5 Benefits of 8x8 XCaaS

How Can 8×8 Take Your Business Communications to the Next Level?

With companies everywhere seeking to move away from outdated analogue business phone systems and towards more modern and efficient methods of communication – such as cloud communications – there are numerous options for businesses to consider, depending on their specific day-to-day needs. 

8×8 has emerged as one of the leading vendors of cloud communications technology, offering customers a massive range of products and services, suited to a wide array of needs. Specifically, their efforts in eXperience Communications as a Service (XCaaS) have drawn the eyes of many, with a large number of businesses across the globe benefitting from effective and streamlined communications daily – both internally and externally.

XCaaS solutions bridge the gap between Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) and Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS) solutions. This means businesses can enjoy both an all-encompassing cloud communications service, as well as the tools and software necessary to maintain effective communications with customers in a contact centre environment, for an improved customer experience and boosted customer satisfaction rates.

As an 8×8 partner, Elite Group can help your business onboard the communications tools you need through 8×8 XCaaS and help you navigate your new communications system, so you can reap the benefits in rapid time and minimise teething problems quickly. With this in mind, here are 5 benefits of the 8×8 XCaaS solution you should know about. 

1)  Omnichannel Communications

8×8 XCaaS brings together high-quality multi-channel communications, including voice, messaging, video, email and more,  within a user-friendly cloud-based platform that can be accessed from any location. This means that whether your team is working in the office, from home or on the go they always have access to the same quality of communication, across a range of devices.

Alongside high-quality communications, 8×8 XCaaS also integrates existing systems and tools, such as CRM platforms within the solution. This means that users spend less time jumping between applications in order to access communication and collaboration applications and more time working together to serve your customers efficiently. 

2) Scalability

Businesses that are still reliant on hardware and analogue-based communications systems often struggle to grow and expand their systems as the business grows. This is because these systems still use a hardwired setup, with phones and other communications tools requiring fresh installations every time a new user is onboarded. This doesn’t serve a modern business well, considering the time it takes to implement such devices; if further wiring into an office environment is needed, businesses can expect to wait days or even weeks while the new hardware is installed. Not only this, but the installation of such new hardware is often incredibly expensive, requiring the input of an external engineer.

However, 8×8 XCaaS solutions present no such issues. As the solution is cloud-based, it is easily installable on a range of digital devices – including PCs, laptops, tablets, mobile devices and internet-powered office phones. This requires no physical lines to be installed whatsoever, as the software is connected to and managed exclusively via an internet connection. The cloud-based approach makes it infinitely easier for businesses to scale their communications up and down, as needed. When onboarding a new employee, rather than needing to install their own dedicated communications line, all a business would need to do is add a new user to their existing account, give them a login to the XCaaS system and pair them with devices where the software is installed.

Better still, if a company begins hiring new workers in large numbers, this is easily manageable too. As XCaaS solutions are taken out under a subscription model, with a set number of users allowed, depending on the package the business has, if a business needed to suddenly boost the number of users and devices connected to the software, all they would need to do is contact their provider and ask them to increase their allowance – all of which can be done in a matter of minutes, not days or weeks. This presents businesses the opportunity to maintain old communication efforts in the wake of mass hiring, with virtually no disruption or hold-ups.

3) Cost effective

We’ve already discussed how XCaaS and UC remove the need for multiple unnecessary subscriptions, saving potentially huge sums of money for businesses. However, the cost-effectiveness of switching to XCaaS solutions is more wide-ranging than many realise. According to an article published on UC news website UC Today, businesses stand to save anywhere between 50% and 70% on their communications costs – naturally, this extends to those using XCaaS too. 

While it may sound like another financial investment at face value – which it is – the benefits experienced by properly utilising XCaaS systems will save businesses even more money in the long run. Take repairs, for example. Many businesses are forced into paying hundreds or even thousands of pounds when a piece of hardware goes awry, or if there is an unforeseen issue with cabling and physical connections between devices. In addition, the amount of downtime endured by businesses as a result can also eat into revenue, costing businesses more cash in an entirely different way. This would not be the case with an 8×8 XCaaS solution, though. Thanks to the system running in a cloud environment, the vast majority of repairs would be related to technical issues on the back end of the system, which would be the responsibility of the provider. 

When this occurs, simply contacting the relevant customer service representative and informing them of the issue would begin an investigation into the problem, which would likely be fixed very quickly. In this sense, replacing a communications system with a far more up-to-date XCaaS solution from 8×8 could save businesses a small fortune in repair costs, when issues inevitably arise. These quick fixes also allow businesses and employees to remain more productive, working towards the betterment of business prospects and sales, ultimately aiding revenue generation.

