Call Recording Featured Article

A report by analysts Frost & Sullivan identified five key enterprise barriers to the take up of cloud communications services. We take a look at each of these to outline how technology developments and the new generation of cloud services address your concerns.

1. Will cloud services make us lose control over communications?

Many enterprises believe that they need to use in-house staff to maintain control over their organization’s IT and telecom needs. But in fact, the opposite is true. Taking communications into the cloud actually gives you back control of your resources, budgets and risk. You no longer face the resource-sapping challenges of daily support and maintenance. Predictable pay-as-you-go pricing and an easily managed single monthly bill allow you to enjoy complete budgetary control without the need for capital investment. Cloud services are also future-proofed with the most up-to-date applications and services, meaning you eliminate the costs, complexities and risks associated with choosing the right upgrade solution.

2. Are cloud services secure enough for confidential communications?

Security is essential in cloud computing and there are a number of guidelines that service providers follow, such as those from the Cloud Security Alliance. Cloud communications services, such as OpenScape Secure Cloud, use a fully secure, robust enterprise-class communications infrastructure with disaster recovery as a standard. Services are hosted in world-class, redundant and geographically separate data centers that are independently certified at the highest industry standards. Service provider networks are permanently monitored, managed and controlled 24x7. They feature a host of security controls such as firewalls and Session Border Controllers to protect against virtual attack. Voice signalling and payload encryption prevent eavesdropping on live phone calls and all services are routinely penetration tested to ensure you are completely protected.

3. Why do I need to have a unified communications service?

Unified communications (UC) deliver a host of productivity-enhancing applications, including the ability for users to check the presence status of colleagues, access voicemail and even manage their desk phone settings on the move via their smartphones. Desktop users can also instantly access multiple tools directly from their MS Outlook, including one click dialling, drag and drop conferencing, call pop-up and live call recording. And customer service representatives are able to engage in real-time chat by integrating instant messaging and social media into their virtual call centers. Read more about the benefits of UC in this Frost & Sullivan white paper.

4. Will I pay the penalty of poor voice quality and reliability?

While it is true that some consumer VoIP services suffer from poor voice quality and availability, enterprise-focused VoIP solutions are quite different. They are supported by a global infrastructure dedicated to servicing the always-on needs of businesses. Siemens (News - Alert) Enterprise Communications, for example, has over a million large enterprise users already being supported by its VoIP infrastructure, which features traffic control, continuity tracing, branch trunking (that will route all calls to your PSTN if your internet connection goes down) and a host of the controls. High definition voice quality is guaranteed for every call.

5. Do I need to rip and replace my exiting premises-based investments?

There is no need to rip and replace your existing infrastructure to make way for cloud communications. In fact because it is an on-demand service, you can migrate new joiners to it as your business grows – and it will continue to integrate with your existing system. That means you can avoid making further investments into your existing system and leave it alone until it makes financial sense for you to change completely.

Martin Northend is Marketing Director for OpenScape Cloud Services at Siemens Enterprise Communications (News - Alert). Read the five-minute guide “Not convinced yet” or watch this video for more details on overcoming enterprise barriers in cloud communications.