The cloud has been a major driver of digital transformation, and cloud communications is a significant part of this. According to a recent survey, nearly twice as many companies reported exceptionally high revenue growth rates (20% or above) than those that do not use cloud communications. A majority of cloud communications users report that embedding communications into their web and mobile apps led to higher customer satisfaction.

Old vs new

A business wanting to stay in touch with offices across the world – or one looking to open a new branch in different location – traditionally had to factor in the high cost of international phone rates, the complex, lengthy process of shopping around with local providers for the best deal, and – more often than not – unreliable service quality.

All of these things pose challenges to a business looking to expand its footprint. Globalisation depends on businesses being able to scale quickly and easily. And for staff, clients and customers to communicate and collaborate for a low-cost, whenever they wish and wherever they are in the world.

Why is cloud communications such a crucial part of doing business today, and how can BICS help?

Rather than looking half way around the world for different service providers in different countries, businesses should instead look to the cloud. Phone numbers hosted virtually in the cloud provide a means of secure communication for customer service contact centres, unified communications, conferencing services and more.

BICS offers a direct path to the cloud thanks to our Cloud Numbers offering. We have cloud numbers in over 200 countries, and our extensive global networks carry more than a quarter of the world’s enterprise communications. We couple a heritage in global comms with a forward-looking approach which acknowledges businesses’ need to digitise and the dramatic changes this has brought to the telecoms industry.

We offer local, geographical, toll-free, universal toll-free and mobile numbers to businesses of all shapes and sizes, supporting them to go global, boost collaboration, enhance customer service, and better manage their communications easily and affordably.

Our strengths in fraud prevention and comms security – including the additional knowledge and resources brought by the acquisition of TeleSign – help secure and future-proof businesses throughout and beyond digital transformation.

API-based integration

Our cloud communications solutions are compatible any type of existing enterprise software environment. Our range of easy-to-integrate APIs make stock checking, price checking or number provisioning easy and painless: and provide the information needed in near-real time. They can even be white-labelled and offered as part of our customers’ frontline platforms. Customers without an API-ready environment can use our online portal can be used for number provisioning, price inquiries and to order, manage and troubleshoot their cloud numbers.

SIP Trunking

Our cloud communications offer comes with SIP Trunking Services that enable businesses to easily connect their cloud communications platforms to fixed and mobile networks around the world through a unified single infrastructure. By integrating voice and data communications on a single global platform, organisations can rationalise telecoms infrastructure and equipment and achieve significant savings on telecoms costs.

From costly to cloud – regardless of your business

This approach to communications can massively cut OpEx and total cost of ownership while allowing companies to scale into new regions by creating a local presence at country or city level. Outlay on new hardware is reduced – or eliminated – as cloud-hosted numbers are interoperable with all unified communications platforms and all device and media types so can be used by staff working remotely.

Those contacting a company through a call centre or customer care line also benefit: local numbers are provided for specific, defined geographic areas so the caller only pays local calling charges, or none at all, regardless of whether they’re calling from a mobile or landline.

Being part of a global, expanding business is exciting, and staying in touch with colleagues, customers and clients shouldn’t get in the way of growth or productivity. Where once you may have had to deal with fuzzy phone lines to far-flung countries, moving communications to the cloud has elevated quality of service, and introduced a range of enhanced means of staying in touch.

From voice, web and HD video conferencing to chat, social media and virtual reality; cloud comms helps businesses to realise richer interactions.

Supporting a new business ecosystem

Digital transformation has not only impacted the ways businesses operate from a technology perspective, but also from an HR perspective. A recent wave of business start-ups have created a new kind of working opportunity, with individuals choosing and managing their hours via app-based platforms.

BICS is supporting this shift in working style, and our Cloud Numbers are already proving an important tool for many such companies. Cloud Numbers provide a reliable, secure means for two-way user communications. The solution can be used to send app users alerts, reminders and notification messages.

Easy to set up, easy to manage, easy to scale: whether it’s a traditional enterprise embracing digital transformation, or a start-up wanting to enhance and expand its communications, BICS is on hand to empower businesses via cloud comms.