Why Unified Communications as a solution (UCaaS) should be a core part of your strategy

Unified Communication as a Solution (UCaaS)

VoIP allows voice calls, as well as video and data to be transmitted over the internet, instead of the PSTN. You can send faxes, host conference calls, forward calls from one location to another, use voicemail, route calls, have an auto-attendant, and more, for a fraction of the cost.

School staff field dozens of phone calls each day, so it's important to have a telephone system that's affordable and reliable. It should be simple for teachers and receptionists to direct calls appropriately, whether staff are working on-site or at home. It’s also vital that staff can handle the call volumes. Features like call queues, call parking, forwarding and transfer enable staff to accept and direct calls efficiently with minimal errors.

All that is required is a high-speed broadband connection, also giving teachers access to a wide variety of apps and tools to help them maintain effective communication with students and co-workers while working at home.

Because VoIP is internet based and supports multiple communications channels, including call conferencing, video meetings and instant messaging, it has become central to schools adopting a 'unified communication’ strategy, sometimes referred to by the telecoms industry as UCaaS (unified communications as a service). UCaaS offers a secure and compliant way for schools to integrate multiple communications methods through a single cloud provider.

Just imagine calls, messages, audio and video conferencing, screen-sharing, task management and more with all files and communications kept in one secure place that can be accessed anywhere, anytime, using any device (desktop, web browser, mobile phone, tablet).

With UCaaS, teachers can initiate video and content-sharing meetings anytime, anywhere. Teachers can chat and screen share with students in real-time, as well as create groups for students to collaborate on projects. Videos can be recorded and kept for future use, and task management capabilities allow teachers to assign tasks to students.‍

Statistics show that 74% of teachers believe their workload has been reduced due to the advancement of education technology.  - UK Department for Education 2021

Why UCaaS should be a core part of your strategy

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• Flexibility - With the increase in remote working, VoIP systems allow teachers to provide classes and make/receive calls at home or wherever they are, with any device.
• Productivity - A VoIP system can enhance the efficiency of daily tasks, whether planning classes or attending faculty meetings, so teachers can focus more on teaching.
• Added mobility - Teachers can provide classes from their homes or offices, making use of features like video conferencing to hold discussions, live tutorials, and more.
• Cost savings - VoIP is usually much cheaper than traditional phone lines. Furthermore, because VoIP is cloud-based it usually requires no installation or maintenance costs.
• Online Administration - Using interactive voice response (IVR) for inbound callers, enables messages to reach the right ears fast, even during school holidays or closures.
• Remote learning - Students can attend classes or discuss assignments virtually, with audio or video meetings to help students stay on track with distance learning.
• Remote meetings - Video conferencing can be used for interactive parent-teacher meetings and video-based teacher training sessions, without additional software.
• Emergency - During emergencies, schools with VoIP can communicate instantly with students and parents via voice or text messages.  
• Safeguarding - Call recording can be used to help with everything from resolving disputes and addressing safeguarding concerns to tackling pupil absenteeism.
• Security - Security is at the heart of hosted VoIP phone systems. Schools’ data will be hosted in secure data centres, assuring that it remains protected. 
• Microsoft Teams - For schools using Microsoft Teams, UCaaS can be integrated to support collaborative classrooms, and improve school staff communication, and file sharing.

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‍If you’d like to hear more about how we can support schools like yours with cutting-edge technology, we’d love the chance to talk to you about it. Please get in touch on 0207 101 0096 or email - contact@itdsmanaged.com‍