When people are asked to list the most important qualities of a successful and lasting relationship, trust is often one of the top answers. Trust is the foundation of any good relationship, whether personal or professional. This quality determines whether or not we can rely on the other party, believe what they tell us, and have confidence they'll provide the proper support should we find ourselves in trouble.
In personal relationships, trust develops over time as we get to know a person and gain a deeper sense of who they are. But building trust is a bit harder in the professional world, especially when it comes to technology vendors. If we look at unified communications, in particular, companies had to make some fast decisions at the start of the pandemic. If your organization wasn't already equipped with the right communications technology to support this overnight pivot to remote work, you had to choose a provider quickly.
The pandemic has forever changed the workplace. Many employees will transition to a hybrid workplace and others will remain remote for the long term. To support this new, scalable, and flexible work model for all employees, companies will need a modern unified communications system. It's no wonder the Unified Communications & Collaboration (UC&C) market experienced a 24.9% growth in revenue in 2020,
according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). Positive growth is expected to continue in 2021.
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A powerful and modern communications technology system is a requirement for sustainable success and growth. Choosing the right vendor, then, is an important decision. No one wants to deal with the hassle―or the cost―of a break-up. Additionally, many companies are taking their communications system to the cloud as part of their digital transformation. This adds another layer of uncertainty, as it represents
yet another change.
Know Your Options Before Moving To The Cloud
Even though it can be hard to know with utmost certainty if you're choosing a reliable and trustworthy vendor, there are signs to look out for―clear indicators your unified communications vendor will deliver the service and support you need to succeed. These four green flags will help you choose an ideal long-term partner, so you can avoid a messy break-up.
1. They Have A History Of Happy Customers
A vendor's reputation in the marketplace is one of the best indicators of trustworthiness. How happy are their current customers with the quality of service and support? Do they have a good track record for building lasting relationships? How are they ranked in the marketplace among other providers? MiCloud Connect, for example, was named among the "Best Business Tools" by Newsweek in 2019 for its reliability, security, continuous improvement, and satisfaction. Case studies are another great resource for gaining deeper insight into how companies in your industry have benefitted from a specific unified communications solution. Ask potential vendors if they can share real-world examples including hard
data and customer testimonials.
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2. They Don't Try To Sell You Something You Don't Want or Need
Just because a particular solution worked for one company doesn't mean it's right for your organization. A vendor should take the time to learn about your company's communications needs. Is an on-site or cloud
solution better? Or perhaps a hybrid model is the best place to start. Do you require integrations with third-party applications? A trusted partner won't try to sell you more than you need in order to get started. They'll
even help you leverage your investment in existing technologies rather than rip everything out if that's the right approach at the time. Then, as you're ready to progress, they'll support you as your needs change with a scalable and flexible solution.
3. They Make It Easy
Trust may not come easy, but implementation should. In fact, a simple install and ease of use are strong signs the provider is a proven and reliable leader in the marketplace. Even robust solutions equipped with a wide mix of capabilities, such as videoconferencing, screen sharing, shared workspaces, and cloud contact centers should still be easy to implement and navigate. The best relationships in our personal lives
often come easily, and you'll find the same rings true for your unified communications provider. Overly complex set-up processes and long, drawn-out training sessions are definite warning signs.
4. They've Got Your Back Today And Tomorrow
A trusted vendor does more than support your communications needs today—they stay ahead of the curve and prepare your business for the future. Mitel, for example, has proven itself to be an innovative, future-thinking provider. We have a strong history of being the first to market on many occasions, including being the first to go to the cloud. This quality keeps our customers one step ahead of the competition and ready to deal with change. In fact, we were discussing the shift to remote work before anyone even heard of COVID-19. A forward-looking vendor gives you the peace of mind that someone's in your corner, preparing for what may come. You can be confident your business and its employees will stay connected and consistent at all times.
As we slowly emerge from a long period of uncertainty, trust is more important than ever, especially when it comes to communications technology. Businesses need the reassurance that their unified communications provider will deliver a reliable solution so collaboration and communication is effective and easy—today, tomorrow, and beyond. As you assess providers, ask yourself if you're seeing green flags to wave you down the path of a well-informed business decision.
Delivering Technology Solutions
When researching technology partners, businesses should understand the type of technology support they need, the benefits they’re looking for, and the questions they need to ask potential partners.
Dominion Voice and Data provides complete and integrated technology, software, and communications solutions to help make things easier for businesses. Are you interested in learning more about building a technology partnership with Dominion Voice and Data for your business? Contact us to learn more.
This post was originally published on mitel.com
