As cloud technology swiftly expands, it reveals greater benefits for businesses’ ability to communicate and collaborate without friction. Continue reading to discover the best cloud communication platforms for businesses. Future Market Insights predicts that cloud-based communication technology will grow at a CAGR of 12% between 2020 and 2025. The scalability and flexibility that cloud solutions provider for small, medium, and large businesses are major contributors to this astounding growth. As the demand for businesses to adopt cloud technology increases, numerous cloud communication platforms with many features and benefits emerge. However, before we provide a list of the best cloud communication platforms for SMBs, you must understand what a cloud communication platform is and what it does.
What’s A Cloud Communication Platform?
As implied by its name, a cloud communication platform enables businesses to communicate and collaborate seamlessly via an integrated software suite. This comprehensive software suite provides essential functionalities, including text, voice, call capabilities, conferencing, document sharing, and lists. Businesses can access everything from the cloud without requiring an internal team or data center. This means you do not need to stack your hard drives to store large amounts of data or employ an IT team to manage upgrades and resolve security patches. In addition, cloud communication platforms provide a robust and user-friendly interface. How do cloud communication platforms operate?
How Does Cloud Communication Work?
Cloud communication technology operates by accessing cloud-stored data. Users can securely upload and retrieve data from the cloud. This computing technology uses cloud-hosted tools to provide various services, such as email backup, voice, text, and document exchange. And its flexibility, scalability, and secure working environment are its primary selling points. Therefore, users do not need to configure or set up infrastructures to establish intra-organizational communication. Thus, organizations can leverage cloud communication platforms for easier data access and more rapid communication. Additionally, the platform has numerous other advantages.
Cloud Communication Platform Benefits
Cloud communication platforms outperform conventional marketing platforms. Why? Because it offers a dedicated platform for providing features such as text, voice, and document sharing, which facilitates team collaboration. The following are additional benefits of cloud communication platforms.
- The servers are simple to maintain and rarely experience outages. Therefore, there is no need for a specialized IT team to oversee the maintenance of servers.
- The ubiquity of cloud communication technology is well-known. The customers can transfer data to the cloud from any Internet-connected location.
- In addition, cloud communication platforms are renowned for their “plug-in anywhere” feature. This means that, so long as the users have permission to access the data on the device, they can connect and work seamlessly from anywhere.
- The majority of cloud communication platforms are subscription-based. These may be annual, quarterly, or monthly models.
How To Pick The Best Cloud Communication Platform?
You now understand what cloud communication is and entails. However, choosing the appropriate cloud communication tool for your non-desk employees is difficult. As a result, a cloud communication platform ought to incorporate the following functionalities and features.
Easy Communication
Communication is one of the essential components for facilitating an easier workflow. Employees stay current and on the same page thanks to cloud communication platforms that provide mobile apps. Mobile communication apps provide features such as real-time notifications, business conversation messaging, simple document sharing, and prompt resolution of issues. This provides flexibility and scalability.
Security & Privacy
No organization wishes to compromise its security when using a third-party tool. However, approximately 95% of organizations are most apprehensive about cloud security. Because they have the most sensitive data to safeguard from hackers and rivals, Cloud communication providers guarantee the highest level of security and safer data exchange between teams. The service provider must also adhere to data privacy regulations and regulatory councils.
User-friendliness
User-friendliness resides in every user’s spirit. The platform should be easy for the team members, regardless of whether it has a rapid onboarding procedure or an intuitive interface. The admin interface is an indispensable tool for managers. The features and tools should be intuitively organized and readily accessible.
Customer Support
Regardless of the tool you employ, a stellar customer service team is highly coveted. 68% of customers would rather invest in tools and services with superior customer service. Customer service must be available at one’s beck and call, whether you are trapped in a process or resolving a problem. There should be more than one way to communicate with the customer support team. In other words, omnichannel support should be provided. Now that we have learned about choosing the correct cloud communication platforms for small businesses let’s examine the list of the best cloud communication platforms for small businesses.
Best Cloud Communication Platform Options
As we curated, the best Cloud Communication Platform options are listed below.
1. Exotel
Exotel is an omnichannel cloud platform with a suite of communication APIs and extensive customer engagement tools. Their dedicated customer contact center enables you to set up a dedicated call center in under thirty minutes. It provides all the fundamental and sophisticated features required to set up a call center, including IVR with multiple levels, call recording, and call analytics. Exotel supports voice APIs, video streaming APIs, and SMS solutions that enable businesses to communicate with many customers. In addition, the cloud telephony service enables integration with various CRMs, ERPs, helpdesks, and other third-party tools to facilitate business operations.
