Business Drivers

1. Business Application Integration
   1. Cloud based applications can talk with one another
2. Hardware EOL
   1. The provider makes all required updates in the cloud (reliable and easy scalability)
3. Mobility
   1. Simultaneous Ring (allows calls to route to multiple devices)
   2. Mobile Application DID
   3. Added Redundancy
4. Collaboration Tools
   1. Web and Screen-Sharing
   2. Talent Quality over Location
   3. Hunt Groups (one phone line having the capability to call a full department of people until one of them answers their phone)
5. Global Accessibility
   1. Same experience as around the globe
   2. Reduced latency (the amount of time it takes for data packets to travel from one location to the other)
6. Easy administration
   1. No IT background needed
   2. Easy troubleshooting

Benefits

General

1. Centralized control
   1. One contract
   2. Multiple communications centralized
2. OPEX
   1. Recurring charge
   2. Fixed rate
   3. No surprises
3. Built-in disaster recovery
   1. Fast backup
   2. Entire IT environment stored in the cloud
4. Rapid scalability
   1. Adjust seasonally
   2. Add and remove users easily

Retail

Summary - Consolidated communications across locations, easier troubleshooting, improved customer communication and streamlined data

1. Consolidated Communication
2. Easy Scalability
3. Enhanced Reporting
4. Additional methods of communication with customers
5. Streamlined data for improving business processes
6. Easier troubleshooting across locations
   1. A retail chain can tie in their cash register with their phone systems, to efficiently provide product information to customers

Manufacturing

Summary - Improvements in global connectivity and production on the factory floor

1. Improved connections for global facilities (international and domestic)
2. Reduces on-prem legacy hardware
3. Improves production on the manufacturing floor
4. Reduces downtime
5. Tracks production progress as it happens all while integrating communication tools

Healthcare

Summary - Improvement in quality, frequency, and type of remote patient interactions while remaining compliant

1. Improves the quality, frequency, and type of remote patient interactions
2. Train staff more efficiently
3. Quick deployment during crises
4. Helps facilities remain compliant with HIPPA

Financial Services

Summary - Unified communications for both customer engagement and increased collaboration among departments while updating legacy hardware maintaining compliance

1. Unified communications benefit customer engagement and collaboration among internal departments
2. Update legacy hardware
   1. Without sacrificing PCI, SOC and SOX compliance

Qualifying Questions

1. Describe your current communications infrastructure.
   1. What are the best features of your current communication stack?
   2. What features are lacking?
2. How many vendors and suppliers do you currently have within your communications environment?
   1. Are there any consolidation initiatives?
3. What challenges do you currently experience with your communications?
   1. Would you characterize your communications systems as flexible or inflexible?
   2. Are they compatible or incompatible with other systems and platforms?
4. What goals do you have for your communications capabilities?
5. What methods do your current communications providers use to ensure 24/7/365 business continuity for your organization?
   1. What if a natural disaster strikes?
   2. How do you currently maintain security and compliance across your communications channels?
6. How would you characterize the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for your communications platforms and tools?
   1. Is it higher than you think it should be?
   2. How does it compare to your peer organizations?
7. Are you adding or changing your CRM or business productivity applications?
8. Do you still have on-premise PBX telephony? If so, what is it?
   1. How many telephony extensions do you have?
9. Why are you looking at alternative telephony solutions?
   1. Are your aging or discontinued PBXs no longer supported or at end-of-life? (Avaya, Cisco, Mitel, ShoreTel, NEC, Nortel, Toshiba)
10. What are your main business challenges with your current platform?
11. Is this part of a broader company project/initiative?
12. Were you involved in the purchase process for your current telephony platform?
13. How did you and your colleagues manage this type of purchase decision?
    1. Who else from your organization is going to be involved in the decision-making process?
    2. What was the process like in the past for your company implementing similar technology?
14. Do you have a contract in place?
    1. If so, what is the term of the contract?
15. How do you support employee growth needs for both temporary and permanent employees?
16. Do you support remote, field, and/or branch office users?
17. How many applications are currently in place to support communications? (video, chat, telephony, etc.)