As companies around the world continue to look towards the cloud for a flexible and scalable approach to their unified communications stack, the question for many is how to embrace the right services. For some organisations, the easiest option will be to explore the simplicity and support of a UC "as a service" model.
RingCentral is one of the leading providers of cloud communication and collaboration solutions for companies of various shapes and sizes. We caught up with the MD of EMEA for RingCentral, Sahil Rekhi, to discuss his top tips for choosing the right UCaaS strategy for the modern marketplace and learn more about the RingCentral offering.
Tell Us About Yourself and RingCentral
Sahil Rekhi is the MD of EMEA for RingCentral, a cloud communications and collaboration company that's been on the Gartner Magic Quadrant leadership list for 3 years running now. Sahil has been with RingCentral for a little over five years, and he's seen the business build and evolve drastically during that time.
"I've been MD of this space for about two and a half years now, and the RingCentral brand has growing significantly in that time. We're a leading UCaaS provider, with about 350,000 businesses on the books, and a huge global footprint. In recent years, we've really differentiated ourselves not just in terms of the innovative products that we're bringing to market, but also in the way that we deliver new solutions to our customers. We focus on connecting with our partners, carriers and our customers on their digital transformation (DX) journeys."
What are the Key Differences between Legacy Providers and UCaaS?
It's safe to say that the demand for UCaaS is growing as we enter an era of rapid cloud adoption. I was interested to hear Rekhi's opinions on what the key differences between the UCaaS model, and the legacy adoption model were.
"I think to understand the differences, you need to look at the drivers pushing cloud communications to the forefront of the market. One of the aspects is mobility. Mobility has been a trend for a while now, but since smartphones came out, flexible working has grown more popular, and the world of work has changed, there's been a huge shift towards mobility. People want the on-demand nature of the cloud to provide better working patterns for their organisations."
Sahil also noted that legacy PBX players have often been limited in what they can deliver to their customers.
"Generally, the focus has been on voice and voice as a service. However, with UCaaS, you can go beyond voice into messaging, video, collaboration, and project management."
Ultimately, there's been a huge shift in the way that people are working today, and the UCaaS model simply delivers a greater range of opportunities, on a simpler model. "It's even easier to access a global model, which is a big consideration for many businesses, large and small today."
What Do You Think Customers Want? Is Cloud the Default Model?
In the past, there seemed to be a lot of discussion in the communication space about whether cloud was truly the best option for the modern business. Now there seems to be a shift in the things that companies address when they're looking towards the benefits of UC. I asked Rekhi what he believes customers are really looking for.
"I think a couple of years ago, people still needed an explanation on why they needed to move to the cloud. Now, I struggle to find anyone who doesn't understand the benefits of the cloud. It's not about "why" anymore; it's about how to move to the cloud in the best possible way."
Companies today already know the benefits of the cloud, and they know that it's available to help them stay at the cutting edge of technology. "It enables everything from hot-desking to better work-life balance and cost efficiency. It's all about making that transition - whether it's slowly and gradually, or quickly to serve employees faster."
