What Is UCaaS and What Can It Offer Your Business?

What Is UCaaS and What Can It Offer Your Business?

What Is UCaaS and What Can It Offer Your Business?

UCaaS is unified communications as a service. Unified communications offered as part of the “as a service” model is quickly becoming the go-to solution for businesses with complex communications needs. So, is UCaaS truly deserving of the accolades it is receiving? What can UCaas solutions offer your business? Keep reading as we take a deep dive into details about the service UCaaS can provide to you.

What is UCaaS And Its Components?

Let’s break this down into two parts. First, what is unified communications? This term refers to the complex mix of communications and communications methods that businesses use to function today. The components of UC are:

  • Telephony
  • Instant Messaging
  • Video and Web Conferencing
  • File and Screen Sharing
  • Email
  • Contact Management
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Voicemail

The “as a service” model simply means that a particular technical need is met via a service that is accessed via the cloud. Communications as a service is popular because the customer enjoys the benefits of a unified communications platform while the infrastructure is handled by the UCaaS provider. Even better, that unified communications platform provides an intuitive interface to manage all the components from video conferencing to IP phones. This usually occurs via an app or other software that connects to the cloud.

Blog: What Is Unified Communications

What Problems Does Communications as a Service Solve?

Businesses adopt unified communications as a service because it meets some important needs including:

  • Reducing upfront and ongoing maintenance costs.
  • Allowing employees to stay connected while working remotely.
  • Integrating the use and administration of a wide range of communications tools and technologies.
  • Removes the need to manage PBX servers and other business communications tech on site.
  • Reduces hardware and other costs such as phone line installation.

How Does Unified Communications as a Service Work?

Unified communications as a service offers a single point of management for all the communications needs for your business. UCaaS solutions covers areas including SMS, chat, video conferencing, as well as customer service center functionality.

UCaaS is also cloud based. There is no need to install additional VoIP servers, or extra phone lines. Instead, your chosen UCaaS provider will handle management functions including maintenance, security, and configuration.

Because unified communications is largely driven by VoIP, it’s important to have a basic understanding of business VoIP, and how it supports the voice functionality offered by UCaaS providers.

Simply put, VoIP converts voice into data packets that are transmitted to a cloud phone service. Universal Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) drives the operation of phone numbers and voicemail notifications.

All of that functionality exists with UCaas, but the complexity is removed. With UCaas, your employees can make phone calls, but you have none of the infrastructure concerns. That burden is passed on to UCaaS providers. Your team can engage in whatever business communication functions they need to no matter where they are. UCaaS enables business VoIP on any computer or mobile device as long as it can connect to the cloud.

Blog: What Is VoIP? A Full Guide for Understanding VoIP Phone System

What About an In-House UCaaS Solution?

If you attempted to build an in house UC platform, you could expect to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars. That’s not taking into account the amount of time you would spend managing it. Then, each time you grew, you would have to reinvent the wheel, so to say. That’s another thing to consider. Your UCaaS solution will be scalable. It’s also the perfect solution for any company with its eye on disaster recovery. Your service provider can help ensure that you stay online and available through severe weather events, or loss of power. Whether your business needs change or something else comes up, UCaaS unified communications guarantees availability.

Is UCaaS The Same as CPaaS?

As you learn more about unified communications as a service, you may run across information about a different communications platform. This is CPaaS. It stands for communications platform as a service.

This is a communication platform that is meant for developers who want to add text and voice functionality to the apps they develop. Essentially, they use APIs to add the messaging functions they need to the software they are developing.

This is different from unified communications as a service that is a business communication solution for businesses to have their comm. Needs met via a single platform. It doesn’t require you to have any technical skills.

Keep this in mind. If you are developing an app or other software, and want to integrate voice or text, CPaaS might be a good option for you. However, it isn’t a substitute for UCaaS that you can use to streamline voice, messaging, video conferencing, contact management, screen sharing, and your business phone system.

What Are The Benefits of UCaaS Solutions?

Many, if not most, companies will benefit from adopting UCaaS solutions. If you are motivated by saving money, streamlining processes, and outsourcing tasks that are not mission-critical, consider the following benefits of UCaas.

Cost Reduction

When you consider that UCaaS solutions are cloud-based, it’s clear why unified communications as a service is a budget-friendly choice. Not only do you save on installation and maintenance, you can potentially save on:

  • Utilities
  • Real Estate or Property Leases
  • New Users
  • Data Center Management

That’s not all. Because UCaaS platforms are designed to meet all of your modern business communication needs, you can also eliminate expenses related to the following solutions:

  • Video conferencing and audio conferencing equipment and services.
  • SMS Messaging
  • File Sharing
  • Private Internal Messaging
  • Online Meetings
  • Desktop Phones
  • Web conferencing

Keep in mind that this is money-saving without loss of functionality. Instead, your service provider will help you use UCaaS to add value to your company.

