Top Unified Communications Tools

There’s a need for a paradigm shift as the workplace grows increasingly fragmented, with employees working from various locations. Yesterday’s communication solutions may be holding back today’s operations, mainly when they rely on siloed methods. A more seamless, unified approach that doesn’t sacrifice the enhanced security of enterprise platforms is needed.

Unified communication tools merge various real-time communication services. The interface combines these team collaboration services, making them available seamlessly across platforms and supporting various media types to enhance compatibility.

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While not all unified communications (UC) platforms are created equal, they follow a basic structure:

• Voice communications that usually rely on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
• Instant messaging and real-time chat communications
• Videoconferencing or one-on-one video call support
• Email integration with data or document sharing capabilities, sometimes through third-party services like Google Drive and Dropbox
• Status sharing or availability indicators to reveal who’s available and when
• Project management software integration to help teams organize or track ongoing projects
• Shared whiteboards or other collaborative tools to help teams work as one, even across a single document or toolset

Most UC solutions also support mobile access through a dedicated app or mobile-friendly web interface. IT-managed services often provide better security than an in-house solution, as they are managed by experts with better resources.

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Some of the most popular unified communications platforms include Zoom, Nextiva, RingCentral, Vonage, Microsoft Teams and 8x8. They offer the same core components and experiences, with minor nuances that set them apart.

1. 8x8

8x8 offers a unified platform for voice, video and chat, making it an ideal choice for businesses in need of comprehensive telecom tools. 8x8 can be easily integrated with platforms like Salesforce, and features support across multiple devices.

2. Microsoft Teams

Teams is an excellent choice for businesses already invested in Microsoft’s business ecosystem. It also integrates with other services, such as Asana, Google Suite and others.

3. Nextiva

Nextiva provides unified communications through messaging, collaboration, ticketing support and direct CRM integrations. HD videoconferencing and voice calls are available across all platforms, including mobile.

4. RingCentral

RingCentral can be scaled appropriately to match the business or team size. Team members can work from anywhere across multiple platforms, mobile included. In addition to voice, video, and chat within the apps, you can also integrate extra apps to enhance the experience.

5. Vonage

Vonage excels because it supports access in over 40 countries with more than 90 world numbers for local inbound calls. It also has a long list of business phone-specific features that make it ideal for use as a standard communications option.

6. Zoom

Zoom gained prominence during the pandemic. It’s also an excellent unified communications tool for business, with a single app for mobile and team chats, voice and video calls, whiteboard sessions and more. It enhances collaboration with many built-in tools and apps.

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Developing a strategy for unified communications implementation is relatively straightforward:

1. Evaluate the need for unified communications within your business. Pay attention to how employees communicate already.
2. Identify potential challenges within your organization after rolling out the solution. This will help you choose and identify the appropriate platform.
3. Decide between on-site or as-a-service solutions, the latter accessible without traditional hardware implementations.
4. Explore the available collaboration features and apps and ensure that everything your team needs or wants is available.
5. Work with IT and security teams to assess and plan for UC security and cyberthreat concerns.
6. Implement and integrate your chosen UC solution.
7. Train employees on using the new platform and enlist help where applicable. Many UC solutions offer external support for onboarding and training.

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The right solution provides enhanced team collaboration, increased productivity, improved accessibility, better cost efficiency, enhanced scalability and security, and access to automated processes.

You should gradually integrate the UC solution with existing workflows to ensure it doesn’t disrupt current operations. Support for chat and email should be rolled out first before eventually incorporating voice and voice-over-IP into regular communication procedures. Use a layered approach to address challenges or complications before widespread adoption.

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