Odd as it may seem now, just a few years ago business leaders debated whether employees should be allowed to use mobile phones for work. Many worried that the practice would reduce productivity, increase stress and create potential security risks.
That debate is over. Mobility is now widely regarded as a key enabler of productivity.
In a recent global survey by The Economist, two-thirds of employees said mobile devices help them be more productive and efficient. Employers agree. In an Oxford Economics study, 80 percent of business leaders said their employees can’t do their jobs effectively without a mobile phone. IDC projects global spending on mobility solutions will reach $1.8 trillion in 2022.
Curiously, however, we’ve seen only lukewarm adoption of another potential productivity powerhouse — mobile unified communications. By allowing users to access a broad spectrum of communications channels from their mobile devices, mobile UC ought to be a natural fit for today’s increasingly mobile workforces. However, a 2020 Nemertes Research survey found that only about 40 percent of businesses have installed mobile UC clients for their employees, and only about 5 percent of users actually access those clients.
Mobile First
The chief barrier is that most of these are not true “mobile-first” solutions designed from the ground up with mobile in mind. Instead, mobile features are added after the fact with over the top (OTT) applications installed on mobile devices. The problem with this approach is that these add-on apps don’t integrate well with a mobile phone’s native dialer or native messaging interface — the default apps we use when making calls or sending text messages.
That makes calling and messaging from within the UC platform a really clunky process, forcing users to open a separate app. In some cases, you might even have to log in or activate a VPN to make a call. Even worse, the quality of audio delivered through OTT applications can be poor. Unsurprisingly, most mobile UC users simply bypass the whole process and just use their phone’s native features.
Mitel’s MiCloud Connect offers a superior approach. The cloud-based UC-as-a-Service (UCaaS) solution features a mobile-first design. Rather than offering mobility as an OTT add-on, it creates a seamless experience for mobile workers by deeply integrating native mobile capabilities with other business communication channels.
MiCloud Connect’s mobility service is integrated with iOS and Android dialers, making it easier to phone, text and email from a mobile device without switching between separate apps. Mobile devices also get desk-phone features such as extension dialing, conference calling, company directory, hold and call transfer.
Seamless Communications
Users can also seamlessly switch communication channels as needed. For instance, you can easily escalate a text conversation to a voice call or switch from your desk phone to your mobile phone with no interruption by just tapping a button. It’s similarly easy to bring others on board for an impromptu conference.
Calls are routed through the corporate network to ensure security and compliance with logging and recording requirements. This process also allows your personal mobile number to be hidden — the person you call will see your desk phone number instead. That makes it easier to use your mobile device for both business and personal phone calls.
Using advanced UC features from a mobile device has always been a difficult process due to integration challenges. Mitel’s MiCloud Connect UCaaS resolves many of these issues. Contact us to learn more about extending essential communication and collaboration apps to your mobile workforce.
