Global Unified Communication Market –
Global Unified Communication market was valued at USD 57.39 billion in 2018 and it is expected to reach USD 169.17 billion in 2025 growing at a CAGR of 16.70% over forecast period.
The word “Unified Communication” or “UC” describes not only how it unite different communication systems for the digital workforce, but association tools too! That’s why it will often hear the phrase UC&C which simply means “Unified Communications and Collaboration”. Rising deployment of AI and Machine Learning (ML) in the communications sector has created opportunities for team collaboration, thereby, enabling machine-to-human interaction.?For instance, in 2018, Cisco Systems, Inc. announced that its plan to expand its UC solutions portfolio by incorporating AI capabilities into its UC platform.
Global Unified Communication Trends 2020–
The future is hybrid –
With the constant bombardment of new products and technologies from leading merchants, it’s clear that future product direction and development will increasingly become cloud-based. But for many organizations, it’s not simple to shift their whole UCC environment to the cloud. There are several factors to reflect, like current investment in their on-premises set up, compatibility with current architecture, systems and hardware, as well as factors like the cost of operation, user adoption and security concerns.
As a result, many organizations find themselves working hybrid UC environments. Technology is moving at such a pace that businesses are pressed to keep up the cloud offers flexibility in this respect. But on-premises components have a reputation for being more secure.
Hybrid environments can be viewed as having the best of both worlds and can give your organization a competitive advantage. Nevertheless, these environments aren’t without their downsides, most conspicuously the challenge that comes with having to manage both systems simultaneously.
Team collaboration as the new work hub –
Email is no longer seen as the most efficient way of collaborating as a team. Overloaded inboxes, missed information and data, delayed responses and the exclusion of other team members are just some of the issues. Organizations are stirring towards more effective solutions that provide call and file sharing, app integration and video conferencing. Teams want to be able to collaborate in the workplace in the same way that they communicate privately and socially. They want to complete projects proficiently, brainstorm easily, message rapidly. UCC is making this a reality and intensely changing the workplace.
AI in communication-
AI and machine learning are fairly new to the UCC environment, but it’s becoming apparent that it can help organizations to streamline operations. AI can progress employee productivity and collaboration with voice analytics providing speech-to-text abilities. Virtual assistants or bots can replace remote controls and enable meetings using voice commands. Smart cameras and video equipment are now accessible with built-in AI technology. The creation of this new technology will streamline communication in the workplace and lead to better customer interaction.
CPaaS, workflows and APIs –
Communications platform as a service (CPaaS) offer businesses with a complete background for building their own real-time communications and workflows. Relatively having distinct apps and tools for different functions like video conferencing, calling and messaging, it offers a single-window environment for employees.
CPaaS inserts the communication features a business needs into their existing business tools, through application programming interfaces (APIs). For example, it enables the incorporation of instant messaging, video calling or appointment prompts on the business website. This means a huge improvement in customer and employee user experience.
All these expansions point to exciting times ahead in the UCC space. But it also means greater complexity and more challenges for IT teams to contend with. Those organizations who equip their staff with the tools and skills to simplify that complexity and deliver services that just work are those that will succeed in 2020 and beyond.
Increasingly Considering EX as Much as CX –
Unified communications market trends are often powerfully focused on the purchaser involvement, or CX. And rightly so, as CX drives effectiveness. Nevertheless, the employee experience or EX can also be significantly improved with unified communications. In turn, better-quality EX can drive the customer experience too. UC done right makes employees more efficient than they would otherwise be and also decreases roughness and stress. More effective employees reduce costs and boost customer levels. It is expect that UC will increasingly drive the employee experience too.
Business Communications Are Becoming More Complex to Deploy –
Reliable, flexible communication tools are just the first step. Many circumstances also benefit from highly customised communications platforms that go beyond simply providing text, voice and video communications. While UCaaS platforms can often deliver highly customized experiences, UCaaS does not offer companies the ability to build a truly custom communications platform.
This drive for differentiation in the marketplace and personalisation in the workplace is placing new demands on systems integration and digital transformation.
Modified integration skills are needed from communications partner of choice, as well as the resources and experience necessary to address these challenges through their IT network services. As complex necessities become the norm, highly bespoke, flexible, best-fit solutions are needed over the one-size-fits-all approach of the big network carriers.
The Rise of Global SIP –
Employee partnership and multi-channel customer engagement are strategic necessities. Businesses are revising the quality of their global communications and the cost of improving or swapping legacy systems.
The rise of SIP as an intellectual, low-cost enabler of essential collaboration services has created a new starting point from which to build your communications strategy.
Significantly, the global availability of SIP now gives multinational businesses the opportunity to capitalise on reliable voice and multimedia communications worldwide, with simpler supervision and reduced cost. Exclusively, these two vital capabilities are now available as a single SIP service. This is placing more stress on voice network infrastructure, PSTN replacement opportunities and the need for a reliable platform for a simpler, centralised evolution to cloud communications.
More Artificial Intelligence in Everyday Communications –
CPaaS is not the only trend that is determining the ability of businesses to deliver unique communications experiences. Artificial intelligence and automation are becoming increasingly predominant through 2019 as benefits such as smart bots prove their helpfulness in everyday communications. It is not just a material of providing customers with a machine to talk to instead of a human. AI can add intelligence to several layers of the communications experience: contact centre agents are able to predict customer requirements on the fly, while employees have instant access to key information resources during their use of unified communications solutions. ?
AI does require complex, expensive supporting infrastructure but as UC becomes progressively cloud-first more and more companies can tap into the AI expertise of technology behemoths like Amazon - which includes AI capabilities in its UCaaS service, Amazon Connect. So, in 2019, it was expect AI-driven UC solutions to become increasingly accessible.
5G Connectivity –
In a world gone mad for mobile, 5G connectivity is another gift for mobile users. As expected, 2020 is the dawn of 5G technology and the world will see the impact of 5G over internet connections and speed. This major technology update will virtually affect all the industries but the telecom industry will see one hundredfold improvement in connectivity and speed. Adoption of 5G will highly impact video conferencing, virtual and augmented reality and mobile VoIP.
Security Concerns –
With the pace of new technology implementation increasing, security concerns have also increased. People are more informed and aware of a data breach, privacy policies, and internet security. Companies also have to maintain standards in terms of security so that customers can trust brands that their data is safe. Some of the major concerns of customers are data centre vulnerability, messaging encryption, demand spike protection, fraud prevention, security controls, and network flexibility. In addition, UC vendors will have to prominently display their security standard certificates that will reassure that you take security and privacy seriously.
Cloud Communication-
With all the talk about cloud communications, the reality of cloud communication is clear it’s more efficient and futuristic. Cloud communication facilitates instant messaging, presence across platforms, video and web conferencing, call recording and most importantly team collaboration.
Unlike on-premise solutions,?cloud contact centers?are not costly and flexible. Cost and flexibility are the major drivers and the reason why organizations are making a smooth shift from on-premise to cloud. Cloud service will not become obsolete like premise-based solutions. In 2020, the world will see enterprises taking a major shift to the cloud due to the multifold benefits it provides to the business.