These 3 Cloud-Based Tech Solutions Raise the Communications Bar for Small Businesses
There’s no discounting the importance of a strong, resilient network and communications presence to the success of a small to mid-sized business. Without one, an SMB can get overlooked, overshadowed, and overtaken—not just by larger companies, but also by similarly sized competitors that have an edge as result of their mature, modern communications infrastructure and capabilities.
The good news for SMBs is that with the emergence of cloud-based platforms, applications, and tools, a smaller company can now build its IT infrastructure around some of the same sophisticated, powerful network and communications capabilities that much larger organizations use.
Shifting to the cloud—30% of SMBs will house at least half their core workloads there by 2025—gives companies access to a new generation of network communications and security capabilities that can have a real and immediate impact on network security, reliability and resilience, cost savings, workforce productivity, and customer experience.
Based on my work supporting small and midsized businesses in modernizing their IT infrastructure, here’s a look at three cloud-based network and communications upgrades that tend to deliver SMBs the most bang for the buck.
Cloud-based technology solutions that can benefit a small business
1. A faster, more reliable, and resilient network
Building a superior infrastructure starts with the foundation: your network. Instead of relying on traditional systems that use physical equipment stored on-site (which are prone to breakdowns), cloud networks offer a flexible, dependable, and affordable option that can help SMBs provide a better experience to both their employees and customers. They also level the playing field, allowing smaller companies to compete with larger, more established competitors.
One popular solution is a cloud-based network technology called SD-WAN. What makes SD-WAN stand out is its combination of reliability, security, and cost savings. It’s designed to ensure your network stays fast and connected at all times by having redundant, diverse connections for continuous business continuity.
Research shows that SD-WAN has become increasingly popular among SMBs, especially those with teams spread across different locations. Technology research firm ISG notes, “SD-WAN adoption is expected to grow quickly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the U.S., many of which have distributed workforces and need affordable cloud-based collaboration systems that are easy to manage.”
SD-WAN is just one example of a network solution that can keep your internet running smoothly. Look for a cloud-based network that offers "backup" or redundant systems to prevent outages that could slow down your business or cost you sales. The right network solution will help ensure that your business stays online.
2. Unified communications
Nothing can alienate a customer—or an employee—quite as quickly as a disjointed, frustrating communications experience. The culprit in many cases is outdated communications technology, which can turn interactions over voice, internet, and other channels into a real turn-off.
This is why many SMBs have opted to shift from a patchwork of communications hardware and software to a cloud-based unified communications (UC) platform. Such a platform integrates key communications channels and functions like presence, chat, SMS text, video, audio and web conferencing, mobile apps, and other productivity-enhancing features into a single environment. This supports collaboration and information-sharing, which will lead to better business outcomes. It also gives employees the tools they need to do their jobs without having to bounce from platform to platform and app to app.
On the customer-facing side of the business, UC gives businesses the tools to deliver consistently smooth, rich customer interactions across channels—from chat to video meetings with desktop sharing and beyond. Customers can get the information they need, via their preferred channel, when they need it.
UC also comes with multiple layers of security, including end-to-end encryption of chats, messages, and meetings, along with multifactor authentication. The result: an enterprise-grade communications hub with ultra-high-speed internet and phone service, plus the simplicity and affordability that growing companies must have.
3. Cloud-based cybersecurity
The average cost of a data breach to a business is $4.88 million, an increase of 10% from 2023. However, even a smaller breach could be devastating for an SMB.
As cyberattacks become more common and more sophisticated, small businesses have needed to adopt stronger cybersecurity measures that provide multiple layers of protection. These tools can be added to a company's existing network without causing any disruption. One example is Zero-Trust Network Access (ZTNA), which ensures that only the right people can access a business's network, no matter where they are.
From there, SBMs can choose to add more layers of security as they grow. And as companies mature, they can advance to a multilayered, enterprise-level software stack based in the cloud, such as Security Service Edge (SSE), or even to a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solution, which combines the power of SD-WAN’s network management with security into a single cloud solution.
Don't underestimate the power of cloud-based solutions
Implementing even one of these upgrades can make a huge and lasting impact on a small business. And the beauty of the cloud is that a company can integrate all three seamlessly, giving it a network communications backbone that’s the equal of any large company.
About the Author
Post by: Art Nichols
Art Nichols is chief technology officer at Windstream Enterprise and is responsible for network evolution, hardware and software certification, and technical product development for all business units. He is an experienced technologist with a demonstrated history of executive leadership in the telecom industry and has been instrumental in developing numerous products. Prior to his 14 years at Windstream, Art spent eight years NuVox, a cloud computing and storage solutions telecommunications company.
Company: Windstream Enterprise
Website: www.windstreamenterprise.com
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