communication channels like live chat, social media, voice calls, and SMS. While UCaaS improves internal communication, CCaaS helps businesses provide better customer service.

It is no secret that cloud adoption has been on the rise in recent years, with many companies looking for ways to improve their agility and ensure business continuity. Combining UCaaS and CCaaS solutions and consolidating cloud technologies has become a crucial decision point for enterprise digital transformation strategies.

The quadrant leader placement for vendors for UCaaS or CCaaS reported by industry anaylst Gartner sadly do not correlate (2021 Gartner reports for managed UCaaS or CCaaS). Therefore, in evaluating features, enterprises need to prioritise the most important elements to deliver client or employee experience, and trade off vendors to either running or integration cost.

Alternatively, they can choose common vendors, but use secondary or tertiary product elements for strong CCaaS or UCaaS vendors. An example of this would be the use of Amazon Chime for UCaaS features to augment Amazon Connect niche status CCaaS offer; especially where industry pundits praise Amazon for having a strong offering a scalable and flexible CCaaS solution that offers features like omnichannel routing, real-time and historical analytics.

This article provides guidance on selecting distinct cloud-based UC or CC vendors, or taking a converged approach in selecting a single OEM. The article offers some steps for you to follow before selecting your investment approach in either one or many vendors for your UCaaS/CCaaS modernisation.

Document Your Existing UCaaS/CCaaS Environment

In comparing UCaaS/CCaaS vendors is to examine your existing UCaaS/CCaaS stack. This means taking stock of the tools you already use for customer service and internal collaboration. It's important to note that consolidating your UCaaS/CCaaS tools doesn't necessarily mean starting from scratch.

Many businesses can continue using their existing resources alongside new tools. For example, if you already use Microsoft Teams for internal collaboration, you can integrate a CCaaS solution into Teams using Operator Connect or Direct Routing. If you want to start anew, the right vendor should allow you to continue using crucial apps and hardware, and offer API and integration options where necessary.

Prioritise Important Tools and Features to Improve Ex and Cx

As the demand for integrated UCaaS/CCaaS solutions continues to rise, the number of platforms and tools available is rapidly evolving. From tools focused on collaboration with a few contact centre features, to highly advanced ecosystems, businesses today can access a wide range of options.

To choose the right vendor for your needs, it's important to identify the features that are most crucial to your business. You may need to consider the global reach of your platform and whether it can serve employees and customers in different countries. Some companies may require tools that implement solutions for more flexible working practices, such as remote provisioning and configuration features.

AI and machine learning technologies are rapidly evolving in UC platforms, including chatbots, smart assistants, and data insights. These technologies have the potential to improve workflows by automating processes, increase accessibility with speech-to-text capabilities, and boost efficiency with intelligent scheduling and recommendations. In UCaaS, the integration of AI into these platforms can help businesses streamline their operations, enhance productivity, and provide better customer experiences.

For example, Microsoft uses AI in several ways on its Teams platform by blurring non-essential video images and improving sound quality,  integrating AI-powered virtual assistants into Teams to help automate tasks and improve productivity and exploring the use of AI for real-time language translation during video calls, making it easier for teams to communicate even if they speak different languages.

In CCaaS, AI can analyse customer data, customer speech and customer voices in an instant, they can use this information to place the customer into a call queue in a specific position that is relevant to the urgency of their call, instead of placing them in a random position. Genesys provides a comprehensive set of CCaaS capabilities, including omnichannel routing, workforce engagement management, analytics, and automation.

How flexible and / or interoperable do you need to be?

Combining your UCaaS/CCaaS solutions in the cloud is a fantastic way to simplify your technology stack, especially if you find telco providers that you can best call termination costs or prioritise network performance for your preferred vendor. By gaining visibility into your communication tools, it enables you to manage data more efficiently, and improves employee productivity. But chances are, your team members rely on more than just contact centre and collaboration tools.

