The need for better business communication will always be around. Roughly 40% of companies have brought digital transformation initiatives to scale and during the pandemic, the need for seamless communication between employers and clients has doubled. There are two main forms of communication that businesses are utilizing today, VoIP and Unified Communications. Both have their benefits depending on the need case so let’s dive in and learn about the two.

VOIP
For businesses, there is a new standard within communication, as many know is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). VoIP allows businesses to communicate over a network connection, and many use the same phone on traditional networks.

Since businesses have high bandwidth, internet connections that can support communication solutions are desirable and cost-saving compared to traditional phone lines. With VoIP, businesses can make multiple calls, including conference and group calls. VoIp systems also allow for high-definition codecs, helping modern VoIP systems sound better than landline networks.

Benefits of VoIP:

Saving in monthly costs with long-distance, international calls
Simpler phone line management
Access to add-on features
Potential for scaling
UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS
Another modern approach to business communication is Unified Communications (UC). UC is modern real-time and non-real-time communication solutions and platforms integrated.

UC includes:

Internet phones (VoIP)
Instant Messaging
Video Conferencing
Screen Sharing
Call Control
Speech Recognition
Email
Voicemail
SMS
Each feature above can be integrated and combined to interact with one another, so employees can work from anywhere. A good example of unified communications is if a customer calls you and leaves a voicemail after business hours. The program that powers the phone will then send you an email with a voicemail note attached. This approach allows for faster workflow and processes for staff. As remote work is becoming more common, businesses need to support remote workers with technology solutions that are flexible and secure. According to Statista, the global unified communications & collaboration grew 9% in 2020 and reached a size of $47.2B.

Benefits of Unified Communications:

Better productivity
Lower cost of ownership
Simpler communication management across multiple sites
Integrated video features
Helps develop strong business continuity
Supports mobility and remote work
Secured network
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO
In basic terms, VoIP focuses on Internet-based calling and UC focuses on company-wide communication. It is common for the voice part of UC to be powered by a VoIP platform. If you are looking for a cheaper approach to business communication, then VoIP might be the go, but if you want to utilize modern technology, then UC is the way. UC just offers more like collaboration, optimizing processes, and streamlining workflows.

IMPLEMENTATION
Unified Communications take longer to implement than VoIP. When a business upgrades to VoIP, it is generally not that difficult. When a business wants to implement UC, it takes a valued partner or third-party vendor to come in, implement, and integrate with the strategic experience.

NEXT STEPS
Depending on what your business needs will determine the best communication solution. If you already have a phone system in place for your office and you are looking to cut costs, then aVoIP solution might be best. If your business is looking for a modern approach to communication and has the bandwidth to support implementation, then Unified Communications would be suitable, and the benefits would be great.

With the right strategic vendor, UC can be implemented and streamlined across multiple locations depending the size of the business. At Tekscape, our team of engineers supports VoIP or Unified Communications for businesses of all sizes. The need for better and faster communication is necessary if a business wants to scale and support growth.

To learn more about VoIP or Unified Communications, try a free demo with a rep today.