As businesses rapidly adapt to the fast-paced demands of the digital era, unified communications (UC) has emerged as a cornerstone of modern work environments. By integrating voice, video, email, messaging, and file sharing into a single platform, those solutions empower companies to streamline communication and enhance productivity. However, with this convenience comes the responsibility of securing these platforms against evolving cybersecurity threats. UC security is no longer just a feature—it's a necessity. Here's how businesses can protect themselves using UC, ensuring long-term growth and resilience. The Advantages of Unified Communications Security 1. Streamlined Protection Against Cyber Threats Modern secure unified communication solutions leverage encryption, two-factor authentication (2FA), and advanced threat detection to shield sensitive data from breaches. End-to-end encryption ensures that messages, calls, and files remain private, while 2FA adds an extra layer of defence by requiring multiple verification steps. For regulated industries, UC platforms that comply with GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS ensure the secure handling of critical data. 2. Mitigating Human Error Human error accounts for a significant portion of data breaches. Cloud-based UC solutions address this issue by centralising access controls. Administrators can assign user-specific permissions, ensuring employees only access data necessary for their roles. Additionally, training employees to recognise phishing attempts and implementing secure password management tools further minimises risks. 3. Centralised Management For Better Visibility With cloud-based UC platforms, businesses gain unprecedented visibility over their communication systems. Administrators can track data movement, monitor real-time activity, and detect unusual behaviour. Those solutions allow businesses to audit conversations and file-sharing activity to identify potential security gaps before they escalate into breaches. 4. Scalability For Growing Businesses As organisations grow, so do their communication needs. UCaaS enables easy onboarding of new employees or locations without requiring expensive hardware installations. This cloud-based approach not only supports seamless scaling but also ensures consistent application of security protocols across the board. 5. Simplifies IT Management Providers regularly update their platforms with the latest security patches, ensuring systems remain resilient against emerging cyber threats. By outsourcing security management to experts, businesses can reduce the burden of their internal IT teams while maintaining robust defence systems. Defending Against The PSTN Switch-Off The planned PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) switch-off in 2025 underscores the urgency for businesses to adopt digital communication platforms like UCaaS. The shift to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) ensures businesses remain connected without relying on outdated copper wires. VoIP's flexibility and digital nature also allow for better integration with existing UC security measures, safeguarding against disruptions during this transition. Unified Communications & Business Continuity Security isn't just about preventing breaches—it’s about ensuring uninterrupted communication during crises. With cloud-based UC solutions, businesses can avoid costly downtime caused by cyberattacks, hardware failures, or natural disasters. Moreover, integrating disaster recovery plans within those platforms guarantees seamless restoration of services, minimising operational disruptions. Key Security Measures Encryption: Protects data in transit and at rest, ensuring only authorised users can access sensitive information. Access Control: Assigns tailored permissions to employees, reducing the likelihood of internal breaches. Multi-Factor Authentication: Adds an extra layer of security to user logins. Threat Detection Tools: Identifies vulnerabilities and monitors system activities for suspicious behaviour. Regular Updates: Ensures the UC platform is fortified against the latest cyber threats. Staying Ahead With Unified Communications As businesses navigate a landscape of rapid technological evolution and increased cyber risks, UC security remains critical to staying competitive. By investing in secure systems, organisations can safeguard sensitive data, support business growth, and adapt to future technological advancements. Protect your business today by partnering with trusted UC providers like Fortay Connect offering robust security features. For more information, please get in touch. Image Source: Canva
In the digital era, businesses are turning to advanced communication and collaboration platforms to stay competitive and agile. Solutions like Zoom, RingCentral, Dialpad, and GoTo are leading the way in digital transformation (DX) for communication, offering versatile tools to connect teams, enhance productivity, and streamline business operations. Here’s why these platforms are a smart choice for organisations looking to make communication and collaboration the heart of their DX strategy. 1. Enabling Seamless Remote and Hybrid Work Environments The need for flexible work environments has skyrocketed, and certain tools have made it easier for organisations to transition smoothly to remote or hybrid work models. With powerful video conferencing, chat, and collaboration tools, these platforms make it easy for teams to work together, regardless of location. Zoom is a go-to solution for video meetings and webinars, known for its reliability and user-friendly interface. RingCentral goes a step further by offering a unified communications solution with VoIP, messaging, and video conferencing integrated into one platform. Dialpad and GoTo also deliver unified communications, focusing on seamless call handling, VoIP features, and easy integrations to fit diverse business needs. Why It Matters: Remote and hybrid work models are here to stay, and DX solutions are essential for creating a flexible, cohesive work environment. 