Categories: Unified Communications

A Modern, Cloud-Based Communications Platform Simplifies Everything For Higher Education Institutions

Posted by Adam Uthe on Posted in Cloud, Education, Unified Communications Tagged , , ,

Universities, community colleges, and vocational schools are under constant pressure to increase services, do more with less, and make sure every constituent group – from students to staff to alumni – feels informed and engaged. A fully integrated cloud unified communications platform goes a long way toward improving student, staff, alumni, and community experience, outreach, and engagement – regardless of whether classes are in person or online.

That’s where NEC and UNIVERGE BLUE come in. NEC has been in business for 120 years, expertly navigating the evolution of communications technology and UNIVERGE BLUE is just the latest in a long line of innovations.

UNIVERGE BLUE’s cloud services offer several key benefits that higher education institutions can take advantage of to both simplify and modernize their communications infrastructure. Streamlined collaboration allows users to communicate more efficiently and resolve issues faster. Cloud-based unified communication systems offer superior scalability which saves budget and additional resources. Robust security measures help protect critical data and information from unauthorized access.

Streamlined Collaboration

A cloud-based unified communications system like UNIVERGE BLUE CONNECT facilitates seamless collaboration by integrating phone/voice, chat, video, file management, and more into a single platform. Users can easily switch between voice and video calls, instant messaging, and file sharing, enabling real-time collaboration among different departments. This streamlines communication, minimizes delays in responses, and simplifies collaboration across campus – and beyond. By fostering a culture of collaboration, higher institutions can better serve their students, faculty, and staff. Easy to setup, manage and use unified communications, with no phone system to buy, install, upgrade or replace as your university grows.

Cost Efficiency and Scalability

Traditionally, on-premises phone systems have required lengthy, expensive installations that, once in place, can be very difficult to maintain and update when needed. That’s why UNIVERGE BLUE offers one simple, flat monthly rate that’s based on the number of users with no hidden fees added. This makes it simple and easy to plan for future budgets without sacrificing features and functionality. Cloud-based unified communications allows organizations to easily adjust their communication resources based on demand, such as during times of emergencies or peak activity based on variable schedules throughout the year.

Robust Data Security

The safety and security of data is a critical concern for all educational organizations. Hackers and other bad actors are constantly testing safeguards put in place to protect confidential, sensitive information. All levels of education need to ensure they are safe from these threats. Reputable cloud providers like UNIVERGE BLUE employ advanced encryption techniques, firewalls, and authentication protocols to safeguard data from unauthorized access. Additionally, cloud-based platforms ensure high availability and reliability, with built-in redundancy and disaster recovery mechanisms. It’s critical for higher education institutions to carefully consider who they trust with their sensitive data and information.

As higher education institutions adapt to the ever-changing communications landscape, a cloud-based unified communications system emerges as an indispensable tool. NEC and UNIVERGE BLUE offer a trusted platform that academic organizations can deploy to provide their students, faculty, and staff with the means to spend more time pursuing their missions and less time grappling with outdated, unsupported technology.

Contact one of our experts today to learn more about how UNIVERGE BLUE can help your organization/department modernize your communications infrastructure to better serve your institution’s key stakeholders.

Leveraging Free Assessments for Business Success

Posted by Joe Salisbury on Posted in Enterprise, Free Assessment, Unified Communications Tagged ,

Why Such Offers Shouldn’t Be Overlooked

When was the last time your tech stack was put to the test? To ensure it is serving you well, assessments shouldn’t be ignored. While in-house evaluations have value, there’s distinct advantages to third-party reviews, especially when offered for free.

  • Free assessments – like those offered by NEC – provide a unique opportunity to gain a fresh perspective. A deeper understanding of emerging technologies as well as alternative approaches to what already exist. It’s access to insight that might not be available in-house or go unnoticed during an internal review.

  • No cost evaluations come with specialized knowledge and expertise. Decision makers can tap this wealth of experience and gain an alternative perspective, insight into industry trends and best practices, allowing a better understanding of the competitive environment that might be missed.

  • Solution provider free assessments are also driven by the latest technological advancements. This provides enterprises actionable insight and tailored recommendations specific to latest offerings and customized to business needs. Leveraging these proposals allow organizations to pivot based on informed decisions by prioritizing technology investments that best align with strategic objectives.

  • Taking advantage of free tech assessments can potentially lead to cost-saving opportunities by future proofing investments too. Provider evaluations can identify areas where technology can be optimized, consolidated or streamlined, reducing unnecessary expenses. Additionally they may uncover security vulnerabilities or compliance gaps that, if addressed proactively, can help mitigate risks at a later date.

So if you’re interested in improving your ability to make strategic investments that optimize tech spend, drive better results and generate long-term savings, don’t pass up an offer of a free assessment. What have you got to lose and what might you gain?

