Louis Hayner, CSO, Alteva
Preparing for a Unified Communications Installation
There are many steps end users should consider when preparing for a UC installation. The first is to really come to an understanding about where you want your business to be. Then, work backwards. In most technology deployments, many people are happy with where they are; but, in order to continue growing as an organization, and improve efficiency and business processes, you should have a pretty good idea of where you want to be in the next year, three years, five years, and so on.
The next step is to ask yourself questions to help figure out what type of UC installation will best fit your company’s needs (e.g. cloud vs. premise) and find out what you need to do to make sure your house is in order before you sign a contract and the installation begins.
Without knowing the answers to these questions, it would be impossible to pick the right service provider that will be most accommodating and best fit your business needs. It’s important to understand exactly what your provider’s UC solution brings to the table and how it integrates today. Be sure to research different hosted service providers and their offerings and address each of these points with that vendor. Also, be sure to check the “Top 5 Questions to Ask When Selecting a UC Provider” for more information.