2. Connecteam
To connect you with non-desk employees and make sure they stay on the same page, ConnecTEAM is likely a very popular cloud communication platform. A comprehensive employee app is designed to reduce labor and save time. Connecteam has desktop and mobile versions so that your team gets all the important updates and can respond immediately to communications. It takes a few moments to set up and get going. The tool also provides an employee clocking feature that allows employees to clock in and out from anywhere globally. The frosting on the cake! Additionally, it features an integrated GPS and monitoring of overtime expenses. Furthermore, businesses can create protocols, forms, and reports for their employees to enhance workflow and decrease delays. Finally, human resources professionals can use the training tool to create individualized courses for non-desk employees.
3. Vonage
Vonage offers contact support centers and unified voice and text messaging solutions for various business sectors. The Vonage app center offers a variety of call management and productivity tools to enhance your business. This app center uses your Internet connection. In addition to supporting mobile and desktop versions, Vonage offers extensive professional support. Businesses can create customized video platforms, SMS, messaging, and WhatsApp campaigns with the help of APIs. These APIs are also accessible for SIP trunking, social media apps, and multichannel communications. Vonage needs a few features, including document sharing and dedicated video conferencing. Nevertheless, this is your best option for a dedicated VoIP service.
4. Twilio
Twilio enables your customer service team to communicate with customers via VoIP, phone, and SMS campaigns. Through WhatsApp app and SMS campaigns, it assists businesses in increasing customer engagement. Its ability to connect with various third-party apps makes data import much easier, which is one of its main selling points. Twillion Engage is also a campaign builder that collects customer data across the web. The marketing team can use this data to target customers and map interactions, while the sales team connects via SMS marketing and Whatsapp marketing. In addition, Twilio integrates with third-party CRM platforms such as Salesforce, Zendesk, and others, enhancing its usability.
5. RingCentral
RingCentral is beneficial for small businesses that require abundant communication and productivity tools. To set up and launch a business, no new hardware is required. RingCentral’s primary USP is its VoIP communication service, which includes a business phone number and is ideal for making calls and coordinating video conferences. Similarly, the text and messaging capabilities enable businesses to communicate via a single app. RingCentral mobile and desktop apps provide horizontal communications to stay connected to customers while on the go. Thanks to their switch capabilities, users can switch from a voice call to a video call without changing apps. RingCentral is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses with up to 200 concurrent participants, not to mention the reports and analytics that aid in call surveillance, crucial performance tracking, and customer experience mapping.
6. Telnyx
Telnyx is a well-known CPaaS company that develops API-based communication systems. The tool is designed for small businesses needing a unified global communication platform. One of its primary USPs is Telnyx’s SIP trunking (Session Initiation Protocol), which offers low call rates and adapts to increased call volumes. Telnyx has become one of the fastest-growing communication platforms due to its unique IP carrier features and an extensive inventory of global phone numbers. It is a more viable option due to its extensive global network, which provides business phone numbers in approximately 100 countries. The calls are highly encrypted to allow businesses to capture and monitor analytics. Telnyx is compatible with any VoIP service, allowing you to mix and match call rates to your advantage.
7. Dialpad
Small businesses can stay on top of their effective phone system with the help of Dialpad, a tool. The tool expands the functionalities of conventional phone systems, enabling businesses to make audio and video calls from anywhere and on any device. Users can seamlessly switch calls from their laptops to their handsets. The central interface enables businesses to manage their employees, meetings, and call settings. In addition, Dialpad integrates flawlessly with tools such as Microsoft 365, Slack, and Google Workspace. Its AI-enabled video communication feature provides a transcription function that converts video to text.
8. Plivo
Plivo is a superior B2C platform that enhances the customer experience with its extensive API solutions. The tool offers text API, SMS API, Voice API, and video API for users to develop their custom, robust solutions. The company also assists in developing a customized platform and a vast array of tools to facilitate seamless and easier communication. Contacto, Plivo’s omnichannel contact center, is designed specifically for B2C teams. The workflow designer of the unified platform is well-known. To save time and effort, these workflows aid the customer service team direct prospects to the appropriate agent. In addition, the IP authentication feature of Plivo’s SIP trunking adds a layer of security to customer calls. Overall, Plivo is a dependable platform for customer engagement that assists in quicker customer engagement and improved customer feedback.
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The Bottom Line:
Cloud communication platforms are indispensable to the operation of a business. The ideal cloud communication platform for your requirements must include features that increase customer engagement and foster trust. With the proper cloud communication platform, businesses can seamlessly connect with their internal and external teams and their customers. This list of cloud communication platforms will unquestionably increase productivity and enhance communication.