Enhanced Remote Work Capabilities

The service UCaaS can provide is miles ahead of traditional phone service. Without this technology, remote employees must often piece together a patchwork of solutions to stay connected with the office and customers. In some cases, they may even have to lug around special equipment for video conferencing, customer support, or other duties. With UCaaS, workers can seamlessly execute their duties without dealing with equipment or hodgepodge communication tools.

As long as they have a high-speed internet connection workers can use business phone services, video conferencing, instant messaging, web conferencing, file sharing, and collaboration tools.

Maintain Fewer Tools

Without UCaaS you might have various communications tools and collaboration tools. You may even pay separate licensing and maintenance fees for these. Worse, different workers may be using different tools, or versions of the same collaboration tools. What a mess.

Rather than juggling all of these standalone instant messaging tools and other apps, consider streamlining your business communications tools into a single, cloud-based solution via UCaaS.

Set Up UCaaS Quickly

Rather than spending hours configuring video conferencing, instant messaging, SMS, collaboration tools, and phone service for each user, our UCaas solution practically sets itself up. This means your team can focus on doing their jobs, not replicating the kind of service UCaaS provides automatically.

UCaaS is Secure

If you have a staff of remote workers, it makes sense to be concerned about endpoint security. If they are using multiple communication tools, you have even more reason for concern. Are those tools secure, are they updated with the latest security patches? Sadly, the business world is full of people who would love the opportunity to access your sensitive data. With UCaaS, your provider takes care of encryption and other security measures, and your business communications security only has to cover a single suite of tools from one cloud-based provider.

UCaaS platforms also allow you to monitor use of your system on demand, and in real-time. You can never be too safe. 

UCaaS Grows With You

Imagine adding 100 new employees, opening a new store, or breaking ground on a new office complex. Setting up a traditional phone system along with providing all the other communication tools your team needs is a major undertaking. That’s the kind of thing that could keep your in-house IT staff busy for a year or more. Can you afford that kind of resource allocation? That’s not including the work you will have to do with your business telecom provider.

That isn’t the case with unified communications. Growing your business with UCaaS means that your communications solution is cloud-based, and easy to update. There are no clunky or expensive phone system updates. Instead, your new staff can use features like call routing, call forwarding, IM, and web conferencing right away. They just need access to the internet!

Yeastar UC Solution: Linkus UC Clients

Designed for Yeastar PBX System, Linkus UC Clients enable users to easily access a comprehensive suite of calling, conference, voicemail, presence, enterprise contacts, collaboration from a single interface using mobile phones, desktops, and web browsers. Employees can stay connected with colleagues and customers where, when, and however they prefer. Download to experience more!

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User Login

Instantaneously receive user login credentials via email once the extension has been deployed by the adminstrator.

Log in conveniently via any web browser for access to the user portal.

Integrations

Integrate various CRM software for better customer service and satisfaction.

Enable transcription of audio messages into text with integration of third-party transcription service.

Enable API for integration with various third-party integrations for advanced performance such as call center and hotel reception services.

System

Provision email SMTP and template settings for event notifications to be sent out.

Manage storage allocation and duration of various types of data being stored on the PBX.

Determine the types of event notifications to be sent out, and the parties receiving them.

IVR

Add various audio voice prompts to be played according to different call scenarios.

Add voice prompts on multiple levels for more effecient and precise inbound call routing.

Voicemail

Customize default voicemail settings for each user extension.

Add various voicemail messages for allocation to different call scenarios and users.

Provision specific rules to how voicemail messages are played over the PBX system for better caller experience.

Reports and CDR

All call log activities are stored, with the option of having audio conversations recorded by default or for specific extensions.

Use intuitive visual call reports, to check various call statistics over extensions, trunks, queues, ring groups, and more.

Call reports can be viewed and downloaded directly from the PBX, or scheduled to be sent via email to respective parties.

Security

Restrict a general group or specific IP addresses to prevent unauthorized access to your PBX.

Limit the number of otbound calls users are allowed to make within a time period to protect against toll fraud.

Restrict certain country codes for outbound calls either company-wide or on certain extensions.

User Login

Determine extension ranges for different functions.

Define use of different voice prompts depending on call scenarios or intended function.

Provision basic and advanced SIP settings to be used on the PBX.

Recordings

Record all calls made on specified trunks, including inbound and outbound calls.

Recordings

Record all calls made on specified extensions, conferences, or call queues.

Paging and Intercom

Create different types of paging and intercom broadcast groups for selected extensions.

Set a time schedule to automatically start your broadcast.

Maintenance

Check for and download firmware upgrades to ensure that your PBX is always up-to-date.

Perform back-ups to prevent data and settings from getting lost.

Perform troubleshooting on your own to debug.

Conference

Pre-set conference settings and dial-in passwords for security, and allow internal users to send conference invites to external parties.

Speed Dial

Create multiple speed dial numbers to respective external numbers frequently used for outgoing calls.

Speed dial is activated when the set prefix (default or customized) is dialed.

Ring Group

Create multiple ring groups and determine custom ring strategies and failover settings for each.

