As we have explored the various elements of unified communications (UC)—video conferencing, unified messaging, and collaboration—one commonality is shared need for mobile access. More than fifty million US residents are working on mobile devices, and if you haven’t embraced mobile systems, now’s the best time to get started.
Mobile technology is a win for both business owners and employees, and with the growth of UC, it’s easier than ever to have all your mobile communication systems in one place. Learn more from our guide below.
What Is Mobility?
In the UC environment, mobility refers to the ability to access information from remote locations and across different devices. Smartphone apps are the first that come to mind, of course, but telephones, fax machines, and voicemail services are also part of the equation.
Mobility gives users 24/7 access to data and unified messaging from a home office, on business trips, or anywhere beyond the confines of business central office. And within a central office, a strong Wi-Fi network allows employees to use their devices for high-demand tasks, such as video conferencing without interruption or lag. Mobility also offers workers more freedom while keeping them connected to the full suite of communication and planning software their jobs require.
How Can Mobility Help Small Businesses?
Mobile solutions give remote employees—and those on the move— much-needed flexibility and an equal voice for company ideas, discussions, and strategies. A mobile culture can do wonders for morale, and many workers report that working remotely is satisfying and increases their productivity. More jobs are feasible to perform effectively from remote locations, giving freedom to workers and lowering in-house overhead for offices—and the future of many businesses may be exclusively remote work.
By improving gateways to collaboration, businesses reap the rewards of higher production and faster communication. Efficient meetings, phone calls, and presentations can help teams function more fluidly and generate more time to focus on their roles in the business. UC creates a mobile workspace that puts all communication tasks into in a single interface, giving quick access to a wealth of information and making a more productive workforce that’s more satisfied with their contributions.
And as remote work becomes more ubiquitous, many younger employees expect to have remote options when looking for work. Mobility helps draw in new talent and can boost the spirits of existing staff.
Accessing information from nearly anywhere also makes teams more responsive and can ultimately help generate more revenue by increasing overall efficiency. The flexibility of mobility, paired with UC notification systems, can provide solutions and critical feedback quickly through voicemail, email, or even video conferencing. Lowering costs, improving communication tasks, and giving workers more time to focus on their mission-critical tasks makes any business run smoothly.
How Can You Implement Mobility?
UC systems can become mobile with an app that’s compatible with your UC suite. Cloud-based storage makes information accessible anytime and anywhere—as long as there’s reliable Wi-Fi. Laptops are still the best place to work from when using a single UC interface, but mobile devices aren’t far behind; checking into a video conference from your smartphone is just as easy as logging onto your laptop.
Mobility provides a custom user experience that takes into account both the needs of the business and the preferences of the end user. And because UC works across devices, the system can be tailored for each user. Happy employees are productive employees, and workers that feel respected and trusted will likely invest more of themselves in their jobs.
The final component of this UC series is collaboration. Read on to learn more about the vital role collaboration-based apps play in UC.