Cloud communications have gained traction in 2017 with analysts estimated the growth at more than 20%, mostly driven by smaller companies in recent years.
However, the IT industry expects larger companies to consider using the cloud as an alternative to business communications in 2018. The reason behind the switch involves their higher confidence in the technology’s security, value for money and scalability.
Larger Adoption
While larger enterprises recognize the operational and cost benefits of the cloud, some research firms such as Gartner believe that unified communications as a service (UCaaS) provide better functionality.
Gartner’s report showed that UCaaS from third-party service providers, including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) with Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) services, are more superior to in-house unified communications.
This is because service providers have embarked on innovation such as improving how SIP works in VoIP, according to the report. Aside from large enterprises, more mid-sized firms will also shift to UCaaS next year.
In the US, most states have now relied less on or stopped overseeing wired telecommunications, as they shift to VoIP.
Replacing Landlines
The National Regulatory Research Institute said that 41 states have now relied more on VoIP instead of wired communications. Illinois, for instance, decided to end copper landline services to allow telecommunication companies to focus more on VoIP development and future technologies.
This trend aligns with the expansion of VoIP not just as a popular service, but also the preferred choice for an estimated 36% of businesses. Several companies switched to the cloud particularly for their phone networks, since it provides them with an easier way to forward calls to their mobile phones.
As 2017 draws to a close, many businesses have begun to map out their plans for 2018. These strategies consider VoIP a better way to communicate with clients and stakeholders. Are you already using the cloud for business communications?