Call Queue

Create different call queues with specific ring strategies and failover settings.

Static agents permanently answer calls in queue, while dynamic agents can log in and out. Allocate different extensions to each group.

Determine what actions are to be allowed for Mangers or Agents to manage on the Queue Panel.

Call Control

Have calls received on specific SIP trunks routed to designated extensions or destinations within the PBX.

Set-up dial patterns so that outbound calls are routed to their intended destinations.

Determine how calls are routed and received at different times of a day.

Contacts

Store, retrieve, and share company contact details easily on your PBX.

Organize company contacts into dedicated phonebooks and determine accessibility rights to extension groups for each.

Bulk import a list of contacts instead of having to key details in individually.

Role and Client Permission

Pre-defined user roles within the PBX are conveniently available for allocation, or create your own set of permissions.

Restrict users from viewing specific extensions, departments, or extension groups with Extension Visibility.

Allow or resrict specific users from managing or viewing certain company contacts

Auto Provision

Pre-defined setting parameters specific to respective IP phone models are conveniently available for easy set-up.

IP Phones can be quickly provisioned to your Yeastar PBX with just the pre-defined template and device MAC address.

Trunks

Register multiple SIP trunks on a single PBX as needed.

Different types of trunks can be created, Caller ID can be customized.

Extensions

View, deploy, add, and remove user extensions within your PBX system.

Configure default call and user settings for individual extensions.

Customize allocation of user extensions to specific ring groups.

Portal Login Page

Receive your administrator log-in credentials and set-up guide via email.

Log-in on any web-browser to get started with PBX set-up.

Installation Wizard will guide you through basic configurations.

User Login

Access all company contacts made available to you by the administrator.

Create your own personal contacts list for easy reference and dialing.

Bulk import contact details for convenient data entry.

User Login

Access and manage user settings for softphone application and voicemail.

Manage call routing and presence status for your individual extension.

Retrieve or download your personal call logs and recordings.

User Login

Receive your log-in credentials and set-up guide via email, sent by your admin.

Log-in on any web-browser to get started with PBX set-up.

Configure contacts and personal settings from the web portal.

Auto Provision

Add, remove, or modify IP phone settings from your web interface.

Upgrade IP phone firmware conveniently from your PBX.

Upload various default setting parameters specific to respective IP phone models for greater convenience during set-up.

Contacts

Store, retrieve, and share company contact details easily on your PBX.

Have detailed contact information for your vendors and clients conveniently stored .

Bulk add a list of contacts instead of having to key details in individually.

PBX Monitor

Monitor the status extensions, whether they aren idle, in use, or unavailable.

Know whether your SIP Trunk running properly, or experiencing problems.

Monitor the number of call conferences currently running on your PBX, and their individual durations.

Maintenance

Check for and download firmware upgrades to ensure that your PBX is always up-to-date.

Perform back-ups to prevent data and settings from getting lost.

Perform troubleshooting on your own to debug.

Call Detailed Report

All call log activities are stored, with the option of having audio conversations recorded by default or for specific extensions.

Filter by date, time, or extension number to retrieve specific call logs or recordings

Playback call recordings directly from the PBX or download to store externally.

Event Center

Determine what events and logs are to be recorded and/or have notifications sent.

Specify particular notifications to be sent to respective authorized personnel.

User Permission

Set up vaious groups of users for allocation to certain sets of access rules.

Determine what features a certain group of extensions can or cannot access.

Determine if users can access, play-back, or download call logs and recordings from the pbx.

Security

Restrict a general group or specific IP addresses to prevent unauthorized access to your PBX.

Determine specific the range of SIP ports for connection between your PBX and endpoints.

Restrict country codes for outbound calls either company-wide or on certain extensions.

Voice Prompt

Upload and designate customised audio recordings at multiple levels of a call journey.

Upload recorded music to fill the silence that would be heard by callers on hold.

Upload customised voice prompts to create a professional call experience.

General

Customize general call preferences either company-wide or for individual extensions.

Set-up feature dial codes for convenient user navigation to specific call features.

Determine how voicemails are retrieved, and also upload custom voicemail recordings.

Call Features

Add multiple automated responses to be played at different phases of a call journey.

Designate specific extensions to ring concurrently based on an external caller's dial pattern.

Customize messages and waiting times to keep external callers engaged when put on hold.

Call Control

Have calls received on specific SIP trunks routed to designated extensions within the PBX.

Set-up dial patterns so that outbound calls are routed to their intended destinations.

Determine how calls are routed and received at different times of a day.

Trunks

Register multiple SIP trunks on a single PBX as needed.

Provision SIP trunk settings and dedicate them to particular extensions.

Bulk add DDIs on each SIP trunk, for allocation to an individual or groups of extensions.

Extensions

View, deploy, add, and remove user extensions within your PBX system.

Allocate and deploy specific extension numbers to respective users via email.

Set-up default ring and presence status settings for individual users.

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View cases created for a Deal in One View.

View cases created for a Deal in One View.