4) Integration with third-party applications

Many business owners or IT managers may assume the worst when the time comes to onboard a new communications platform like 8×8 XCaaS,  with the view that it would cause serious disruption to productivity and day-to-day operations, while employees gradually adjust to the new way of working. 

However, with its user-friendly interface and time-efficient deployment, these fears are unnecessary. Rather than replacing existing systems and programs, 8×8 XCaaS can be implemented to work alongside existing popular applications – such as Microsoft Teams – and to complement the ways of working that are already in place. This can be done for numerous reasons, but primarily, it boils down to two:

• To offer employees more refined and productive ways of communicating without removing software that works well in its function and serves colleagues and customers as intended.

or

• To assist in the gradual replacement of legacy technology and older communications systems that are no longer fit for purpose.

If the intention is to eventually replace outdated ways of communication that are actually doing more harm than good when looking at the bigger picture, 8×8 XCaaS can be implemented alongside applications that are already in place, giving workers the time and the encouragement to get to grips with the new system. In time, the entire organisation will reach a place where the majority are comfortable using the new system in favour of the old applications, as well as feeling confident in using them to remain productive without confusion. Alternatively, if certain applications are still useful to an organisation, even after the onboarding of an 8×8 XCaaS solution, the versatility of 8×8 means they can likely work in tandem with each other.

5) Leverage AI and advanced analytics

Artificial intelligence (AI) has moved forward by leaps and bounds in recent years, with AI technology hitting the mainstream media today more than ever. But from a business perspective, AI and advanced analytics have so much to offer companies seeking to make their processes as efficient and profitable as possible – all of which is possible through 8×8 XCaaS.

For instance, it was once the case that data input needed to be handled manually by a single worker or a team of staff members in larger organisations. But thanks to advancements in AI, this type of activity can be fully automated, allowing businesses to avoid unnecessary hiring and to save on costs. Plus, while this work was once a time-consuming process, AI can perform, seemingly, gargantuan data-related tasks and produce accurate results consistently. Not only does this save time, but it also eliminates the potential for human error, which can have a domino effect on other areas of the business if not picked up and solved early on.

In a contact centre environment, AI and advanced analytics can have a huge impact on the way businesses operate, both from a centre-wide standpoint and from analysing the practices of individual employees. If business managers begin to notice a decline in sales stemming from a specific department, they can instruct their IT managers to implement advanced analytics (like the tools featured in 8X8 XCaaS) to analyse factors in employee-customer interactions. These can include factors, such as call times, call transfers, product or service purchases and more. By instructing the analytics tool to do a deep dive into company activity, it may pick up on emerging trends quicker in comparison to human monitoring. 

In doing so, advanced analytics may identify one or multiple contact centre staff that are not delivering as expected. When this happens, businesses can take the appropriate action and offer said employees further training, in the hopes it will improve customer-staff relations in the future or potentially boost sales. 

Certain tools available through 8×8 XCaaS – depending on the level you opt for – also include speech and text analytics powered by AI. These tools will quickly identify customers who are in need of more urgent attention and will prompt them to be moved to the front of a queue if they are waiting. Whether they are on the phone, reaching out via email or speaking with an agent on live chat, the speech and text analytics will pick up on tones and phrasing associated with those in the greatest need of support, allowing colleagues to serve the most in-need customers first, helping keep them on-side.

Reap the benefits of an 8×8 XCaaS solution with Elite Group

As a proud partner of 8×8, Elite Group is here to ensure you get the very best out of your new XCaaS solution. This means we’ve been hand-selected by 8×8 to offer their services  – so you can be sure you’re working with a trusted and reliable XCaaS solutions expert. When you onboard 8×8 XCaaS with Elite Group, we treat you as an individual, taking the time to get to know your business, so we can offer the tools and services we know will help you thrive the most – implementing them in a way that works for you.

You’ll also have access to a team of dedicated 8×8-accredited specialists, so whether you’re looking for support or guidance to help you get the most out your solution, we’re here for you. We make managing your contract simple by giving you access to your own dedicated account manager who will always ensure that your solutions are fit for purpose and is your first point of contact for any questions you have.

If you would like to know more about 8×8 XCaaS solutions, or any other communications solutions that may benefit you, reach out to Elite Group today by filling in our contact form or calling 0344 875 8880.