UCaaS most in-demand communication strategy for the channel, says TelcoSwitch

According to chief information officers polled by Statista for its 2021 Future of Work (FoW) report, 92% identified the ‘expanded use of collaboration platforms’ as one of the most important remote work technologies used by their business since the start of 2020, while 72% named virtual collaboration tools as one of their main areas for investment in the coming year. Channel businesses should take advantage of this change and ensure collaboration platforms like Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) are front of mind when developing their offerings for customers. This is according to TelcoSwitch.

With remote and hybrid working now firmly established, the technologies needed to keep employees happy and productive have drastically evolved. 25% of CIOs believe that effectively monitoring the quality of their unified communications tools is the most critical aspect of managing employee experience. 31% also believed that the ability to rapidly deploy their collaboration tools is one of their greatest challenges, with 27% citing helpdesk strain as a hurdle to achieving this goal.

Sam Giggle, Head of Sales, TelcoSwitch said: “The channel is experiencing a unique period and the opportunities for growth are immense. The demand for UCaaS solutions is clear to see, with TrustRadius research reporting that 67% of companies increased spending on communications in 2021 to ensure video conferencing was included.

“The UK collaboration software market is expected to grow from £691m to almost £1bn over the next five years. This growth represents a significant opportunity to join a UCaaS marketplace where cloud-based collaboration solutions continue to gain popularity. The ability to act as consultants from pre-sales, through to implementation and in-life service management is priceless, especially when combined with other managed services. We have seen over 30% growth in our partner base for back-to-back years since the start of 2020, so clearly this fact is not lost on UK channel businesses.”

To truly reap the rewards of this demand for collaboration services, channel organisations still need to ensure they have a firm grasp of the basics. This means keeping track of market trends to ensure the right questions are being asked to customers, which is especially important as UCaaS always evolves rapidly.

Giggle continued: “Understanding your customers is critical to choosing your solutions and how you approach the market. Simple questions such as ‘Does your business have a single site or do you have offices in multiple locations across the UK, or even internationally’ can be a great way to start building a comprehensive picture of the complexities of that customer’s operations, including their existing technology investments and day to day service expectations. This helps foster that relationship by building confidence in your understanding of their needs.’

“Collaboration tools and video conferencing software are very much front of mind for business leaders looking to enhance efficiency. Now is a great time for channel organisations to embrace UCaaS and see the benefits in the months and years to come”, concluded Giggle.