Advantages & Disadvantages of UCaaS (Cloud Unified Communications)

Revolution in Information Technology make new trends in every field of life, Unified
Communication (UC) a modern way of communication that aggregates diverse methods of
communication either its synchronous or asynchronous for performing your business process
activities. In last decades segregated communications platforms used where conventional phone
calls were made through PSTNs (Public Switched Telephone Networks) that was typically a real
time communication method and email, Instant Messaging, Short Messaging Service were
provided by the separate Data Communication Network Platforms.

Unified Communication (UC) is a communication paradigm that integrates all the methods of
communication either real time communication or delayed communication like conventional
phone calls, Instant Messaging, Short Messaging Services, Email, Video Conferencing, Audio
Conferencing, Presence Monitoring, IVR (Interactive Voice Responding), CRM (Customer
Relation Management) System, Web based Video Conferencing, Fax and other possible
communication methods over a unified platform.

In short Unified Communication (UC) mechanism helps you to use all the possible ways of
communication together for making your business more efficient and to increase productivity
with lowering the cost. Unified Communication helps you to control, monitor and manage your
business more efficiently and productively from a central point location. Unified Communication
is an ideology that has a massive impact on approach how peoples working in an organization
interact within and outside to the organization for communication by selecting right
communication medium.

Unified Communication paradigm can deployed as on-premises and Cloud or Host based Unified
Communication (UCaaS). Unified Communication as on-premises is a phenomenon where
business organization has to invest for deployment and maintaining its own local network for
provisioning of Unified Communication platform. On-Premises also known as On-Site unified
communication platforms are developed and administered by the organization those used them
for their internal and external communication using numerous communication mediums and for
deployment of communication setup organization are required to setup their own servers, phone
lines, application along with professional and dedicated human resources those are capable to
manage unified communication systems and make them operational appropriately and
efficiently. On the other hand Cloud based Unified Communication helps to business
organizations for eliminating the cost render to establish infrastructure for provisioning of
Unified Communication platforms including hardware, software and required Applications by
signing service provisioning agreement with a third party company that provide these Unified
Communication services over an IP network.
This article further explores advantages and disadvantages of cloud based Unified
Communication (UCaaS). Concept of integration of available communication methods on one
platform seems promising theoretically but reasons behind the concept are advantages those can
attained for making business process activities more robust and to enhance productivity. Unified
Communication can be used for connecting teams and sharing of valuable business related
information that will help to increase inclusive and effectual collaboration experience.
Organizations through deployment of Unified Communication can gain the advantages like
connecting business stakeholders such as co-workers, vendors, partners, customer for sharing of
information as well as for the provisioning of customer support to valuable customers. Other
benefits of Unified Communication can share videos from desktop and mobile devices with ease,
better and effective team interaction and collaboration through different available
communication mediums, extension of existing corporate network by including individual’s
mobile devices and embedding of collaboration and communication in deployed applications and
business process activities. Advantages offered by the Unified Communication as cloud services
can enlist as following

Advantages of UCaaS
1. Reduction in OPEX (Operational Expenditures)

Now a day’s cloud service providers are providing voice telephony and IP PBX Services more
efficiently then On-Premises infrastructure with exclusion of cost incurred for setting up system
that provide different communication facilities. Organizations are not required to purchase any
hardware equipment like servers, switches, routers or software applications required for
deploying a communication infrastructure, payment of energy bills, hiring of links and
bandwidth from service providers, configuration and management of communication system. All
required communication services are provided by the cloud services providers that caused for
reduction of business operational cost.

Efficient Use of Human Resources

UCaaS also offers another prominent advantage that organizations availing facility of unified
communication through cloud are not required to hire any IT professional staff for management
and operation of communication system. Expenditures for training of IT staff for deployment and
operation of such communication systems are also reduced by deploying the unified
communication through cloud. For organizations hiring of skilled IT professionals those are
capable to establish and manage on-premises unified communication setup is considered a hard
job so UCaaS do not required specialized IT human resources to be hired and existing staff can
take advantages of unified communication immediately without any IT knowledge transfer.
Scalability

Unified Communication over Cloud (UCaaS) helps you manage your small to large size business
and the requirement of communication with growth of your business. Organizations start their
business from small scale or required to move their resources from one location to another where
required can manage their communication deeds according to their business scalability. In hosted
unified communication (UCaaS) organizations have to pay according to the volume of the
business, if organizations are required to hire temporary work force or variation occur in human
resources it is convenient with UCaaS to manage your communication needs with ease. Only
services those are essential for operation of your business can be availed that can cause for cut
down the operational cost by excluding the service those are unnecessary or not required.

Enhanced Security

Hosted Unified Communication services (UCaaS) are provided through the IP network and
UCaaS providers have rigorous information and communication security measures for
monitoring of their network from threats, vulnerabilities and different kind of network security
attacks specially DoS or DDoS attacks those can cause for unavailability of services to
customers. An efficient security plan and mechanism of UCaaS providers will ensure the
availability of communication and connectivity of your business to the world without any down
time.

Collaboration

Small to large scale business organizations are moving their business related information and
communication services to cloud service providers and data centers and ultimate aim for this
transition is to excel the collaboration among the employees, vendors, partners and other
stakeholders of the business. With the help of Unified Communication (UCaaS) organizations
can share data and communicate within the organization and its remote locations more efficiently
for increasing the collaboration that will obviously enhance the business process activities.

