As technology continues to evolve and business needs change seemingly by the minute, it’s unsurprising that communications solutions are evolving rapidly as well. Communication and collaboration tools are on track to drive digital transformation for businesses, with 74% of business leaders believing digital communications to be core drivers of organizational efficiencies, according to a recent survey.
Stay with legacy systems, and your business risks being left behind. But some businesses struggle to embrace next-generation communication, due to misinformation or a lack of understanding about which technologies are the best communications solutions for their needs.
For resellers of communications technologies, this development and customer need presents a valuable opportunity. Resellers can easily position themselves as vital partner for businesses, listening to customer needs, guiding them in selecting the best solutions for their business, and providing the technologies that will enable their clients to upgrade their communications systems to keep up with modern demands.
To position yourself as your customers’ trusted, solutions-focused reseller of next-generation communications solutions, we recommend focusing on the following five nextgen communications technologies.
1. Cloud Computing as the Baseline of NextGen Communications
It's impossible to overstate the importance of cloud computing in today’s business operations. A 2022 survey found that 89% of organizations use more than one cloud-based solution, so this technology plays a core role in modern communications.
Taking communications to the cloud means pivoting away from on-premise services and infrastructure. Businesses can now offer the same communications platforms regardless of physical locations, helping to manage an increasingly distributed workforce and adding much-needed flexibility.
Those benefits also matter for resellers of communications technology. If all systems live in the cloud, maintenance, and support can be entirely virtual as well. It’s easier to sell a communications solution that's built virtually when you don't need a physical presence with your clients to install and maintain it.
2. Virtual Collaboration Tools to Streamline Internal Communications
Modern communications happen on many channels. With workforces becoming more mobile, the ability of internal and external stakeholders to communicate and collaborate can no longer rely on in-person meetings and conversations. Enter virtual collaboration tools.
There's a reason video conferencing technology like Zoom continues to grow and comprehensive collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams have become enormously popular. A strong, cloud-based internal collaboration tool can help businesses operate more efficiently while building a level of flexibility that in-person solutions simply cannot match.
3. VoIP Phone Solutions to Enhance External Voice Capabilities
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the technology that allows calls from your physical phone lines to be routed through an internet connection. VoIP’s popularity is soaring, as businesses continue to move more of their operations onto internet-based solutions to reduce their dependence on on-premise communications networks.
Helping your clients implement VoIP networks enables a level of flexibility that becomes vital as businesses grow. VoIP solutions lower costs and increase scalability, while offering better voice quality and the ability to port phone access to anywhere with an internet connection.
This type of internet-enabled phone system is a complex solution that isn't easy to build on your own. Choosing the right VoIP provider is essential to making sure that you can provide your clients with a system that fulfills its promise and truly helps to build their next-generation communication infrastructure.
4. AI Tools to Augment Human Work and Optimize Data Flows
Artificial intelligence (AI) has exploded in recent months. This technology has grown beyond a buzzword and is no longer a superpower platform limited to only large enterprises with massive IT budgets. Small- to mid-size businesses can also utilize AI to build and future-proof their communications systems.
Specifically, AI platforms can help businesses fill two communications-related needs:
- Processes like machine learning can power more intelligent data analysis, building comprehensive and predictive reports on communications data and trends that enable better decision-making.
- Advanced tools like generative AI and voice generators allow businesses to augment human communication with automated messaging that remains effective and relevant for all audiences.
AI, of course, remains a complicated process. Most of your clients likely won't have the resources or expertise to implement it on their own. They'll rely on your technology partnership for implementing platforms to leverage the technology for their benefit and help them understand the key differences between their legacy technology and emerging AI technology.
This technology is quickly becoming a core revenue driver, as well. A recent McKinsey survey found that AI leaders in telecom grew more than two times faster than their legacy counterparts. Potential applications range from more effective network monitoring and infrastructure optimization to security enhancements and the ability to minimize manual work in customer support.
Implementation may be complex, but the advantages of AI offer an invaluable, novel solution to provide your clients with a competitive business advantage.
5. Security and Compliance Tools to Keep NextGen Communications Safe
Moving your clients' communication needs to the cloud comes with plenty of benefits, but it does change the security equation. VoIP, for example, is by no means less secure than an on-premise solution, but it does come with requirements that are different enough from its legacy counterpart.
That's why security and compliance tools are our final recommended nextgen communications technology. From simple firewalls to more complex access management, the right tools can enable your clients to continue operating safely and remain in security compliance with their business and data protection laws. The result is a move to future-oriented communication, without introducing new dangers or potential issues that could discourage businesses from transitioning to modern telecom solutions.
Combining Communications Technologies in a Single, Unified Platform
Each of these technologies plays a core role in building the communications systems of the future. Combining them into a unified platform can be even more effective, creating a system that drives organizational efficiencies with both internal and external audiences. Learn more about the technologies enabling the future of communications, and the cloud-based communications platforms driving that transformation, to modernize your reselling solutions and propel your clients into the future of next-gen communications.
