When it comes to communication solutions, there are countless options available to you. And it seems that every single one of them believes that they are “the perfect fit” or “exactly what you need,” but how do they know what you need?
No two businesses are the same, and it can be exhausting trying to wade through the myriad of options, especially when so many of them don’t quite fit your needs. We understand that it can be difficult to know exactly what it is you’re looking for, so we’re here to help!
What and Why: CPaaS?
One of the many communication options you’ve probably heard about is CPaaS. We know, we know, yet another Blah Blah Blah as a Service. Why must all these options sound the same? Well, the ‘aaS’ following most of these telecom solutions essentially means that instead of spending tons of money on software, hardware, and maintenance, you’re leasing a solution off-site. Specifically, in the cloud.
This means you’ll be spending much less money upfront because you won’t need to hire a full-time on-staff tech team to keep it running smoothly. You’ll also avoid taking up precious office space with unsightly office equipment. Plus, if you want to shift solutions down the road, these “aaS” solutions are quick, easy, and won’t hurt those purse strings. This puts all the financial risk on the service provider – not you. With CPaaS, you start benefiting faster, can make additions or changes more easily, and take fewer risks. So, let’s get into what CPaaS is and explain what exactly the benefits are of opting to go with a CPaaS Solution.
CPaaS – Communication Platform as a Service
Simply put, CPaaS stands for “Communication Platform as a Service.” When you opt for a CPaaS solution you gain access to a communication platform that’s capable of connecting with your already-existing platforms. This technology uses APIs, or application programming interfaces, to integrate a new communication method with programs you are already utilizing. The main benefits of this are:
- It’s more affordable than taking on a brand-new full communication platform.
- It can be easier to integrate the communication method (texting, voice calls, etc.) into your existing services and as such makes it easier for you to train your customers and staff.
- You don’t have to worry about moving information to another platform, hopping between different programs and potentially decreasing your information’s security, or prolonging customer response times by having to wait for information or slow loading programs.
CPaaS delivers you Real-Time Communication (RTC) capabilities using whatever variety of APIs are necessary for your business to communicate in a way that works best for you and your customers. It also delivers the communications flexibility you need quickly and within your budget.
CPaaS and Your Business
Communications are changing as teleworking continues to gain traction. Many companies are finding ways to optimize teleworking through real-time communications tools. But, according to a study by Nature Human Behavior, these tools need to be interconnected, reliable, and the right size for the company and its employees in order to be as productive as possible. That’s where CPaaS comes to play. By connecting new and reliable ways for companies to communicate, CPaaS enables true real-time communications that are the best fit for a company.
CPaaS is all about making technology work for you, not the other way around. You won’t have to relearn relevant skills or spend excessive amounts of time on training while paying unneeded costs for features you won’t even touch. This makes CPaaS a great move for any business trying to watch their bottom line and still supply their customers with new and exciting communication options. Studies show that as many as 81% of companies have already deployed a CPaaS solution. What are you waiting for?
CPaaS: Increase Your Business Flexibility
Improving the future of communication lies in one word: flexibility. The modern world just keeps moving faster and customers’ expectations are constantly evolving. They expect instant responses and the ability to reach you in whatever way they prefer to. CPaaS can supply you with the flexibility you need to keep up. CPaaS is a ‘plug-and-play’ solution – you choose which features you want and before you know it, you are up and running!
With flexible API choices, you have access to even more communication options than the ones available on your existing platforms. There are different APIs for each feature of a CPaaS platform that allows the platform to perform different tasks. And CPaaS API options are constantly growing! Around 70% of companies are helping accelerate app development to help enable more options in this new landscape.
The Future of CPaaS
While CPaaS is already an extremely efficient solution, it has yet to reach its full potential. As new communication platforms arise, more APIs are created to integrate your communications across all your platforms. There are already over 23,000 APIs available in the programmable web to help you enable a CPaaS solution, and that number keeps getting bigger. In fact, many companies are consistently investing funds to ensure this growth continues. About 67% of people intend to increase their investment in CPaaS once they get started. As CPaaS capabilities grow, it will become more and more flexible for you. The more flexible it becomes, the more you can improve your communications.
CPaaS: Improve Customer Experience
A study by PwC shows that 65% of U.S. consumers say great customer service influences a company’s reputation more than advertising. With stats like that, it’s no wonder why businesses are looking to improve their customers’ experience. CPaaS is a great way to accomplish this goal and improve customer engagement. Customers want to communicate with you and CPaaS makes it easy!
Tools for Delivering a Great Customer Experience
Superb customer experience keeps your customers coming back and motivates them to become brand advocates. Empowering your employees with the tools they need to deliver an excellent experience ensures customer satisfaction and loyalty. CPaaS provides both of these services, giving your business the tools that promote great customer experiences.
Business Messaging
Did you know that by 2025 there are expected to be nearly 75 billion devices connected to CPaaS solutions? As consumers evolve into text-first communicators, text messages are becoming more and more effective, with 90% of marketing texts being read in the first three minutes. When was the last time you had a 90% immediate open rate on anything?
CRM Integration
Great customer service has taken the front row in customer satisfaction and retention. As noted previously, it’s something that businesses need to start focusing on – even more than advertising. One simple way to help improve your customer service is by integrating your CRM into your communication channels. Today’s customers want the care and attention of a small operation, where the customer service or sales representative knows their names, their account history, and who they are as a company. CRM integrations enable you to deliver that more personalized customer experience.
Video & Audio Conferencing
Over 70% of companies are looking for ways to implement new digital engagement tools within the next few years. Those tools include video and audio conferencing. Conferencing solutions are a convenient and flexible communication method that has quickly become a necessity in all aspects of our lives.
All three of these tools (plus many more) are readily available via a CPaaS solution. By now you know CPaaS can help you improve your customer’s experience and increase your business’ flexibility. It’s the right move for your business. But with so many suppliers out there, how do you know who really leads the pack?
The Right CPaaS Solution for Your Business
Because of its obvious advantages, CPaaS is quickly taking the business world by storm. The question then is, which CPaaS solution is right for your business?
You already know that you don’t want a swivel-chair operation to access all your different communications features. Having a single point-of-access is a must to help you drive efficiency and reduce response times. A single point-of-access means that you have access to all your CPaaS features within the same web interface. Your interface should also come with an API command center, where you can control your voice, messaging, and SIP services.
The NUSO Advantage
NUSO has a full-featured CPaaS platform that provides a single point-of-access web interface and state-of-the-art APIs. Our API command center lets you easily custom-integrate and access our powerful underlying network services infrastructure. From acquiring and activating phone numbers to enabling critical features like business texting, you can easily reduce your costs while incorporating communications capabilities to improve your customer experience and increase your flexibility.
There are many other CPaaS providers out there, but what sets NUSO apart is our network. Because we own our network, you have access to savings that our competitors can’t beat. Plus, we are the only FCC wireless licensed CPaaS platform on the market, which means you can enable SMS and MMS messaging on any number, even if it’s not ours!
We know you have great options when it comes to your CPaaS provider. Let us show you the NUSO advantage. Schedule your demo today!
