PanTerra Networks Explains the Benefits of a Unified Communications Solution

In the past, bulky landline phones and clunky fax machines dominated office environments. They offered the quickest way for employees to communicate with colleagues, clients, and customers. But today, these machines have become a rare sight, if not completely extinct, in most office settings. A vast range of tools such as email, instant messaging, SMS, conferencing, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solutions have taken over the workplace instead. But this explosion of new channels in communication has also brought with it a new set of challenges, primarily information overload and a learning curve to match.
Enter the solution: Unified Communications.
Unified Communications (also referenced in the industry as UC) isn’t another addition to the long list of communication methods available today. Rather, it solves the problem of too many complex business communication solutions and devices. It helps consolidate all communications methods into one for ease of use and better accessibility.
When it comes to UC solutions, PanTerra Networks is one of the providers that has a history of delivering a focused and well-established solution. In this article, David Immethun, the Senior Director of Marketing at PanTerra Networks, will help us understand more about what UC does, what enterprises should consider when deploying a UC solution, and how PanTerra's UC solution differs from the other available options.
Defining Unified Communications
Unified Communications does exactly what its name says: it unifies all communications methods by bringing all of the communication channels together in a single platform. It essentially serves as the Swiss Army knife of communication, combining audio and video calls, audio and video conferencing, multi-media messaging, email, voicemail, desk sharing, web meeting, call center, auto attendants, and faxing.
According to Immethun, PanTerra takes this definition of UC even further to include “any vehicle necessary to 'do business' in the form of communication, collaboration or sharing between two or more parties.”
“If we define 'doing business' as performing any kind of transaction between two or more business parties, then UC is the process by which 'the doing business' gets done, which is why UC is so important to businesses. Without UC, no business transactions would actually take place, as there would be no interaction (communication, collaboration or sharing) between the parties,” he added.
The Components of a Successful UC Solution
Given a UC solution's flexibility and the overall need for enterprises to optimize and customize, a number of UC solutions have appeared on the market. Not all solutions are the same, though. PanTerra Networks shares with us three critical components that users should look for in a successful UC solution:
Rich, integrated, flexible, interoperable UC feature set – Various studies have shown that UC solutions help drive productivity in organizations. However, in order to achieve true productivity, it is crucial for businesses to choose a solution that seamlessly unifies and delivers a customizable, business-critical set of UC features. Immethun says, “Having common capabilities across all UC services such as contact and group management, notifications, administration, secure storage and analytics will simplify learning, increase usability and drive end-user productivity and adoption.”
Ultra-reliable, secure, business-quality cloud infrastructure – While UC features and functionalities are important, businesses must also be able to go beyond them and consider the infrastructure the UC solution is built on. Without a reliable and high-quality cloud infrastructure, a business may not be able to enjoy a consistent and dependable service that it desires.
Enhanced security – An important element of a UC solution is security. Today’s businesses need secure connectivity and greater levels of data privacy now more than ever. That’s why it’s vital that they choose a solution and a provider that offers enhanced security features and capabilities. Immethun names select features such as “HIPAA compliance, multi-factor authentication on all devices and full encryption in-transit and at-rest” as critical security features required in today’s cloud environment.
PanTerra Networks’ UC Offering Designed to Meet Business’ Demands
PanTerra has continually been at the forefront of Unified Communications technologies. CloudUC, their comprehensive business-class cloud UC solution, seamlessly integrates real-time communications, team collaboration, complete file sync and share options, and business analytics -- all accessible from desktops and mobile devices.
Apart from these features, PanTerra’s CloudUC also offers the broadest level of interoperability, with integrations from a diverse range of business applications such as Office 365, Gmail, Google Apps, Dropbox, Outlook, FreshDesk, Box, and more. In addition, PanTerra guarantees a smooth, safe, and secure service with its key enhanced security features. These include full HIPAA compliance for all communications and user cloud storage, full encryption for all communications and data, and complete multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all devices.
Learn more about CloudUC on PanTerra's website.
Final Thoughts
Today’s business world has never been more connected. But with so many types of communication available today, it’s easy for messages and information to get lost or muddled, which could significantly affect operations and work productivity as a whole. With a powerful, robust UC solution, enterprises now have a more secure, complete, and efficient way of communicating. After all, proper and efficient communication is the key to getting business done--quickly and efficiently.
About PanTerra Networks
PanTerra Networks is a trusted provider of unified communications, team collaboration, file sync & share and business analytics solutions to mid-market enterprises worldwide. The company offers one of the best and most comprehensive business-class cloud unified communications solution on the market today, CloudUC. Their solution seamlessly combines multiple modes of communication, helping businesses lower their operating costs, streamline operations, and gain a competitive edge. PanTerra caters to businesses in all industries, including healthcare, retail, financial, hi-tech, services, non-profit, legal, government and education.