Focusing on next-gen comms in the new digital world

2020 has been a year of an overhaul, bringing all but the most archaic of businesses into the new, digitally-driven world. Figures reported by Inc indicate that only 12% of businesses now feel they do not need a digital presence, meaning that the vast majority of American enterprises will find themselves online.  

This poses a challenge to the world of communications. Firstly, this is a lot of new business that wants to connect with customers – how best is that achieved? Secondly, with a market so heavily saturated, only those businesses who have the best channels – internally and externally – will net the prize of new custom. Next-gen tech is driving business forward in this regard.

The virtual businesses

Chief in these innovations is the virtual business – both internally and externally. The necessity of conducting business through digital mediums has created a demand for staging and collaboration done entirely through the web. The Harvard Business Review term this virtual office, and it’s a new way of thinking – and working – that is only enabled through cutting-edge comms technology.  

Hardware phone systems and call centers simply don’t cut it anymore, and in order to have the speed and clarity of communication to be able to speak to colleagues first and then customers after the fact, cloud-based communication systems are king. The cutting edge of this tech combines several disparate technologies – cloud comms, VoIP, and conferencing – under one banner. This has already been achieved, but questions remain over the safety and security of these solutions.

The security question

There are a few big names in the online comms arena – Zoom, Facetime, Skype, and Signal among them. For casual organization, see Houseparty and Jitsi. The problem that has arisen is that half of these services were never intended for the huge scale use they see today, and security flaws have been located and run with on multiple occasions – as highlighted by The Guardian.  

A big challenge for businesses is finding an affordable solution that also has high levels of security assurance. As a result, businesses are increasingly turning to proprietary and privately developed software to help enable their business comms. This has been to the benefit of both the business and its consumer base.

Old faces

For inspiration, look no further than Crestron. Lauded by Forbes as one of the original players in office automation, they have, nevertheless, been a minor player since their foundation 30 years ago. However, they are rapidly building interest through their bespoke systems that have been offered to businesses with one huge focus – security. Along with factors that other businesses prioritize, such as comfort and quality, they have reportedly put the security factor at the center of their development of new software and hardware.  

As long as communications firms continue to follow this trend, they’ll help businesses get ahead. The security issues with those most famous video conferencing tools are now well understood and have made an impact on consumer markets. Having systems that are fit for purpose and express a level of assurance that customers can rely on will help businesses to flourish in the hotly contested digital age.

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