2. Enhancing Team Collaboration and Productivity Digital transformation in communication is about more than just connecting people—it’s about empowering teams to collaborate effectively. Each of these platforms offers unique collaboration tools designed to enhance productivity: Zoom is ideal for video conferencing, virtual whiteboarding, and breakout sessions, making it a staple for creative brainstorming and in-depth team discussions. RingCentral combines messaging, video, and phone features, allowing employees to seamlessly switch between modes of communication within the same platform. Dialpad leverages AI-powered call insights and transcriptions, which help teams stay organised, capture key information, and collaborate effectively without needing multiple tools. GoTo offers easy screen sharing, webinar hosting, and training options, catering to teams that frequently need to share presentations, conduct virtual training sessions, or host large-scale virtual events. Why It Matters: A strong DX solution should enhance productivity, and provide comprehensive, user-friendly collaboration tools that drive teamwork and efficiency, not complicate it. 3. Reducing Operational Costs and Improving ROI With DX solutions companies can cut down on the costs associated with traditional phone systems, physical office space, and travel. These platforms are cost-effective alternatives to maintaining separate systems for phone, video conferencing, and messaging. RingCentral’s cloud-based VoIP and unified communication system allow businesses to consolidate their communication infrastructure, which can significantly reduce overhead costs. Dialpad’s cost-effective VoIP system and AI-driven features reduce the need for expensive hardware, offering a high ROI through streamlined, modernised call handling. GoTo focuses on affordable, scalable solutions for video conferencing and training, making it easy for businesses to grow without needing costly upgrades. Why It Matters: By reducing communication costs, DX tools free up the budget for other initiatives, driving overall efficiency and offering a faster return on investment. 4. Improving Customer Engagement and Experience Customers now expect instant, personalised communication and digital transformation solutions offer tools that are perfect for managing customer interactions, enabling businesses to meet and exceed customer expectations. Dialpad provides AI-driven call insights, call transcriptions, and analytics that help sales and support teams engage with customers more effectively. RingCentral offers an all-in-one platform where customer calls, messaging, and video conferencing are streamlined, enhancing customer support and responsiveness. GoTo offers webinars and virtual training capabilities, making it an excellent choice for businesses that want to engage customers through interactive, online experiences. Zoom is also a trusted platform for client meetings and webinars, delivering a high-quality, accessible user experience that enhances customer communication. Why It Matters: Superior customer engagement is crucial in today’s competitive environment. DX solutions empower businesses to deliver exceptional customer experiences through quick, reliable, and personalised communication channels. 5. Boosting Business Resilience and Continuity Digital transformation in communication is vital for business resilience. During disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic, organisations that had already implemented digital communication solutions were able to continue operating with minimal impact. RingCentral’s cloud-based system ensures that businesses can stay connected even when physical offices are inaccessible, offering high availability and continuity. Dialpad’s cloud platform means teams can make and receive calls, access call insights, and collaborate from anywhere, ensuring business can continue as usual. GoTo and Zoom provide virtual meeting spaces and remote work capabilities, which are essential for keeping teams connected and productive during unforeseen circumstances. Why It Matters: Business resilience is critical in today’s world, and digital solutions help organisations stay agile and prepared for anything. 6. Simplifying Communication with Unified Platforms The best digital transformation solutions streamline communication by providing a unified platform. This simplifies workflows and reduces the need to switch between multiple tools. RingCentral offers a fully unified communication experience by integrating messaging, phone, and video into a single platform. Dialpad provides phone, messaging, and conferencing all on one platform, making it easy for teams to manage all communication in one place. GoTo consolidates training, video conferencing, and meeting management, reducing complexity and making communication more efficient. Zoom remains a top choice for video-first communication, but with features like Zoom Phone and Zoom Chat, it’s rapidly expanding into a more comprehensive communication suite. Why It Matters: Unified communication platforms are easier to manage and improve team efficiency. By integrating messaging, calling, and video conferencing, solutions like RingCentral, Dialpad, and GoTo streamline workflows and simplify communication for businesses. 