Mid-market needs to tackle untapped Unified Communications potential to address workforce productivity challenge

• 56% of mid-market companies say workforce productivity is a top priority
• Only 52% have implemented UC
• Just  one in five is ‘very satisfied’ with UC system
• Biggest bugbears include cost, audio conference facilities and lack of social integration

56% of mid-market companies say workforce productivity is a top priority, but only 52% have invested in a UC system and the majority are missing out on the full collaborative potential of UC for their businesses. As well as being too expensive, mid-market UC bugbears include sub-optimal audio-conferencing facilities, poor data sharing abilities and failure to integrate with company social networks.

This mid-market UC dissatisfaction is highlighted in a new report published today by Cloud and Data Centre and Communications specialist, Node4, titled ‘UC deployment amongst mid-market businesses in 2017’. The report is based on research which examines the IT priorities of mid-market companies with a turnover of £15- £800m.

While supporting the needs of the modern workforce is a priority for 40% of the mid-market, the uptake of tools to support this is seemingly lagging behind workplace expectations. Only 18% benefit from fully-featured UC including voice, video, mobile convergence, file sharing, presence, integration with social media and other business software.

Just one in five is ‘very satisfied’ with their UC system, which is perhaps not surprising given that 70% are missing out on full collaborative features and making do with voice functionality, fixed mobile convergence, video conferencing and a few additional collaboration features.

However, on a more positive note, those that haven’t yet implemented UC are either running a pilot (17%), planning a trial in the next 12 months (12%) or considering various UC options for their business (12%). The study suggests that the mid-market is just beginning to embrace UC as a service (UCaaS), which represents one in ten UC deployments in our study.

“In the last year we’ve sensed real hunger within the mid-market for the kind of advanced, fully-featured UC systems that, until recently, only the largest enterprises have been able to afford,” commented Simon Herbert, Cloud Solution Development Specialist, Cisco. “There’s an enormous opportunity here. It’s only right that more advanced functionality should start to migrate down the chain via a UcaaS model. We’re delighted to see that Node4 enabling this transition and offering its partners a clear route to addressing this need.”

Paul Bryce, Commercial Director at Node4 commented: “Mid-market companies are expecting to create thousands of new jobs by 2020. Many of these employees will expect to be able to move seamlessly between multiple communications types to collaborate with colleagues. Being able to meet their needs will be crucial to recruiting and retaining the right talent.

“Yet our research shows that the mid-market is still a long way from realising the full potential of UC for employee collaboration. This is partly because enterprise-class UC systems have been unaffordable and inaccessible for the mid-market. However UC, as a service, is now available meeting an obvious market need for advanced, fully-featured UC systems at an affordable price.”

Node4 has recently launched a new UCaaS solution, which brings enterprise-class UCaaS to the mid-market, with all the features of Cisco HCS. These include voice, video, instant messaging and presence, teleconferencing, voicemail and integrated messaging, mobility, and contact centre functionality.

The new report by Node4 entitled ‘Mid-market UC Deployment in 2017:Are mid-sized companies reaping the benefits of UC for improved business performance?’ can be downloaded here.

To book an appointment to see a demo of Node4’s game-changing new mid-market system at UC Expo, or to discuss Node4’s views regarding UC and the mid-market, contact node4@wildfirepr.com.