The most advanced UCaaS/CCaaS solutions not only combine two ecosystems but also allow you to connect other resources and tools to the same single pane of glass environment. A flexible platform enables you to integrate your UCaaS/CCaaS technology with various apps, including workforce management and optimisation tools, customer journey mapping platforms, and CRMs.

The more integrations you can access, the more you can empower your teams. At the very least, your platform should allow users to communicate with colleagues and customers across a range of channels and platforms.

For example, the integration of Cisco’s Cloud Voice via its Webex platform with its UCaaS or CCaaS capabilities especially for previously on-premise deployments, including AI-enhanced voice, video, messaging, and collaboration tools, shows them making a comeback to supporting on-campus and hybrid working. This means enterprises gain flexibility while reducing cost of termination.

Grow UCaaS/CCaaS Security and Compliance

Aligning your UCaaS and CCaaS solutions in one ecosystem can be an excellent way to improve compliance and protect your business data. However, depending on your industry and the regulations you need to adhere to, it may be crucial to choose a platform with more advanced security and privacy features.

Some of the top vendors in the market offer access to automated tools that monitor instances of non-compliance, which can help with recording important data across channels and securing conversations. Some solutions can even allow companies to redact information from documents and transcriptions automatically.

Additionally, they can include advanced data sovereignty tools to ensure that you have complete control over where information is stored. At the very least, these platforms should always include comprehensive access control and encryption tools.

Stimulate User Experiences 

Bringing UCaaS and CCaaS platforms together offers significant benefits, including the ability to improve experiences for both customers and employees. With fewer distributed platforms and apps to navigate, employees can work more productively and efficiently, leading to reduced average handling times and improved customer satisfaction.

However, some platforms can be more complex than others. To ensure rapid adoption, companies should prioritise platforms that offer straightforward and customisable interfaces. Teams should be able to configure their platforms to suit their specific needs with easy drag-and-drop tools.

Business leaders should be able to quickly automate tasks like data retrieval and storage, reducing the repetitive work employees need to do. Additionally, companies should be able to configure, provision, and manage access to various tools from one unified platform.

Innovate and Grow with a Partner, not a vendor

As UCaaS and CCaaS platforms continue to evolve, the right solution should enable you to take advantage of the most disruptive technology. Innovative UCaaS/CCaaS vendors empower business leaders to implement robust tools into their entire communication ecosystem, like chatbot and virtual assistant builders with LLM technology.

These tools enable companies to create both chatbots for customers and virtual assistants for agents in seconds. Additionally, the right solution should offer access to advanced analytical tools, workflow automation features, and APIs.

Scalability is also crucial when looking for a platform, with plenty of opportunities for growth and development. The best vendors even offer step-by-step guidance and support to help you make the most of your new technology.

Conclusion: Comparing UCaaS/CCaaS Platforms 

The demand for consolidation, simplicity, and scalability is driving the adoption of UCaaS/CCaaS platforms at an accelerated rate. As companies continue to shift more of their ecosystems into the cloud, unified platforms are becoming increasingly popular.

By following the steps above, you can choose a platform that serves your needs for years to come, with the ability to integrate your existing tools, access advanced features, and improve compliance and security. Don't forget to prioritise a platform that's easy to use and scalable, with plenty of opportunities for growth and development.

The decision to work with one vendor for both UCaaS and CCaaS or opt for fit-for-purpose vendors depends on a variety of factors. While working with one vendor can provide a streamlined experience and potentially reduce costs, it's important to ensure that the vendor's offering meets all of your organisation's needs.

Fit-for-purpose vendors can provide specialised solutions that may better meet your organisation's unique requirements. Ultimately, the decision should be based on a careful evaluation of each vendor's capabilities and how well they align with your organisation's overall goals and needs.

Finally, it is recommended that a solid service integration partner to design, implement and support your environment is recommended; or push you into an as-a-service consumption world under one SLA.