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Small and Mid-Sized Businesses See the Benefits of Unified Communications HOW BUSINESSES PLAN TO COMMUNICATE IN 2014 Unified communications allows employees to interact with each other from virtually anywhere, so it’s no surprise that more businesses are adopting UC technologies to help increase productivity and collaboration. Spiceworks conducted a third annual survey in November 2013, commissioned by Plantronics, to learn how IP telephony and UC are being used today and in the coming months. The use of IP telephony and UC technologies are on the rise 54 % of businesses currently utilize UC or plan to implement it in 2014 IP telephony (with desk phones) Web conferencing Video conferencing Unified messaging Mobile extension/ integration IM with presence ! Softphones (PC for voice calls) 2012 2013 2014 planned 57 % 65 % 82 % 46 % 51 % 65 % 40 % 42 % 59 % 30 % 32 % 56 % benefits of unified communications 5 TOP 28 % 30 % 48 % 28 % 28 % 42 % 32 % 33 % 49 % Remote access to individuals Mobility Improved employee satisfaction Contact management Improved collaboration Remote access to individuals Mobility Improved customer service Contact management Improved collaboration 1 2 3 4 5 2012 2013 Things to consider before you implement your UC solution: Completing your UC solution Find the right partner Develop a comprehensive security strategy Support emerging platforms with growing adoption Compare different options A trusted solutions provider will offer options and explain how to maximize solutions to ensure you get great performance. Research and compare the costs and benefits of each UC platform. What role will the cloud play in your decision? DID YOU KNOW? DID YOU KNOW? 14 % of businesses use the cloud to some degree for voice communications, and 20 % of businesses plan to move their voice communications to the cloud or a hybrid cloud/on-premise approach over the next 12 months. The respondent base with between 1% and 24% of their employees using tablets for work purposes grew from 55% in 2011 to 69% in 2013. 55 % 69 % 2011 2013 34 % A B A 64% of businesses provide headsets needed to implement IP telephony or UC applications The top 5 technologies companies provide headsets for today are: 1 IP telephony (with desk phones) 2 Softphones (PC for voice calls) 4 Web conferencing 5 Video conferencing 3 Multimedia Stay up to date with the latest communication technology to help your business run smoothly and keep your employees happy. Learn more about how to provide the right workplace tools at plantronics.com/smb. Spiceworks survey of over 200 IT pros conducted on behalf of Plantronics, November 2013 Priorities Are Changing
