How cloud communications can help enterprises become digitally agile 

As businesses strive to become more competitive to stay ahead of the curve, it has become essential for them to leverage the latest digital tools to bring more efficiency and agility in their operations. Integrating advanced tech solutions not just supports them in climbing up the ladder but also helps them in achieving resiliency, flexibility and gaining cost-related advantages as well.  Be it a big enterprise working with large teams, a small company or a startup looking at scaling up instant and hassle-free communication is important for all to ensure smooth work and collaborations in ever-evolving and competitive business environments. Since the cloud allows effective communication to happen seamlessly, enterprises operating in highly digitalized environments must quickly navigate to cloud-based solutions to benefit hugely in many ways.  

Cloud communication simply refers to internet-based voice and data communication tools for businesses to manage applications, storage and support the quick exchange of information between individuals, groups and even machines; all hosted on the cloud. As compared to traditional communication methods, cloud-based solutions offer myriad benefits such as greater scalability, flexibility, improved reliability and lower redundancy. Businesses too are realizing the huge advantages and fast migrating towards cloud-based communications. According to industry data,   the Indian cloud market is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 15% between 2021 and 2026. This growth can be attributed to several factors, including the rising demand for scalable and cost-effective communication solutions, the need for remote collaboration tools, and the industry focus on digital transformation initiatives.

Eliminating the existing bottlenecks

As businesses are modernising their operations, adopting cloud communication is highly critical for them to eliminate existing bottlenecks for achieving higher operational efficiency. For instance, presently, many enterprises still rely on legacy communication channels for various departments or teams, creating different silos and restricting collaboration and knowledge sharing between teams. With this, the teams often end up in making unnecessary efforts, missing opportunities, wasting time and resources, and this results in slower decision making. Additionally, with rapid digitalization, businesses nowadays are generating large volumes of data leading to an information overload.  This is acting as a roadblock in prioritizing key tasks, staying organized and making quick and informed decisions. Also, businesses that still rely on complex workflows, outdated technology and human intervention are at the risk of errors which can significantly impact their efficiency, productivity and profitability.

How can cloud communications help?

Integrating cloud communications can bring big changes to even the smallest enterprises. There are many examples of it. A coaching institute can utilize it to offer round the clock counselling to students through a cloud hosted communication application. Similarly, a dairy farm in any part of the country can digitally transform itself to maintain healthy livestock by getting real-time updates. The businesses are fast realizing how cloud communication services can provide them access to new technologies and functionalities. These services offer unlimited possibilities for companies by catering to their diverse needs with a choice of essential tools and applications which can be accessed from any location or device for ease and convenience.

Another important aspect of cloud communication is that ensures business continuity and faster data recovery. In the event of a local infrastructure failure or natural disaster, critical communication services can be quickly and seamlessly shifted to backup systems, minimizing downtime and ensuring continuous operations. This level of resilience and reliability is crucial for enterprises to maintain uninterrupted communication and business operations.

Currently, large number of companies are operating in hybrid or remote work settings. Embracing cloud communication services lets them to allow their employees collaborate and work with more flexibility, anywhere at any time. Smart workplace solutions based on  cloud-based platforms  provide access to important tools for various functions such as messaging, file sharing, video calling, conferencing, scheduling events and others on a single platform which results in increased productivity and efficiency. 

Thus, cloud communication facilitates seamless information exchange between businesses and their employees, customers, and makes communication more engaging and interactive across industry verticals such as such as BFSI, IT/ITES, manufacturing, education, fintech, logistics, e-commerce, and traditional businesses.

Additionally, the cloud-based communications services are assisting businesses in managing their communication costs as per their needs. The enterprises can utilize their existing on-site technologies and can smoothly migrate to latest advancements. The staggered approach of cloud services can be implemented without requiring additional infrastructure investments, and it can combine existing on-site technology to provide seamless communication facilities for businesses. Organizations can choose between public or private cloud migration, based on criticality and security norms, or connect to the cloud platform via a secure Point to Point or SD-WAN solution. 

Since working remotely involves exchange of confidential data from various locations, it can bring various security-related threats for enterprises. Here, the cloud-based communication services provide a highly secure digital ecosystem, making it easier to handle sensitive and confidential data during business processes like chats and video-conferencing, among others. 

Today, companies are being assisted by cloud service providers who offer managed IT services to ensure smooth operations. They provide round the clock availability as per the service licensing agreements to look after the entire cloud infrastructure and operations. With this, the companies can move from CAPEX to OPEX model and considerably decrease their IT expenses. The service providers are capable of remotely identifying problems and offering support. This eliminates the need for the companies to invest in their own dedicated support teams, bringing huge cost-related advantages for them.  

Choosing the right cloud communications service

Cloud communications play a pivotal role in enabling Indian enterprises to become digitally agile. The impressive growth of the Indian cloud market reflects the increasing recognition of the value provided by cloud-based communication solutions. However, while transitioning to cloud communications is both easy and crucial, there are many factors companies need to keep in mind to choose the right cloud partner that best suit their needs. They must evaluate the key features that meet their business requirements and integration capabilities with other applications. They must also consider important factors such as scalability, reliability, security, ease of use, cost, support and compliance. By thoroughly analysing each factor and conducting extensive research, businesses can make an informed decision to select the right partner and thereby can unlock the full potential of cloud communications, enhance their digital agility, and stay ahead in the ever-evolving business landscape.

The article has been written by Vishal Bhatt, Vice President, Tata Teleservices