Migrating to the cloud introduces some attractive benefits, including anticipated cost savings. Particularly when investing in as-a-service cloud options, enterprises expect lower monthly invoices, as well as freedom from hardware maintenance plus troubleshooting and unexpected device failure. The reality is often a bit different. When completing a cloud migration, many enterprises fail to structure the voice over internet protocol (VoIP) budget to reflect their new environment.
With unified communications as a service (UCaaS), businesses not only save on basic costs, but they also discover gains in areas such as scalability, so they aren’t purchasing user licenses that sit idle for most of the year or until the next promotional event. These and other kinds of savings are quickly offset by the hidden cost of not structuring the VoIP budget for a new communications approach. These are the three major areas you’ll need to address:
Overlapping Features: Your new UCaaS solution offers collaboration tools, including shared workspaces and messaging features, but because you didn’t prioritize shutting down the myriad apps employees were previously using for these functions, you’re still paying for them. It’s understandable that it’s easier for your employees to keep using what’s familiar, and the standalone apps may even be a bit superior to a tool that’s not the main feature of your UCaaS system. In most cases, the tools are good enough for what your employees need, and continuing to support redundant apps is costing you money.
“Ghost” Hardware and Services: After migrating to the cloud for UCaaS, it’s important to take an inventory of devices and contracts to see if you’re still paying for services that you no longer require. It’s easy to lose track of devices and their service contracts, but take the time to inventory your equipment and determine what’s necessary for your VoIP budget and what can be eliminated as part of your legacy phone system.
Categorizing Your VoIP Budget: One of the key benefits of cloud migration is the absence of a large capital investment when purchasing innovative technology. Instead, your UCaaS solution can be categorized as an operating expense, a welcome change for your finance department. In the past, your operating expenses were largely associated with software administration, but with a cloud solution, all updates, upgrades, troubleshooting, and maintenance are turned over to the managed service provider.
It’s important to maximize savings through your cloud migration. The hidden danger is that you will gradually shift your administrative tasks away from your IT team to the managed service provider. And if you later determine that you aren’t realizing the cost savings you’d anticipated, you may no longer have the in-house talent to support an on-site solution. Contact Diversified Technology Group today if you have any questions about your VoIP budget or migrating to the cloud.