The train has already left the station – don’t get off!

Erik Domajnko, VP of Operator Business at Telavox, is always up to date regarding trends in unified communications affecting the world’s operators. With the shift from on-prem unified communication solutions to 100% cloud-based UCaaS platforms there is a big opportunity knocking on operators’ doors.

On the 9-10 of June, Erik is holding a talk at Teleforum‘s annual conference in Malta about the transitional impact of the operator-led UCaaS. We asked Erik a few questions about this opportunity for operators.

“I wouldn’t say that the train is leaving and you need to jump on it – you as an operator are on the train. Please, don’t get off.

In a survey from a few years ago 60% of the B2B buyers answered that they would turn to their operator when procuring communication and collaboration tools to interact with their customers. It is intuitive – you have the network and the customer base. But OTT UC players like Microsoft and Zoom are also very interested in your customers for this purpose. And they are moving fast. As an operator, you should foresee customers’ needs and offer a modern, cloud-based UCaaS platform. If you don’t, you jump off the train.”

“Many are a bit hesitant in moving to a managed cloud service. I understand them, going from hosting and managing to only managing means a new way of working and changes like that can take a toll on a company. But in the long run, the shift needs to happen to stay relevant for the customer. And there are suppliers, like Telavox, that make the transition very easy.”

“First, It’s important to look at what behavior customers are using when purchasing a B2B product. Here in the Nordics, and many other countries, “Try before you buy” is crucial. Both large and small corporations expect to test the software before they invest money. An online journey or a freemium concept is a must-have.

Second, the best thing about a full-on cloud is that it is evergreen. There are hundreds of updates every year and you don’t have to lift a finger or an extra buck to get them.

Third, the business model needs to be smooth for you as an operator. It has to be a solution that makes sense for your business to sell to customers. Here at Telavox, we have a pay-as-you-go approach. We are so confident our product will drive usage that you won’t pay for a seat upfront. You will be invoiced when your customers are invoiced. And, last but not least, pick a UCaaS provider that is themself an operator. You will gain so much free knowledge from their own experience and tons of playbooks on marketing and go-to-market strategies”, Erik concludes.

In this article, you can read about more trends shaping telecom today.

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