Cloud Communications: Choosing Between UCaaS, CCaaS and CPaaS
Cloud technology offers companies a way to access the latest tools in their industry without making a capital investment. Servers and data storage, among other resources, are housed in the cloud and companies are simply invoiced for the services they use. It’s an increasingly popular approach to IT, and among the platforms being utilized, cloud communications solutions are among the most beneficial.
If you’ve looked into cloud communications at all, you’ve probably encountered a host of similar-sounding acronyms, such as unified communications as a service (UCaaS), contact center as a service (CCaaS) and communication platform as a service (CPaaS).
The as-a-service part of those solutions simply indicates that it is a managed service, hosted in the cloud by a provider. There are significant differences between UCaaS, CCaaS and CPaaS, but there are a few benefits that you can find across all three types of cloud communications:
- Scalability and Flexibility: One major benefit of any cloud solution is the ability to scale the number of users up and down as needed. Likewise, as the needs of the organization change or as new technology emerges, cloud solutions adapt.
- Cost Savings: As mentioned above, many companies first pursue a move to the cloud because of the categorization of services as expenses, rather than capital investments. There are also soft savings, such as a reduced load on internal IT teams and improved security patching.
- Better Customer Experiences: The agility of cloud technology, along with offering the latest features, means that customers have a better experience with your brand.
These are just a few of the expected benefits when you invest in cloud solutions. Now, take a look at the different types of cloud communications to determine which will best fit your needs:
UCaaS
This is an integrated communications solution that offers chat, voice, SMS and videoconferencing. It can support various corporate needs, from telephony to unified messaging and mobility. It doesn’t require additional hardware or infrastructure, and it allows agents to assist customers without toggling between different communication applications. Integration with other platforms makes it easy for teams to collaborate and share workspaces.
CCaaS
Contact center operations run smoothly when powered by CCaaS. Using application programming interfaces (APIs), contact center applications are embedded with the tools and features they need to assist customers without switching to a different solution. For instance, a contact center agent could access their customer relationship management solution from the integrated CCaaS solution.
CCaaS offers a variety of features that support contact center functions, including virtual attendant or interactive voice response (IVR), call recording, analysis and reporting, monitoring and coaching for agents. CCaaS is a plug-and-play platform, allowing contact centers to install and use the solution without additional assistance.
CPaaS
An extension of UCaaS and CCaaS, CPaaS allows for the addition of communication features to other applications. It does not require the company to invest in new hardware, building new features through APIs and code supplied. It supports a variety of functions, such as inbound call routing, video messaging, text messages and more.
CPaaS includes a variety of tools that are easily customized to meet the needs of the organization. They may offer sample codes, APIs or even a ready application that allows the company to integrate the solutions they need.
Sorting through numerous considerations for a communications upgrade can be complicated. Contact us at One Connect, and we will help you assess your communications requirements and then assist you in identifying the solutions that best fit your needs.