The Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) market, valued at $48 billion in 2021, is predicted to grow at over 26 percent CAGR from 2022 to 2030, reaching $240 billion. Capitalizing on this opportunity, however, depends on your ability to implement UCaaS successfully for your clients.
UCaaS Needs a Quality Network
When you plan a UCaaS implementation, one of the first things you need to consider is the network. UCaaS providers must ensure all three tiers of the network – connection to the internet, infrastructure including firewalls and routers, and the company’s internal network – are capable of supporting UCaaS.
Making sure the network can support voice is not only vital to the end user’s experience, but it can also impact your business. Your clients may draw the conclusion that you didn’t implement the solutions correctly rather than realizing the network isn’t capable of supporting the service.
Next, investigate whether consumer devices have been set up on your client’s network. The company may not have noticed performance problems, particularly if you’re implementing UCaaS for a business with 10 or 20 people. However, an enterprise-grade firewall that enhances security without sacrificing performance, and switches that can prioritize voice over other types of network traffic, will result in the greatest customer satisfaction.
Avoid Common UCaaS Mistakes
There are other missteps UCaaS providers can make that can hurt a good customer satisfaction track record. Jamgotchian says UCaaS providers need to:
- Focus on voice, not video – For clients that want to prioritize video conferencing, don’t let this overshadow the importance of optimizing voice. When you add video, it can exasperate issues, but if video quality degrades a little, users won’t notice it as much as voice communication – it can start to sound like you’re talking through a fish tank. If video is interrupted, users are more tolerant of it.
- Create single-user identities – The ideal solution would allow users to have one identity regardless of how they connect. Often, however, users can have different personas when they use different devices or accounts. The best experience is when users don’t have to think about the medium or solution they’re using; they just communicate with another user directly.
- Don’t just duplicate what your client currently has – Your customers are moving to UCaaS not only to replace their current phone system but for new functionality that will help them operate more efficiently and productively. Help them move beyond their current capabilities to communicate better internally and with the outside world.
- Keep it simple – Complex systems aren’t necessarily better systems. And if they fail, they can cause widespread problems. Understand the functionality your client needs and provide the simplest solution possible.
Never Stop Learning
The UCaaS space is evolving rapidly, and providers need to educate themselves continually about technology and available solutions. The vendors you work with are a good resource for information and best practices, but it’s also valuable to talk to peers. And if you know servers and desktops but voice isn’t your strength, partner with a peer with that expertise.
Joining associations, such as The ASCII Group and CompTIA create excellent opportunities to meet other providers and form valuable alliances. 
