There have been many dramatic changes in business communication since the start of 2020. A surge of businesses are adapting their communications workflows to accommodate evolving customer expectations in this digitally-dominated business ecosystem. In addition, companies have also made a considerable effort to accelerate their virtual and remote operational strategies to better support their teams. The implementation of UCaaS and CCaaS services into communications workflows has greatly improved businesses’ ability to adjust to the aforementioned dramatic changes.

While both UCaaS and CCaaS are similar in their designs, they each serve a different purpose. The purpose of a UCaaS platform is to improve and streamline internal communication and collaboration, while CCaaS platforms function to improve the customer experience and elevate customer satisfaction. In this blog, we will discuss the many uses of UCaaS  and CCaaS, highlight the most successful UCaaS and CCaaS companies, and explain how these platforms help businesses excel as business communications continue to rapidly evolve.

What is CCaaS?

CCaaS is an abbreviation for “Contact Center as a Service.” CCaaS platforms are cloud-based contact center solutions that provide businesses with a streamlined framework for routing inbound customer interactions to contact center representatives. An effective CCaaS platform combines all aspects of the customer communications journey into a single interface for contact center representatives to use. CCaaS solutions help manage all customer communication touchpoints such as emails, customer support tickets, phone conversations, and more.

The Benefits and Features of CCaaS Solutions

Implementing CCaaS solutions improves the workflow of representatives by storing all customer data in a centralized platform. In addition, the subscription-based payment plans for CCaaS products cuts costs dramatically, and allows your IT team to focus on other priorities.

Contact center industry leaders consistently need to develop and improve their technology strategies to provide a dynamic and positive customer experience. By investing in CCaaS solutions, businesses are able to improve and strengthen customer communications operations to produce more consistent customer outcomes. CCaaS platforms come fully stacked with powerful communications solutions, and a few examples of features that are included in various contact center platforms include the following:

• Call routing
• Software analytics tracking
• Customer experience tracking
• Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
• Easy integration of existing tools
• Call recording and management

What are the best CCaaS Companies?

There are many CCaaS companies, but the most prestigious organizations are listed in the CCaaS magic quadrant yearly reports. The CCaaS magic quadrant was created by Gartner as a means to identify the best-in-business CCaaS examples.

Gartner’s magic quadrant evaluates CCaaS companies based on their completeness of vision and ability to execute. Gartner then assigns each selected CCaaS company to one of four segments: Leaders, Challengers, Visionaries, and Niche Players. Here are the CCaaS companies that were listed in Gartner’s CCaaS magic quadrant 2021.

• 8×8
• Amazon Web Services
• Content Guru
• Evolve IP
• Five9
• Genesys
• Lifesize
• NICE CXone
• Odigo
• Talkdesk
• Vonage
• Worldline

What is UCaaS?

UCaaS is an abbreviation for “Unified Communications as a Service.” UCaaS platforms enhance the contact features used within a business environment. These features include phone calls, video calls, instant messaging, and more. By using a cloud-based UCaaS platform, businesses are able to simplify and strengthen their internal workflows and processes by integrating with various communications applications within a single web-based interface.

Similar to CCaaS, UCaaS companies offer these technologies as a cost-efficient subscription-based service where users typically pay a monthly fee to access the UCaaS platform and additional services like full customer support and training.

The Benefits and Features of UCaaS Solutions

There are many benefits to using a UCaaS platform. UCaaS services provide affordable, flexible, and secure communications channels for small to large-scale business operations. UCaaS single-platform design positively impacts internal communications by creating consistent processes and outcomes.

Here are a few examples of unified communications features that are included in UCaaS platforms.

• Presence
• Making and receiving calls from a computer or mobile device
• Messaging features like text or chat, cloud faxing, and voicemail-to-email integration
• Accessing, forwarding, and saving voicemail messages
• Creating a master contact list
• Viewing call history and missed calls
• Viewing and editing answering rules
• Automating receptionist functions
• Transferring calls

What are the Best UCaaS companies?

There are a lot of UCaaS platforms to choose from, although some UCaaS applications are better than others. Just like CCaaS companies, Gartner creates an annual magic quadrant list to recognize the best of the best UCaaS companies. The UCaaS magic quadrant list uses the same requirements and four segments: Leaders, Challengers, Visionaries, and Niche Players. Here are the UCaaS companies that were listed in Gartner’s UCaaS magic quadrant 2021.

• 8×8
• Cisco
• Microsoft
• RingCentral
• Zoom

Upgrade Your Communications with InterVision

At InterVision, we are leaders in unified communications. We offer a number of managed services that are designed to increase efficiency, lower overhead costs, and provide a competitive edge for your business. Our teams of engineers and certified experts offer full support to help guide a successful communication transformation for both UCaaS and CCaaS. Create a sustainable communications strategy to meet the demands of current and future customers—contact InterVision today.

 

Want to learn more? You may also be interested in these blogs …
UCaaS: Past, Present and Future
UCaaS Providers
CCaaS Companies