Companies are constantly looking for more flexibility in their technology investments. If 2020 proved anything, it’s that no-one can afford to be tied down to a single vendor or solution. Organisations need to be able to shift with the changing needs of their marketplace, and customers.
Today’s businesses can use the cloud to expand their unified communications functionality through UCaaS. Unified Communications as a Service offers a customisable and scalable solution for communication technology on the cloud. However, the ideal UCaaS solution is often made up of various critical modules, from video conferencing tools, to call recording.
So, when shopping for UCaaS, should you be searching for a single vendor that can check every box on your list? Or is it better to mix and match your functionality, using open platforms and integrations to build something from best-in-class technology?
Here’s your guide to going multi-vendor or full-stack with your UCaaS investment.
Understanding Multi-Vendor and Full-Stack Options
There are various amazing vendors available in the UCaaS landscape today. However, while all companies tend to offer the same basic features, there are differences in the overall experience they can provide. Zoom may be your preferred choice for video conferencing, while you prefer to use Microsoft for productivity, and Cisco for calls.
The UCaaS market is currently in a state of incredible growth, with new competitors appearing all the time. There are vendors like RingCentral and Avaya which can offer full-stack solutions for businesses of all sizes. However, Microsoft and Zoom are also taking strides in UCaaS too.
The decision of whether to go “full stack” or not depends on the business in question. One company with Cisco in its contact centre might want to use Cisco everywhere else as well. Another company might prefer to combine Cisco with other vendors.
When to Go Multi-Vendor
Though there are vendors who can offer the whole stack in the UC space, the multi-vendor approach means that you don’t have to compromise on functionality. You can select the best product from a range of providers instead. Multi-stack is perfect for the company who doesn’t want a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s much easier to find the perfect video solution, or the ideal call recording technology if you’re not restricted to a specific provider.
There are products out there that stand out as best-in-class solutions for their fields. IT leaders who want the best for their teams can test these solutions and mix and match components to find the functionality that’s right for them. A multi-vendor mix also means that you can get competitive price options from different solution providers. You can also ensure that you’re investing in the tools that are most likely to earn adoption from your teams.
As your business evolves, you’ll even be free to add further modules and components into your UCaaS stack, based on the needs of your employees and customers. You don’t have to wait for a full-stack solution provider to eventually offer the same tools that you can get elsewhere. This gives you more freedom to grow at your own pace. You can even create a hybrid landscape where you have some of your technology in the cloud, and some still hosted on-premises.
For companies that have a lot of specific requirements, multi-vendor may be the perfect approach to getting the right functionality.
When to Go Full Stack
A multi-vendor approach is excellent for flexibility and customisation in your communication stack. However, there are some downsides too. Tracking down the ideal solutions for your UCaaS system from multiple providers does take more time. You’ll need to dedicate time and money to testing different solutions and seeing which work best for your teams.
While it’s becoming easier to connect multiple tools and services within the same platform, thanks to open environments and APIs, there are still more components for businesses to keep track of in a multi-vendor environment. There’s a risk that some organisations may need to dedicate more time and specialist support to ensure that every part of the stack is working as it should.
Provisioning, integrating, and connecting all the components of your multi-stack environment can also take a little more work than you’d need with a full-stack vendor. A full-stack solution provider will be able to instantly give you access to all the tools you need on a combined environment or platform. It’s much easier to jump straight into the cloud with your comms.
A multi-vendor approach does allow companies to look for a solution that suits their budget. However, there’s a chance that you can get an even better deal if you’re willing to combine all of your services from the same provider. A full-stack vendor may be willing to provide bigger discounts to customers that are “high value” or using a lot of services at once.
Finding the Right Fit for Your Business
Clearly, there are positive and negative components to consider for both the multi-stack and the single-vendor approach. On the one hand, multiple vendors give you more flexibility to build the tech solution that’s best suited to the specific needs of your company. On the other hand, this strategy also means that you have more maintenance and upkeep to do when keeping everything connected.
Alternatively, full-stack solutions give you the simplicity that today’s businesses want from an all-in-one communication environment. Still, there’s always a chance you could be missing out on functionality. Even if a full-stack vendor has what you want today, there’s no guarantee that they’re investing in the solutions and services that you’re going to need in the future.
The decision your business makes will be dependent on your priorities. Do you want to be flexible and agile – able to change your path and access new technology easily? Or do you want the simplicity of having all your communication technology in the same place? There’s no right answer, the key is finding out what works for you.