Global Accessibility

Unified Communication (UCaaS) offers organizations to spread out their business over the globe
and provide global accessibility to their customers, vendors, partners and collaboration among
the employees of the organization over the world. With the help of unified communication
employees of organizations from across the world can contribute to projects.

Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Management

Unified Communication provides an uninterruptable communication infrastructure for your

business that helps you prevent the revenue loss. Power breakdowns are very common incidence
and every time a power breakdown can cause for a massive financial loss, UCaaS can be an
ultimate solution from power breakdowns and allows the operation of your business round the
clock. UCaaS also provide contingency plan for shifting of your business very swiftly and
restoration of business operation in case of any natural disaster. Due to availing all the
communication services from a cloud service provider expenses for shifting of business from one
location to another location do not required discontinuity of business for a prolong period.

Easy inclusion of Add-Ons

For promotion, marketing and progress of business organizations are required to add newly
invented services and communication features in their communication infrastructure. UCaaS
offers an efficient and easy addition of newly introduced features and services to the
organization’s communication portal that helps to employees, management and customer for
better communication collaboration.

Interoperability

Unified Communication systems over the cloud are developed over a software stack and capable
to integrate into existing applications through the APIs (Application Program Interfaces). This
integration of UCaaS with applications caused to enhance user efficiency.

Mobility

Ability to work without any geographical boundaries limitation is considered an integral part of
global business now days. Due to the revolution in information technology now companies are
capable to hire suitable, skilled and cheap human resources in all the fields over the globe. Hiring
of skilled manpower, marketing and trade of your business across different time zones become
possible with the help unified communication infrastructure by using numerous communication
mediums including text, emails, video conferencing, audio conferencing and other available
communication methods. Unified communication also provides you more efficient and effective
control and management of your business through presence monitoring.

By deploying the unified communication over cloud for your business it is possible to provide
your workers better collaborative environment that will help to save business as well your
customer’s precious time. UCaaS is deployed over cloud network that means it is fewer devices
dependent and support a wide range of Desktop Phones (IP Phones), Soft phones, Tables, mobile
phone devices and number of software development models by using APIs. Where UCaaS
provide a lot of benefits for your business some constraints are also associated with it those are
following

Disadvantages of UCaaS

Over All Cost

According to a survey majority of companies want to migrate from conventional communication

methodology to unified communication paradigm have concern with initial upfront cost. More
than 75% of large scale companies with 3000 to 5000 employees quoted upfront cost as the
barrier for implementation of unified communication in their organizations. It is very necessary
for organizations those required to migrate over unified communication to make estimation for
all incurred cost that include capital cost in form of newly required equipment, services required
from UCaaS, network infrastructure, additional staff, training cost and operational expenditures.
Before deciding to switch from traditional communication to unified communication it is vital
for every organization to make estimation regarding overall cost.

Selection of Right Service Provider

Another constraint for switching from traditional communication infrastructure to unified

communication is selection of right system, services and service provider. Organizations have to
pay an handsome amount to service providers in term of services and uninterruptable unified
communication provisioning, so it is very necessary for enterprises that they make it clear which
services they are required and on which priorities so that they only pay for services they are
really needed and without any breakdown. Right selection in term of service provider and
services can prevent from capital loss and unreliable service provision. Research work regarding
quality of service and interrupt free UCaaS service provider is recommended for determining the
right service provider and services.

Interoperability Issues

Another major constraint for deployment or migration to unified communication is integration of

existing communication infrastructure with unified communication or compatibility of existing
infrastructure with unified communication service provider platform. It is possible that you have
a conventional communication architecture that might have not provisioning for integration with
unified communication or have compatibility issues with UCaaS service provider platform. In
both mentioned cases an up-front cost for deployment of unified communication will rise. As a
solution enterprises are required to choose limited functionality with choosing the appropriate
communication methods those are supported with respect to their existing communication
infrastructure or having compatibility with service provider. A list of UCaaS providers is
available those are providing hybrid communication systems those have capability to integrate
with existing hardware equipment, network architecture, applications and services provided by
the UCaaS provider.

Training Cost/Learning Curves

At the initial stages of deployment of any new technology in business experts and skilled
professional are required to make sure the smooth and fault free installation, operation and
maintenance of the newly adopted system. It seems probably your working IT support resources
may not have enough capabilities to utilize applications and equipments integrated with unified
communication methods that will force to organizations for spending more for hiring of skilled
IT resources or for professional level training of existing resources. On the other hand with up-
gradation of new unified communication technologies administrators for regular training to
maintain and to add unified communication as skill set will be compulsory.
Change Resistance for UC

Newly introduced technologies are deployed with concern to make business process simple, easy
and more efficient as well as for making it convenience for workers. Most of employees can
enthusiastically resist unifying communication without knowing that new introduced system will
provide new dimensions those can make their job simple, easy and more productive. Information
technology or computer phobia can another major constraint against successful deployment of
unified communication.

Some other constraints for unified communication like staff with scarcity of unified
communication expertise, connectivity issues, less control over organizations privacy, viability
of new technologies like cloud and data confidentiality and privacy are also considerable.