Despite the availability of all-in-one communications solutions, the majority of small and midsize businesses (SMBs) still rely on separate apps for calling, meetings, messaging, virtual events, webinars, contact center, and customer support. This leads to a variety of problems, including barriers to productivity, user frustration, high cost, and complex management requirements. SMBs can eliminate these challenges by adopting Unified Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS) platforms that provide for integrated features, and that enable flexible adoption.

To realize the benefits of unified communications fully, SMB owners, managers, and IT leaders should:

• Vet potential UCaaS providers on their ability to deliver a wide range of communications and collaboration features, starting with but not limited to calling, messaging/team collaboration, and meetings/video conferencing
• Understand the application ecosystem of potential UCaaS providers, assessing native integrations and API availability
• Look for UCaaS providers that allow centralized management and remote support of today’s hybrid workforce
• Assess the services a potential provider offers around planning, migration, implementation, and user adoption