When your goal is to be a highly regarded as the “Go To” technology firm that outpaces its competitors year after year, then you need a robust portfolio to set you up for success. For starters, you need to have some expected basics such as Anti-Virus, Firewall, and Backup / Disaster Recovery but your customers, rely on you and your firm to keep them current with today’s technology standard which goes further than just the basics. As a result, you’ll need find and implement future-proof solutions that can stand the test of time in a world where technology is continuously advancing.
It’s no surprise things like Encryption, 2nd Opinion Scanners, Real Time Malware Filtering, are quickly becoming standard offerings as well that expand the above list. I really am starting to believe that one item that has not been mentioned yet that is a must have in your MSP stack is Unified Communications which includes VoIP. I know a lot of you out there think VoIP is a bad word and one in which some tend stay away from and let someone else handle for your end clients. The reality is that not including this in your offering be default is a costly mistake that you may not realize until some of your customers have left you for the competition.
Don’t assume that the telco’s, ISP’s, and Copier companies are really far away from offering IT services as part of their menu. It’s happening today and you need to really consider why you would leave the door wide open for your customers to get lured away because you didn’t want to do something or include something in your ongoing agreements.
When IT / MSPs obtain a range of best-in-class solutions they can sidestep the worry of customer churn due to a lack of flexible options. So, what are the top UC technologies that you need to have your portfolios? Here are a few that will enable you to not just remain competitive but also continue to be that “Go To” IT firm:
Unified Communications
Unified Communications(UC) is an essential for your company’s portfolio. Today’s businesses are looking for multichannel communications and UC is the best way to offer them in a comprehensive feature set. A UC system can be easily integrated into a company’s existing networks and offer its employees heightened collaborative capabilities in the form of instant chat, web conferencing and voicemail-to-email, to name a few. Your customer base needs these tools to stay competitive and if you don’t offer them, they will likely take their business elsewhere.
Cloud Hosted PBX
Cloud communications are absolute essentials when it comes to future-proofing your communications offering. More and more businesses are finding third-party cloud or hosted PBXs attractive in that they require less internal management and expense. So if your customers are looking for a low maintenance system, Cloud PBX will be your strongest sales pitch. In addition, Cloud PBX can also provide a similar solution due to its software-based interface and management. A Cloud PBXenables users to take their office phone—and all of its capabilities include UC features—home with them to work remotely more productively. And, with remote working becoming a major trend across the globe, this would be a wise technology to have readily available.
Mobility
Including robust mobility options in your IT / MSP portfolio is another necessity as bring your own device (BYOD) trend is becoming a standard business procedure. This means that businesses need phone system technology that can be leveraged from their personal devices. Softphones are a great solution for mobile workers as this technology enables an IP-PBX to become compatible with a desktop, laptop or mobile device. As such, employees can leverage their office phone number from their choice of personal device whether they are on the road, traveling for business or working from home.
So keep up with the demands of your customers and provide them with a portfolio of cutting-edge telecommunications solutions.