7. Leveraging Analytics and AI for Smarter Communication Advanced analytics and AI tools are becoming an integral part of digital transformation, enabling businesses to gain insights and make data-driven decisions. Dialpad and RingCentral are leaders in this space, using AI to enhance communication. Dialpad provides real-time transcription, sentiment analysis, and actionable call insights powered by AI, giving businesses deeper insight into customer and team interactions. RingCentral offers analytics for call performance, employee productivity, and customer satisfaction, helping businesses identify trends and make improvements. Zoom and GoTo also offer post-meeting analytics, which provide insights into engagement, participation, and meeting effectiveness. Why It Matters: Analytics and AI-driven insights allow businesses to optimise their communication strategies, providing better customer service, improving productivity, and refining operations based on real data. As companies embrace digital transformation, choosing the right communication and collaboration solutions is essential. Zoom, RingCentral, Dialpad, and GoTo are at the forefront of DX, offering powerful, flexible, and cost-effective tools that empower businesses to adapt to new ways of working, connect with their customers, and streamline operations. By enabling remote work, improving customer engagement, and simplifying communication with unified platforms, these DX solutions drive growth, resilience, and efficiency. In the journey toward a fully transformed, digital-first workplace, investing in the right communication tools is a smart, strategic decision that will continue to yield benefits well into the future. Whether you're a small business or a large enterprise, digital transformation platforms offer the tools you need to succeed in today’s digital landscape. To get an idea of the benefits those platforms can have, download our free whitepaper. Image Source: Canva
As your Unified Communication (UC) contract nears its expiration, you might feel overwhelmed by the many providers in the market. Choosing the right UC solution is critical for maintaining seamless communication and collaboration within your business, so making an informed decision is essential. This article will help you explore the best unified communications providers and give you a brief overview of the key factors to consider when selecting the top solution for your needs. Key Factors To Consider When Choosing A UC Provider Choosing the right unified communications provider can have a significant impact on your business operations. When evaluating potential providers, here are the key factors to keep in mind: Cost: Assess different pricing models (subscription, pay-as-you-go, bundled services) and ensure they fit your budget. Scalability: Look for providers that can grow with your business and offer flexible plans. Security: Ensure they have strong security protocols, including encryption and compliance with industry standards. These are just a few important aspects to consider. In a follow-up blog, we will explore each of the above factors in more depth, offering more detailed guidance to make your decision easier. Leading UC Providers In The Market Zoom Zoom stands out for its simplicity and user-friendly experience. It integrates phone, messaging, and video functions while utilising AI-powered features to enhance communication. Zoom is ideal for companies looking for simplicity, reliability and cutting-edge technology in their communications. RingCentral With over 20 years of experience in the UCaaS space, RingCentral offers robust solutions, including full UK & EU data residency and coverage in 46 countries. Its features fall under three categories: messaging, video, and telephony. Offering 99.9% uptime and integrations with Microsoft Teams and Google Workspace, RingCentral integrates effortlessly with platforms like Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace and Salesforce, enabling businesses to maintain existing workflows while enhancing their communication capabilities. RingCentral delivers flexibility and reliability, making it ideal for businesses with international operations. Dialpad Built on the Google Cloud Platform, Dialpad is a smart, secure, and scalable option, seamlessly integrating with key tools such as HubSpot and Microsoft Office 365. Endorsed by Google, Dialpad integrates with the Google ecosystem, making it a perfect solution for teams using Google tools like Gmail or Google Workspace. This is a great choice for businesses that prioritize security and smooth Google integrations. GoToConnect With over 20 years of experience, GoToConnect excels in scalability and IT management, making it perfect for businesses that need advanced IT management and collaboration tools. With the ability to support up to 250 participants and 50 webcams in a single session, GoToConnect provides robust analytics and scheduling tools for better decision-making during busy periods. This makes it a solid choice for larger teams and enterprises needing scalability and operational insights. Feature Comparison Here are some common features offered by UC providers, which you can evaluate based on your specific requirements: Voice and Video Conferencing Instant Messaging Collaboration Tools Mobile Support In an upcoming article, we will take a closer look at these features, discussing how each provider implements them and what additional functionalities they offer to enhance business communications. Making The Decision Choosing a UC provider requires evaluating features, support, and integration capabilities that align with your business needs. As your current UC contract approaches its end, take this opportunity to thoroughly assess options from providers like Zoom, RingCentral, Dialpad, and GoToConnect, each offering unique features to suit diverse business requirements. Start by identifying your priorities, conducting demos, and gathering team feedback to make an informed decision that not only meets current needs but also supports future growth. This careful approach will help you select a UC provider that enhances communication and collaboration within your business. This is a complicated and important process and decision. At Fortay Connect, we are experts in the procurement and implementation of UC solutions. We offer detailed requirements analysis, vendor selection and implementation. So, if you need help choosing the best-unified communications provider for your business, please get in touch. Image Source: Canva
