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Figuring out the best way to move to a digital communications environment looks different for every company. While many migrate all their telecommunications to the cloud at one time, others may take a phased approach and shift departments, locations, or even specific functions over in stages.
And then there are those businesses that may, for various reasons like being stuck in a long-term agreement, want to move but feel unable to because they need to keep their current telephony carrier.
Suppose that's your situation, but still, you'd like to take advantage of all the benefits (simplicity, updating outdated technology, and cost-effectiveness, to name a few) UCaaS and CCaaS offers. In that case, there is good news: BYOC or Bring Your Own Carrier provides excellent flexibility and control over a move to the cloud.
But how do you get from where you are to where you want to be? Here are our recommendations on how to streamline cloud-calling and BYOC implementation:
Identify Your Cloud Communication Endgame
Your communications solution is not only about today but also about the future. To understand your current business needs and identify your cloud communication endgame, ask yourself how it will scale later:
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Will you eventually move all telecommunications functionality, including telephony, to a cloud vendor?
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What are your current telecommunication capabilities, and how would you like to improve them?
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Do you have any groups or departments requiring special consideration concerning PBX or your current carrier?
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Which cloud platform vendors are compatible with your current carrier, and what features do they offer?
Before moving forward, these and many other questions need answering. A trusted communications partner can help make the process easier. Your partner should be able to plan, implement, and support cloud communication migrations with engineers and experts on their team who specialize in detailed discovery. They'll look at all the aspects of
your current communications technology, factoring in your existing phone carrier and BYOC requirements.
Once they have the lay of the land, they can make vendor recommendations. And more vendors recognize the need to facilitate cloud environments for BYOC opportunities; for instance, RingCentral recently partnered with Bandwidth, and Microsoft introduced Operator Connect to include BYOC for Teams.
From there, your communications advisor should set up customized demonstrations of the platforms so you can see only those features that are important to you. Then, it's time for your decision-makers to pick a new system.
Plan Your Cloud Communication BYOC Migration
Choosing your new cloud communication technology is only the first step. Once that's decided, it's time to plan your BYOC migration, which is a bit trickier because you're coordinating with your new cloud vendor, and your current telephony provider
is still in the mix as well.
Setting up a BYOC cloud communication migration means taking a cloud platform that's bundled through one provider (voice, video, messaging, etc.) and unbundling that so your phone stays under your current provider; there's a bit more involved
with logistics for the move.
Again, that's where your communications partner can help take the stress off you. They're used to dealing with these scenarios regularly and can prepare you for what to expect.
For example, we have a team of Technical Account Managers (TAM) on staff to lay out a
migration timetable, conduct regular progress meetings, provide customized training, and perform or oversee implementation on your behalf. They'll even be with you on the go-live day to ensure a smooth transition.
Set Yourself Up for Long-Term Cloud Communication Success
As your company changes and scales over time, your communications partner should be able to support you throughout the rest of your telecommunications journey with professional services for:
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Adds, moves, and changes to your platform
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BYOC, system, and other integration ongoing support
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Possible migration from BYOC to full cloud
We recommend that you ask your partner what types of professional service contracts they provide. It could be the difference between being adequately satisfied with your new solution and having it be a catalyst for improved engagement, collaboration (both employees and customers), and, ultimately, revenue.
Would you like to know if your organization is a good fit for a BYOC migration? Contact us; we can help.
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