1. Putting Unified
Communications to Work for
You

2. At a time when employees are as technologically advanced as ever, using
varied communication vehicles, devoting longer hours to work, and staying in
touch using a variety of devices, there is a disconnect between being plugged
in and being effective.
WORK EFFICIENCY
A Fonality study found that for companies with knowledge workers
who average an eight-hour workday, nearly 50 percent of that time,
(almost four hours a day) is spent trying to contact people, find
information, schedule meetings, dealing with unwanted
communications, duplicating information, and other tasks that could
largely be eliminated by a strategic approach to unified

3. Unified communications, or UC, is built on an integrated platform to support and
enhance the wide range of communications functions necessary in today’s
competitive work environments. Voice, data, and video communications are all
managed on a single IT infrastructure that is accessible through in-office
equipment, laptops, and a range of mobile devices.
Employees, clients, and other authorized parties can transfer calls, share screens,
send email and instant messages, and access applications and data seamlessly,
regardless of where they are located. UC systems are quickly scalable to
accommodate fast-growing companies and those that have peaks and valleys in
their communication demands.

4. UC Applications:
Phone is Just the Beginning

5. UC Applications: Phone is Just the Beginning
Phone
UC offers the functionality of the most sophisticated phone system. The
business can receive unlimited inbound and make unlimited outbound phone
calls and maintain standard functions such as call forwarding, hold, paging,
intercom, and voicemail, among others.
Data
UC systems provide traditional email, chat, Internet access, and application
support just like any other computer system. However, because UC
integrates traditional phones and other devices, including smart ­ phones,
tablets, and computers, phone calls may trigger a voicemail prompt and
voicemail prompt and allow the employee to return a call by simply
clicking on the message.

6. UC Applications: Phone is Just the Beginning
Video
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then video is
invaluable. Video communication between workstations
improves productivity while giving employees and clients the
relationship-building “face time” they need. However, instead of
footing the bill for expensive trips and meetings, you’ll be saving
money on your communications infrastructure because UC
supports robust video conferencing.
Collaboration
A good UC system keeps employees informed of co-workers’ presence and preferred method of
communication. By checking the system’s dashboard, employees can usually see whether the colleagues
they need are available and whether it’s best to communicate by phone, chat, email, or another
method.

7. Considering UC:
What's In It For Me?

8. Considering UC: What's In It For Me?
In evaluating UC's impact on real-world settings,
consider this:
A company with 50 knowledge workers earning salaries between
$40,000 and $100,000 migrates to UC. Downtime is reduced and the IT
staff is al­ lowed to refocus on activities that benefit the company’s
bottom line. A modest, two-hour-per-day gain in efficiency results in an
annual productivity gain of nearly $1 million.
As a company grows, its employee-to-IT professional ratio
becomes more unwieldy. A Fonality report illustrated that while
a startup might have five or seven employees per IT professional
to help manage IT challenges, when the company grows to more
than 100 employees that ratio could be as much as 40
employees to one IT professional. At 500 employees, each IT
staffer might be responsible for the technology needs of as
many as 152 people.

9. Considering UC: What's In It For Me?
Real case studies show how UC helps small
businesses:
Case Study
VariQ is an IT firm based in Washington, D.C. President and CEO Ben Edson
turned to UC when he needed the ability to transfer calls between his small
network of employees and contractors working in various locations. He tried
free conference call services, but was put off by the advertisements.
UC offered the solutions he was seeking—including integrated conference
calling—with a whopping 35 percent savings. Now VariQ’s network of 45
employees and contractors stay connected primarily through voice,
conferencing, and chat functions.
“UC makes us look, to the outside world, like a cohesive organization, and allows us to work
anywhere at any time. That’s a huge advantage for small companies.”
- Ben Edson, VariQ

10. Considering UC: What's In It For Me?
Case Study
Veteran Corps of America is an information technology products and services
firm in Illinois that gives disabled veterans a vehicle to find meaningful work.
Soon after its launch, the founders concluded that its rudimentary
communication system of cordless telephones, an answering machine, and
computers was creating a choke point and inhibiting the company’s growth.
Veteran Corps needed an anytime, anywhere communications platform, co-
founder William Wheeler said.
“With [UC], as long as someone can operate a computer,
we can put the equipment in their home, and they’re fully
linked with our system, no matter where they are. That lets
us create job opportunities and grow our business.”
- William Wheeler, Veteran Corps

11. Considering UC:
Drafting a Plan

12. Considering UC: Drafting a Plan
As they evaluate UC and its ability to reduce costs and enhance communication,
collaboration, and productivity, businesses should initiate a process that ensures the
investments of time and resources have sufficient returns. That process includes:
Evaluating the current state of communications. Conduct a thorough audit of your company’s communication
needs, and cross-check them with the functions the UC provider offers. Use this phase to set the goals you wish to
reach and identify the markers for success to help you set goals for the system implementation.
Building user buy-in. The success and ultimate ROl of your UC implementation isn’t going to lie with your
management, tech team, or even the provider. It’s critical that employees—the people who will be using the system on
a day-to-day basis—believe in it. So, building employee buy-in is critical.
Vetting the technologies. Some businesses may be comfortable outsourcing email hosting but may be uneasy
when it comes to outside hosting of their phone systems. Your team will need to evaluate which technologies are best
kept in-house and which can be outsourced. Your provider should help you evaluate your site and the existing
technological capabilities to ensure that the site is ready for a UC implementation.

13. Considering UC: Drafting a Plan
Accounting for cost savings. A key driver for a UC plan is cost. Small and midsize businesses using
UC strategically can enjoy significant savings that can be reinvested in other areas to grow the
company. For example, a UC system that centralizes inbound calls and uses the company’s data
network for connectivity can save a company 20 to 30 percent over legacy phone sys ­tems.
Developing a migration plan. Your UC provider should be able to give you a clear understanding of the
training, downtime, and other effects the migration to UC will have on your company. Be sure to allow
ample time to roll out com ­ponents of the system, test them and gather feedback from your cross-func ­
tional team to ensure that the rollout is going as planned and meeting expecta ­tions.
Identifying opportunities for growth. Among the core benefits of a UC system is its ability to
seamlessly grow with your business and offer a variety of options as your business needs them. As your
business grows, conduct pe­riodic evaluations of your system’s effectiveness and look for ways that
en­hanced functionality might be able to improve it and facilitate further growth.

14. Considering UC:
Choosing a Provider

15. Considering UC: What's In It For Me?
Real case studies show how UC helps small businesses:
Ability to meet current needs. The UC platform needs to support the techno­ logical
functions your employees need and use each day. Your provider should have
excellent customer support and give you a reliable roadmap for rolling out your UC
platform with minimal downtime.
Features to better support in-house and mobile workers. As you consider UC providers, look at other
features the UC platform has and evaluate how those might help your company streamline or be more
effective in its current communication practices.
Flexibility and scalability. Your UC provider should work with you to develop solutions that meet the
needs of your business, based on its current size and communications practices, but that don’t include
expensive add-ons that your employees won’t use. Look for a provider that has tiers of service and
can easily upgrade your company to the next level when growth demands.

16. For more information about Fonality
Visit our website at
www.fonality.com
Or give us a call at
1-877-FONALITY