Cloud-based communications, also known as Communications as a Service (CaaS), is a hosted solution provided & managed as a service vs. the traditional premise-based systems. This concept has been around nearly forty years, since the inception of Centrex. Many industry experts, whom remember Centrex, understand the issues associated with it. Some of those included cost, limited deployment models, no applications, and basically did not meet the markets need. With the inception of new technology such as IP-based solutions, CaaS is becoming a more viable option.

With a full list of features and applications available, businesses are looking at CaaS to run their day to day operations instead of a premised-based solution. CaaS can reduce or eliminate capital expenditures, which in this economy is a welcome piece of news. With no system to support, your IT investment will be lowered since no education or labor costs would be needed for the communications system. In addition, CaaS is a good way to ‘try and buy’. If you are thinking about a premise-based system, you can start with a specific department on CaaS and deploy a premised-based system down the road.

The CaaS model features a long list of solutions that include IP-based systems; robust applications which can be turned off or on quickly; flexible deployment; remote administration & supervisory tools; and remote agent/employee capabilities. Another critical feature in a CaaS solution is the ability to scale your needs up or down depending on your business needs. For example, if you own a catalog company, you may need to scale up during certain holiday seasons. When the season is over, you can easily scale back down again.

For businesses requiring remote agent/employee capability and a disaster recovery plan, CaaS is ideal. The contact center is leading the way in the remote workplace. With the ability to have agents all over the world, using a secure internet connection, companies are able to keep productivity high which helps their bottom line. Gartner is forecasting remote agents will grow by 25% between 2008 and 2013. A disaster recovery plan, a.k.a. business continuity, is becoming an essential part of your operating procedures. Natural disasters are more expensive to recover from and human intervention such as worms and viruses are more prevalent with each passing week. With a disaster recovery plan, where the server is hosted off-site (such as with a CaaS solution), your business is protected from unforeseen circumstances. Also the ability Cialis to have remote agents insures that in the event of an unplanned emergency, your agents can still function just as if they were at the office.

Are you ready for a CaaS solution? There are several considerations to think about:
– Is your network VoIP ready? A good provider will complete a network assessment to help you determine this.
– Do you need to extend capabilities of your current infrastructure?
– Does your business have compliance standards that must be adhered to? Are the issues with call recording, records retention, customer privacy, etc.?
– Is your current environment spread out? Do you currently have branch offices or remote workers?
– Do you plan to or have interest in moving to a premise-based solution in the future?

Once you have decided you are ready for a new communications system and determined CaaS is the way to go, the next step is choosing the right provider. There are typically four options, each with their own considerations to think about. The first option may be a traditional telephone carrier who provides your telephone lines. You may want to consider their experience in supporting telephone systems and especially complex applications. Second are the traditional hosting companies, also known as application service providers (ASP). ASP’s usually do not own the software, so there can be a lack of control. Third is the start-up CaaS/SaaS provider. As a start-up, you would want to look into their financial resources, track record, or experience which may bring an element of risk. Finally, there is the communications software company. CaaS organizations have control over the applications since they developed the software and have a great deal of experience and best practices to draw from.

In choosing any hosting company, you want to make sure they are running the latest technology; provide redundancy for the hardware and carrier; allow you to make the necessary changes for your business; and do not host multiple companies on the same server.

In making a large technology decision, it is best to research, research, research. CaaS is a Deliberately Different solution for any type of business – enterprise or contact center.

Author Bio: Sharon Moon is the President of Automated Voice & Data Solutions. She launched AVDS to pioneer revolutionary technology for businesses by implementing next-generation software-based telecommunication solutions. http://avds.com/Home/ http://avds.com/solutions/ http://avds.com/Demo/

Category: Business
Keywords: VoIP, software based communications, contact center solutions, CaaS, SaaS