The idea behind UC is that if a staff member can access and reply to a message using whatever device is convenient at the moment — regardless of what sort of device the message was generated on — there will be less lag time between replies and the organization will be able to communicate more effectively, both internally and externally. A communications system that allows for easy remote access means that employees can work just as efficiently in remote locations as they do in the office. Leveraging unified messaging (email, fax, phone and text) facilitates communications, support, workgroups as well as collaborative communication and business workflows. That, in turn, reduces the organization’s travel needs and minimizes its environmental footprint.
Whether your nonprofit staff are using a smart phone, tablet, laptop/desktop or simply an office phone, their communication tools follow them allowing faster response time. They are able to retrieve faxes, e-mails and voicemails on their favorite e-mail system, as well as leverage IM (chat), organization and management of web/audio/video conferences and shared documents. UniVoIP is also integrating voice within Microsoft Lync.
Unified messaging isn’t a communication platform in and of itself, but a solution that integrates into your own communication platform. The goal is to provide remote constituents with advanced technology to stay connected in a single easy-to-use package.
Ultimately, the most important benefits of UC are the long-term ones. When staff at your organization are able to communicate with each other more quickly and conveniently, your capacity to take on projects and your effectiveness at carrying out your mission will gradually increase. Your organization will be more prepared to respond to a natural disaster or other emergencies that impacts your work.
