Why government agencies need robust unified communications

Unified communication solutions come with considerable benefits, and have been increasingly utilized by enterprises for a number of years. Government agencies, on the other hand, have been historically hesitant when it comes to new technology, including UC.

Now, however, government agencies on the local, state and federal levels are more often adopting UC solutions due to the considerable advantages the technology offers. Let’s take a look at a few of the top reasons why government groups should have UC in place, as well as how they stand to benefit from its use:

Why is UC needed in government?
There are several reasons today’s government groups need to have UC technology in place, including to ensure easier communication across geographically dispersed offices. This is a particular challenge felt by state and federal government organizations, as they often have employees working in different offices or locations. An on-premises solution simply doesn’t provide the access these organizations need to guarantee fluid, secure communication for their entire workforce.

Cloud-based UC solutions, on the other hand, were specifically designed to yield this type of collaboration. With this technology in place, government employees can chat, share documents and connect with their co-workers no matter what location they are working from. This helps support real-time communication and ensures that everyone has access to the most up-to-date information possible.

And with the breadth of available solutions that can be included in a UC strategy, employees can utilize the best means of communication depending on their needs at that moment. Cisco noted that UC programs can include a wealth of capabilities, including those for Web collaboration, instant messaging, presence, video and IP calling and many more. In this way, each agency can select and implement the solutions that will best benefit its workforce.

What benefits can UC offer government groups?
There are considerable advantages to be had when government organizations implement UC technology, including the ability to reduce operating costs. UC systems help support a remote, mobile workforce, and solutions like VoIP calling, messaging and video conferencing can help keep staff members connected while avoiding hefty travel costs. This is considerably important for government agencies who deal with steadily shrinking IT and travel budgets.

Thanks to the ability to easily connect with one another in real time, UC systems also offer the opportunity to boost productivity among the workforce.

“With unified communications, organizations may reduce many delays and employees spend more time getting work accomplished rather than playing message tag,” noted a unified communications industry study from Forrester. “Easy-to-use interfaces allow all employees to make better use of existing technologies and respond more quickly to changing conditions.”

This helps these agencies better serve their constituents in a more streamlined manner.

Cisco also pointed out that UC systems can provide the security measures government agencies need to keep their communications protected. Security has always been a top priority for organizations in this industry, and UC solutions come with built-in protections that take the hassle out of data protection. In addition, Cisco noted that many UC solutions can easily integrate with network security and policy controls to further ensure information protection.

In addition, UC technology can help decrease IT infrastructure complexity, and reduce the pressure on the internal IT team. A hosted UC solution enables the service provider to take care of the upkeep and maintenance, freeing up the government group’s IT team to work on other mission-critical initiatives. And because the technology is hosted in a virtual environment in the provider’s data center, this lessens the burden on the government’s technology resources.

Overall, unified communication solutions have much to offer those in the government sector, including the opportunity to cut costs, reduce operational inefficiencies and boost workforce productivity.
To find out more, please be sure to contact iT1 today.