Top real-world UC requests we hear from our customers

We’ve made it through the 2017 technology prediction cycle that marks the beginning of each year. I’m simplifying… but the general market trends that have been predicted for UC in 2017 have been along the lines of: 1) Continued advance to the cloud (agreed); 2) IM replaces email (it depends – on the company, use cases, and the groups and demographics within that company); 3) UC begins to be integrated into existing business apps to enhance business workflows/processes (not quite yet); 4) Is 2017 finally the year WebRTC delivers on its potential? (nope).

But the purpose of this blog isn’t to make fun of the prognosticators – their job isn’t easy. Rather, I want to share the top real-world UC requests we currently hear from our customers (in no particular order):

• “I just want to get out of the phone business”

  We hear the desire to move to the cloud across companies big and small. In some cases, the customer wants to free up valuable IT resources. In other cases, the customer no longer wants to pay license or maintenance fees. And in yet other cases, the customer’s existing on-prem system just isn’t relevant or capable for today’s world. In short, Zones offers a leading set of hosted UC solutions – whether it be strictly for voice communications or a full collaboration solution such as Cisco Spark or Microsoft Skype for Business – so that you can get out of the phone business.

• “I’m deploying Microsoft O365 but already have UC-related systems in place today – What do I do now?”

  There has been plenty written about the adoption of Microsoft Office 365 – and we certainly see strong adoption with our customers. Nevertheless, identifying and delivering the right UC solution is specific to that customer (e.g., the number and geographical distribution of their offices and employees, use cases, business needs, etc..). The Zones team of UC technical experts – both pre- and post-sales – have years of experience in delivering end-to-end UC solutions to customers.

• “I need a video solution that both expands beyond – yet works with – my current in-meeting-room systems, to support large video broadcasts across all devices”

  With more and more distributed workforces, we certainly see an uptick in demand for video broadcasting, whether that be for team meetings or large town halls. And customer-centered video broadcasts are popular with certain companies. What’s more, many customers are not looking to scrap their existing (on-prem) video system, whether due to the system not yet being fully depreciated on their financial books or because their current system still meets their needs. In short, a Zones technical expert can help you assess, design, and implement the right video solution for your business.

• “I want to standardize the experience across my meeting rooms”

  A lot of customers mention their meeting rooms are not being utilized to their full potential and capabilities. In many cases, companies currently have a mash-up of technologies and experiences across their meeting rooms. In other cases, companies are looking to improve the scheduling and utilization of these assets. And in yet other cases, customers are looking to understand how to leverage and integrate digital whiteboards into their meeting room experience. Zones works with a best-of-breed set of partners across the UC ecosystem to design and implement the right meeting room solution for you.

To learn how Zones can help you successfully overcome your UC-related challenges and requests, contact your Zones account executive or call 800.408.ZONES.

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