Interested in what NEC can do for you?

Call us directly at 1-844-NEC-SAVE or by using the form below … and let’s find out.

Click to learn more about our latest assessment offer

All Levels of Government Can Benefit From A Modern, Cloud-Based Communications Platform

Posted by Adam Uthe on Posted in Cloud, Government, Unified Communications Tagged , ,

Government entities and agencies are constantly being asked to do more with less. As modern communication technology continues to evolve, the public expect to have their concerns heard and resolved in a timely manner. To meet the increasing demands of modern communication, many government agencies and organizations are turning to cloud-based unified communications systems – like UNIVERGE BLUE.

UNIVERGE BLUE’s cloud services offer several key benefits that all government employees can take advantage of to better serve public interests. Streamlined collaboration allows employees to communicate more efficiently and resolve issues faster. Robust security measures help protect critical data and information from unauthorized access. Cloud-based systems offer superior scalability which saves budget and additional resources.

Streamlined Collaboration

A cloud-based unified communications system like UNIVERGE BLUE CONNECT facilitates seamless collaboration by integrating various tools a single platform. Users can effortlessly switch between voice and video calls, instant messaging, and file sharing, enabling real-time collaboration among different departments. This streamlines communication, minimizes delays, and enhances efficiency in decision-making processes. By fostering a culture of collaboration, government organizations can better resolve public issues as they arise.

Robust Data Security

The safety and security of government data and information is a critical concern for public leaders. Hackers and other bad actors are constantly testing the safeguards government entities put in place to protect themselves. All levels of government need to ensure they are safe from these threats. Reputable cloud providers like UNIVERGE BLUE employ advanced encryption techniques, firewalls, and authentication protocols to safeguard data from unauthorized access. Additionally, cloud-based platforms ensure high availability and reliability, with built-in redundancy and disaster recovery mechanisms. Governments need to carefully consider who they trust with their sensitive data and information.

Cost Efficiency and Scalability

Traditionally, on-premises phone systems have required lengthy, expensive installations that, once in place, can be very difficult to maintain and update when needed. Investing in a cloud communications platform helps government agencies dramatically increase operational efficiency and flexibility. Cloud-based solutions allow organizations to easily adjust their communication resources based on demand, such as during times of emergencies or peak activity. UNIVERGE BLUE offers one simple, flat monthly rate that’s based on the number of users with no hidden fees added. This makes it incredibly easy for governments to plan for future budgets without sacrificing performance.

As government entities and organizations adapt to the ever-changing communication landscape, a cloud-based unified communications system emerges as an indispensable tool. Contact one of our experts today to learn more about how UNIVERGE BLUE can help your organization/department modernize your communications infrastructure to better serve your citizens.

UNIVERGE BLUE CLOUD SERVICES Celebrates 3 Years of Partnership with Intermedia Cloud Communications

Posted by Adam Uthe on Posted in Cloud, Contact Center, Enterprise, Unified Communications

UNIVERGE BLUE’s all-in-one platform enables companies to communicate, collaborate and connect from anywhere at anytime

NEC is thrilled to celebrate the third anniversary of the successful launch of UNIVERGE BLUE CLOUD SERVICES and our partnership with Intermedia. Launched on May 20, 2020, UNIVERGE BLUE has been providing simple, scalable, and customizable solutions for customers to easily manage business communications and collaboration among employees during a time of great change to how many businesses operate.

UNIVERGE BLUE BRINGS EMPLOYEES TOGETHER FROM ANYWHERE, ANYTIME

UNIVERGE BLUE CONNECT combines your phone system, chat, video, screen sharing, file management and conference calling into a seamless experience that fits with your business size, needs, and work style. UNIVERGE BLUE ENGAGE provides a leading Contact Center Software as a Service solution (CCaaS) combining the most robust suite of features with carrier-grade reliability and world-class deployment and support services. And UNIVERGE BLUE CONNECT BRIDGE enables inbound and outbound calling via desktop and mobile apps, plus includes an integrated suite of collaboration services including team chat, video conferencing, and secure file sync/sharing.

In addition to the core solutions that have formed the foundation of UNIVERGE BLUE’s success, several new products have also been launched in the past 12 months. UNIVERGE BLUE CONNECT ROOMS is an exciting new video conference room solution that allows employees to easily reserve a conference room and simultaneously schedule a video conference for both in-office and remote workers. CONNECT ROOMS is fully integrated with UNIVERGE BLUE CONNECT and comes FREE with any supported CONNECT license. More recently, NEC introduced UNIVERGE BLUE ARCHIVE. ARCHIVE provides an essential service for any business that needs to preserve its communications for compliance with various legal and industry requirements. With ARCHIVE, businesses can easily search their UNIVERGE BLUE CONNECT calls, chats and SMS conversations to retrieve critical information the moment its needed.

