INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Remote working has been, until very recently, the exception rather than the rule
With the development of the coronavirus public health crisis, and COVID-19 being declared a pandemic by the World Heath Organisation, this
has all been flipped on its head
Millions are suddenly coming to terms with a different way of working, using communications interfaces that can do more than just help them
make audio calls with colleagues and customers.Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) may be new to some, but is already familiar to
The good news is that adoption is fast and intuitive
messaging, and virtual meeting rooms
Rather than being an adjunct to everyday business processes, it can be integrated with key applications and workflows.Here are three
examples of how UCC is used to support critical activities during these unprecedented times:The contact centre that nobody commutes toA
physical contact centre with staff on premises cannot operate the same way during a pandemic
usual way, with access to granular reportsMany organisations have switched to this approach as part of activating business continuity plans
But lots were already doing this prior to COVID-19
Why? For one, staff churn is an ongoing concern across the contact centre industry, so offering flexible working arrangements is a good way
to keep agents happy and motivated
It also means lower facilities costs because there is no need for office space
outsideSchools have closed and teachers are falling back on issuing assignments via VLE (virtual learning environment) platforms and other
But while these work well to keep track of student needs between physical classes, they typically only support email and messaging
communications.UCC makes it easier for teachers to teach on a one-to-one or one-to-many basis, allowing screen-sharing and supporting video
It makes them easier for students to access too, via presence
The teacher is always in control during virtual class-time, and can mute unruly participants and respond to students who note questions or
virtually raise their hands
virtual consulting room where patients are treated at a safe distanceThe use of UCC in medical settings is far more sophisticated than
simply launching a 2-way video chat
Integration with electronic patient records, prescriptions, on-call scheduling and even medical device data and alerts ensures that medical
professionals are equipped to make virtual consultations as effective as physical ones
UCC also enables this via mobile devices, increasing the availability of medical staff to provide crucial interventions earlier and assign
imagined that the catalyst for such a surge of demand in the technology would be a global virus pandemic
The commercial benefits of UCC are well documented, but these seem to pale into insignificance compared to how vital it is proving to the
fabric of society as well as the continuity of businesses.Todd Carothers is Chief Revenue Officer at CounterPath
