Lessons Learned from a Global Pandemic

COVID-19 introduced many new challenges and opportunities that we hadn’t yet tapped into, especially within the technology realm. We’re often face-to-face again, but many of the new technologies, systems, and processes of the past few years have lingered on and proven they’re here to stay — and with good reason. Here are our key technology lessons from the pandemic.

Pre-Pandemic

What can you say about 2020? For many of us, we looked forward to 2020 with optimism as business looked like it was recovering, and it was going to be a great year. However, in early 2020 I attended a business partner conference, and the COVID-19 pandemic was about to change our lives. In a matter of weeks, businesses were closing, and employees transitioned into work-at-home employees. At Warwick, we were doing our part to help our clients transition to home workers so they could still do business. I had much trepidation as I thought about all the communications being forced out to the Internet. Thoughts of the backbone of the Internet melting into a gooey plastic circuit board mess did go through my mind.

Post Pandemic

It Worked! What worked, you might be asking? Not only did the Internet not melt, but it also performed to the degree that I did not believe was possible Pre-Coronavirus. Phone calls went through, email, chat, video calling, and online meetings became the norm! As a result, businesses went forward, and many companies, through the careful use of technologies generally available today, thrived and saved money. We saved money because the pandemic forced us to communicate with each other from a distance. As a result, time, energy, mileage, vehicle wear, and tear are minimized because we share from where we are. The pandemic turned us all into learners, teaching us to use technology to do business from where we were.

Work at Home

At Warwick, we are fortunate because our company has always accommodated remote work schedules. The pandemic taught us that people are more productive working from home. Again, we eliminate travel and distractions and become more effective because we enjoy being in our own space. A report by ConnectSolutions suggests that 77% of those who work remotely at least a few times per month show increased productivity over those solely working in person, with 30% doing more work in less time and 24% doing more work in the same period. Again, the pandemic has shown us that happy employees are those who work where they want.

UCaaS and CCaaS

Being an “experienced” engineer in the communications industry, I admit that “cloud” communications were not something I have embraced. However, I began an intense study of the cloud a few years ago, and a very detailed survey of UCaaS and CCaaS before the pandemic surprised us. For those that do not know, UCaaS is an acronym for Unified Communications As A Service. CCaaS is an acronym for Contact Center As A Service. These services are generally delivered from a provider’s cloud network over a public internet service. Both initiatives provide many features and abilities challenging to match from a premise phone or contact center solution. Premise and Cloud solutions each have their strengths and weaknesses.

Economies of Scale

There are several advantages that UCaaS brings to the table for businesses that need communications where they are. The typical UCaaS software suite provides a Phone (physical, softphone, or both) and chat, conferencing, and video. We can provide these software solutions with premise systems as well.

The economies of scale come into play here when looking at the typical network of UCaaS providers. UCaaS providers and typically hosted in a public or company-created cloud. UCaaS companies usually always have several data centers covering their service areas which could be regional or worldwide. In the simplest of terms, if your data center has a connectivity problem, it can fail over to a secondary or tertiary data center. In the worst-case scenario, you can even direct each direct dial number you have to a mobile device. These are features that may cost more than what most companies could afford or be willing to pay.

Another critical feature upgrades. No longer do you have to worry about keeping your communications system up to date and patched for cybersecurity. As a design engineer, the pandemic taught me to look at each client and their business continuity. After all, what does it cost when you can’t communicate – where you are or from anywhere?

Summary

The pandemic had many lessons for us to learn, now and in the longer term. First, we can do business from where we are, and that’s where we want to do business. Second, cloud communications and the public Internet are ready for 2021 and beyond and can accommodate how and where we want to do business. Third, some beautiful solutions are available to do business where the client wants to do business. Finally, doing business where we want to do business is much more than a location; it’s a customer experience. If I spend my time in a CRM, why do I need to use another app for a phone? UCaaS and CCaaS provide value that it’s time to check out.

Interested in learning about these emerging technologies? Contact Warwick to begin your digital transformation.