Integration combined with the right mix of technologies and performance management into your existing communications environment can generate savings of up to 40% of operating budgets.
Upgrade, enhance and/or replace?
As technologies and price points will have changed over the life of some of your comms infrastructure, there is often a dilemma in the organisation around the decision to upgrade, enhance and/or replace equipment, software and data lines.
The decision dilemma surrounds protection of existing capital investments and operating budgets, with consequent impact on budgeting and capital funding requests.
Tips to Intelligent Communications
imei’s experience across many companies and sectors has found that savings can be achieved through intelligent design and deployment across your infrastructure of:
Cloud services
Moving the back-end communications servers into a data centre-based cloud environment.
On-demand services
Configuring features and functions according to user needs and profiles and only paying for what you use / need.
Managed mobile services
That provide company and user data protection, consistent and centrally provisioned software tools, and secure access to organisation information systems.
Mobile integration
Using software-based phone apps and other collaboration tools on mobile devices.
Efficient Data networks
Consolidating WAN pipes and technologies.
Hybrid On-premise and Cloud Communications Services
Hybrid solutions involving a mix of on-premise and cloud-delivered communications have the flexibility to accommodate your changing needs and preferences over time, using and building on existing equipment. This is the most effective way to plan strategic flexibility into future needs - catering for growth, managing capital investment, and keeping options open for system development.
De-Risk Progress and Upgrades
In many cases, a very effective way to de-risk the move from on-premise wholly-owned communications infrastructure to a fully cloud-delivered system, is by transitioning through a 'hybrid' stage, where existing technologies can be used in conjunction with a cloud-based core infrastructure.
Transitioning over time reduces the strain on technical resources and the amount of new skills and accreditation required; reduces the impact on users - as they retain much of what is already familiar to them often reducing end-user dissatisfaction issues associated with major changes.
Capital Investment Savings / Operating Expense Predictability
Cost savings of up to 40% of the investment in a complete communications refresh have been achieved in real-world examples; with a further benefit of reducing capital outlay, while putting in place a predictable, flexible operating cost model than can adapt with demand and makes budget planning and management a much easier task.
Data Network Cost Reduction
The trend away from voice towards data-network based communications beg the question "what shape are the company's data pipes in?" not just performance, but importantly, commercial arrangements with WAN carriers, ISDN providers, SIP trunk providers.
Consolidating high volume WAN pipes, re-architecting inter-campus traffic via hub-and-spoke topologies and removing redundant ISDN links can make a large impact on performance as measured by the end-user experience, as well as achieving significant monthly cost reductions.
Mobile Device Integration
Integrating new full-featured mobile soft phone apps for mobile workers can provide secure collaborative functionality on mobiles, allowing knowledge workers and field staff to remain connected and productive wherever they are.
Managed Mobile Services
The advent of enhanced mobile technologies (smartphones and tablets capable of replicating complex enterprise systems) has brought many productivity advantages, but has come with security and management issues: what happens if a phone is lost? When an employee leaves the company? If a tablet is infected with a virus? How is organisation and user data protected considering recent legislation changes?
A managed mobile fleet reduces risk, improves productivity and lowers cost. The more mobile endpoints in an organisation, the greater the benefits of central management.
In short - increasing functionality while managing costs are no longer at odds with each other.
It is possible to increase features to those users that need them, reduce capital outlay, manage monthly expenses and stay on the latest technologies - by applying the principles of 'Intelligent Communications' – call imei on 1300 65 77 99 or send us an enquiry to get more information.