UNVERIGE BLUE also introduced several exciting new features and functionality to existing products. UNIVERGE BLUE CONNECT introduced Company Messaging, which allows businesses to send and receive rich text (SMS) and picture messages (MMS) to and from the main business or toll-free phone number to enhance customer interactions. CONNECT also unveiled the Service Adoption Dashboard, a free feature included in existing CONNECT licenses that allows administrators to see how often team members are actively using Voice, Chat, Meetings, and Desktop and Mobile Apps.

UNIVERGE BLUE ENGAGE also launched several exciting new features to maintain its status as a leading CCaaS solution. ENGAGE Evaluator uses artificial intelligence (AI) to identify, review, evaluate, and provide feedback on the conversations with the greatest business impact. ENGAGE Interaction Analytics allows for the ability to transcribe full conversations and voicemails and uses AI to automatically identify important conversations and notify managers/supervisors to help ensure high quality customer service.

NEC EMBRACES THE POWER OF CHOICE WITH CLOUD CASH

NEC firmly believes in the Power of Choice and the impact it can have on our channel partners’ bottom line. NEC channel partners get to choose whether they want to sell on-premise solutions, cloud solutions, or both! They also get to choose their preferred ownership model so they can retain as much – or as little – contact they have with their customers. And now, with the new CLOUD CASH program, partners can also choose how they get paid on each deal. This one-of-a-kind program helps channel partners alleviate any potential gaps in revenue by letting them determine whether they want to get one lump sum upfront or ongoing monthly recurring revenue (MRR) on each deal they sell.

It’s been another successful year for NEC and UNIVERGE BLUE. UNIVERGE BLUE CONNECT AND ENGAGE saw tremendous growth with double the number of customers deployed, while also bringing onboard numerous new UNIVERGE BLUE partners. None of this is possible without our outstanding employees and every growing channel partner network. It’s been an incredible journey, but the best is still to come!

Not currently an NEC Channel Partner? Join our Channel Partner program today, and learn all about how the Power of Choice can drive your business forward.

Ensure Data Security and Compliance with UNIVERGE BLUE ARCHIVE

Posted by Adam Uthe on Posted in Cloud, Security, Unified Communications Tagged , , ,

FIND THE INFORMATION YOU NEED, THE MOMENT YOU NEED IT

Do you and your organization spend too much time searching for information from your day-to-day business communications? Whether the information is needed to improve productivity, maintain compliance, or assist HR and/or Legal investigations, it’s critical that organizations can find what they’re looking for as soon as possible – and without compromising on information security. That’s why NEC is excited to introduce UNIVERGE BLUE ARCHIVE, a data retention solution available to UNIVERGE BLUE CONNECT customers that makes it fast and easy to find important communications the moment they’re needed. It automatically preserves, protects, and provides search and retrieval of critical business communications, including chat, short message service (SMS), phone calls, voicemails, and more.

UNIVERGE BLUE ARCHIVE

Evaluate Employee Productivity Levels
UNIVERGE BLUE ARCHIVE addresses important productivity challenges for almost any business. Sales teams, customer support and most other business functions generate communications that are essential to retracing important decisions or ensuring you have a more complete view of customer interactions. This helps improve the performance of internal customer-facing teams, while also providing a better overall customer experience. ARCHIVE also secures access to internal communications and protects from accidental or malicious deletion that may occur during transitions, leaves of absence, and other significant organizational changes.

Total Compliance For Any Industry
Every organization has a minimal level of compliance it needs to maintain, whether its industry-specific or general protection and privacy requirements. ARCHIVE makes it easy to preserve, identify and retrieve relevant interactions to support compliance with regulatory and internal governance retention requirements. ARCHIVE supports healthcare (HIPAA, CMS), financial services (BSA, SEC, FINRA, MiFID II) and legal industry retention periods and policies, data residency (US, Canada, UK), privacy (GDPR), data integrity, and security requirements.

Protect Your Organization – And Your Employees
Legal teams can also save time by utilizing ARCHIVE to streamline their review processes when conducting investigations or preparing for future litigation. ARCHIVE makes it faster and easier than ever for Human Resource teams to investigate and resolve potential workplace harassment and misconduct that takes place on the organization’s communications and collaboration platform(s).

Designed to support a wide range of organizations, UNIVERGE BLUE ARCHIVE provides a simple, cost-effective, powerful service for preserving and quickly locating relevant communications. Never have to worry about losing important communications again with UNIVERGE BLUE ARCHIVE. To learn more, visit https://www.univergeblue.com/cloud-services/archive/.