Five Unified Messaging Mistakes That Can Cost You Thousands

Unified messaging has become more and more popular recently as business owners begin to see the correlation between this new technology and their bottom line.  It is important to understand, however, that while the install and training may seem straight forward, inefficient practices and ill-informed decisions could end up costing your company more than you are saving.  There are five common mistakes that new unified messaging users tend to make, and plenty of ways to avoid them.

1. Inflexible Pricing - This is probably the first concern for any businesses looking to adopt unified messaging.  You will want to shop around between vendors to find out what each provider offers and their differing rates.  Finding the most cost-efficient plan could mean outsourcing your unified messaging altogether, or owning some components and outsourcing others.  Never go with the first vendor you look at, no matter how convincing their sales pitch.

You will also need to determine which communication devices you already have, such as instant messaging and e-mail, that can be integrated into your unified messaging platform.  Many companies assume that they will have to rip out their entire current communication infrastructure to make room for a new one, but this is not always the case.  Using some of what you already have on hand can help scale back the initial costs of set-up and implementation. 

2. System Won’t Scale - Scalability, the ability for a network to expand resources or capacity to cover a growing business, is a significant part of your unified messaging platform.  Understanding your business needs, and where you might need to grow in the future, can help you select a provider who can expand with you.  If a provider is inflexible, you will end up wasting time and money when you reach capacity and have to employ a new platform or hire new IT staff to fix up the original system.

The ability to scale as your business evolves can also help diminish start-up costs.  You may be able to implement a simple integration at first to try the technology and see how it suit your business needs.  Should your business grow, or your needs change, you will be able to adapt the platform to conform to your new needs. 

3. Inappropriate Level of Security - With more opportunities for communication and collaboration, it stands to reason that more sensitive information will be transferred across various venues.  Not implementing the proper security on your network can be incredibly detrimental to your business.  Losing sensitive data, or virus attacks on a vulnerable network, can result in lost productivity, time loss during the recovery process, and, if data of a personal nature is intercepted (like employee or customer files), your company could lose thousands from lawsuits.

When setting up and employing your new unified messaging system, you will want to ensure that certain security measures are in place.  Make sure that your network will be closed to outsiders, providing security gateways for authorized parties to enter.  All communications should be encrypted to avoid broadcasting internal information to outside users.  Authorization profiling, specifying who can contact who, is another integral security measure. 

4. Unnecessary Features - Like any other communications platform, different providers may offer different features.  Depending on the needs of your business, the right features can help you save money and improve your company’s productivity.  Some of the features that different providers will offer include new message alerts, fax broadcasting to multiple recipients, or adding attachments and forwarding messages.  By knowing your business, you can pick and choose features based on probable use instead of springing for features that may wind up unused.

5. Low Compatibility - Instead of starting the integration process and waiting for any substantial hiccups to occur, it may help to prepare your system for the transition.  Before deploying any unified messaging platform, you will want to ensure that your servers, routers, and other infrastructure equipment can handle the burden of the additional load.  By preparing in advance, you are less likely to lose time because of major compatibility issues during the install.  Finding a unified messaging provider that is compatible with your current system can ensure a smooth transition and make the new platform easier to employ and use.