Business decision makers usually have sleepless nights about aspects of their business they
can’t control, but making the move from legacy to current technology should never be one of
them. In fact, it should be an easy decision, a no brainer if you will.
No need to change if it works
The reality is that several businesses are not ready to make the move to current technology.
Many decision makers use the saying ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, whereas others get
nervous when confronted by the unknown.
When technology isn’t working, the switch to another or newer version is easy, but when a
solution is working, there is no reason to move, unless the new technology offers substantial
value.
For vendors, it becomes a value and cost saving discussion, which in itself gives IT decision
makers even more sleepless nights as they don’t want to be the ones agreeing to an
implementation that promises more, but in the end delivers less.
That said, the driving forces to switch to a new solution are often different for the business
owner, IT professional and financial officer. Yet, businesses shouldn’t underestimate the
pressure coming from their own staff.
Pressure from unexpected sources
The person who is experiencing pressure from staff is the IT professional as the company’s
workforce is using applications that are not within his / her control. For CFOs, it is about cost
cutting and if they do decide to spend more, they’ll need buy-in from the organisation to
enjoy the full value of the application. For example, if a unified communications (UC) solution
is implemented, but it doesn’t have buy-in from users, it becomes a plain telephone. Buy-in
is critical to ensure that a new implementation is successful.
However, the most practical approach is for staff to drive the move. When a young workforce
uses applications in their personal lives, such as instant messaging, and have the desire to
make use of them in an organisational context, their urgent requirements will push the
company to adopt new solutions much quicker.
The drop in bandwidth prices and the fact that so many business applications are moving to
the cloud are two additional driving forces that make the switch to current technology that
much more attractive for companies.
Stay relevant and ahead of the competition
Currently, we’re seeing mobility as the big driver for making the switch to cloud telephony,
but there is no doubt that UC will see a massive uptake locally. Businesses in developed
countries without UC are often considered irrelevant by their customers.
Companies need to take their networks and communication solutions from the 1990s to
2016. They have to be current with their technology or else risk losing customers because of
a poor communication experience.
In the short term, new solutions may cost business decision makers a fraction more, but they
can be certain that they’re at the cutting edge, giving them access to new found value in their
IT systems. New solutions, such as mobility, create efficiency from day one as well as a
competitive advantage. Ultimately, decision makers who future proof their businesses will be
better off than their competitors who turn a blind eye and choose to stick to legacy
technology.
Post written by Kyle Woolf
CEO
Saicom Voice Services (PTY) LTD