Cloud Communications

Today's businesses communicate much differently now that companies are taking advantage of VoIP technologies, cloud communications, third-party integrations, and other tools that are aimed at helping to foster productivity and efficiency in the workplace. In 2017 alone there has been a steady increase in the availability of Unified Communications (UC) in addition to team messaging and other collaboration tools that help businesses work in a much more effective manner. 

San Francisco-based cloud communications provider Dialpad has made it very apparent that their ultimate mission is to rid the world of desk phones. In the era of the “anywhere worker,” Dialpad believes that desk phones are irrelevant because they chain workers to one location, limiting their abilities and flexibility to work elsewhere. That is why Dialpad is working towards disrupting business communications with their next generation phone system and solutions that empower the mobile, new-age worker.

The recent announcement by Toshiba that it will be closing down its Telecommunications System Division (TSD) in North America took many of its customers and competitors by surprise. Toshiba has been a long time innovator and a stronghold in the telecommunications industry, offering document solutions, digital signage, printing systems, software solutions, and more. But recently, in a letter from Toshiba to its dealers and partners, the company said that the wind-down of its TSD business is part of its overall global restructuring, effective immediately.

As the global demand for robust cloud communications solutions heats up, leading VoIP, UC, and contact center providers continue to map out their own strategies in order to grab a larger piece of the cloud communications market. Aside from launching new solutions and acquiring or merging with competitors in the market, many service providers are also aggressively expanding globally.

For many businesses, cost and included features are major factors to consider when choosing a cloud communications system. But while these elements are important, there is another equally vital factor that companies must consider when switching to a cloud-based phone solution: usability. It is important to factor in how user-friendly and usable a cloud communication system is so that your business can reap the benefits without struggling with a large learning curve. But usability is so much more than this.