Unified Communications: 6 Lessons Learned from 2019

2019 has been an exciting year for the Unified Communications (UC) industry. Throughout the marketplace, we’ve seen the rise of new and disruptive technology, like artificial intelligence tools, IoT, and machine learning. As businesses continue to accelerate toward the cloud, vendors and service providers from across the industry are also beginning to consolidate and collaborate with other companies to ensure that they can offer the most extensive selection of features available.

Below is a list of the 6 biggest lessons learned in the world of unified communication from 2019 so you can prepare for new trends in 2020.

1. Digital Transformation

According to analyst firm, IDC, 85% of enterprise decision makers currently believe that they have a time-frame of two years to make progress with digital transformation. If these companies don’t make enough progress at that time, then they could fall behind their competition and therefore start suffering financially. Around 34% of companies also say that they have already begun to undergo a digital transformation. It’s safe to say that this trend will only continue in 2020.

2. Video Collaboration

Thanks to the growing impact of remote working, mobile employment, and general out-of-office flexibility, video conferencing is more valuable as a communication strategy today than ever before. Employees and colleagues want to make sure that they have an immersive way to connect with others from any device. Seeing is believing in this new age. Going forward in 2020, there’s a good chance that an expansion in HD video technology and easy-to-use meeting solutions will drive the growth of video collaboration even further.

3. Remote Work and Remote Teams

Speaking of the remote work environment, it seems that we’re seeing a rise in the number of people who are willing to maintain their productivity outside of the office too. Today’s employees don’t need to be in the office to excel in their jobs. More companies than ever before are beginning to appreciate the benefits of remote working, not just for the employees, but the employer too. Remote working ensures that employers can pay less for their workforce by allowing them access to next-level technology from any environment.

4. Teams User Experience

Many experts believe that the way that we build our communication stack is changing in this new environment too. Throughout 2019, collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams have given us a new and agile way to connect, without relying on email inboxes. Going forward, there’s a good chance that Teams environments will be at the centre of business UX.

5. CCaaS: Gateway to AI

While many companies have been talking about the potential impact of artificial intelligence in recent years, it seems as though companies need to first embrace Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) to enter the new intelligent age. Without CCaaS, there’s no room for AI or innovation. If companies want to transform their customer experience environment, then the first thing they need to do is take CX into the cloud with a CCaaS deployment.

6. 2020 is Year of the 5G

Finally, the rise of new connectivity solutions like 5G could lead to new opportunities with other disruptive tools, like VR and AR, Artificial intelligence-powered voice assistants and so much more. It’s safe to say that each of these elements will make a difference in business communication and collaboration in the years to come.