[vc_row][vc_column][boc_heading color=”#333333″ margin_top=”20px” margin_bottom=”40px” css_classes=”thintext”]Why Best-of-Breed Isn’t Always Best for You[/boc_heading][vc_column_text]‘Best-of-breed’ is thrown around a lot when describing products in all sectors. In short, it refers to a product or technology that is the best of its kind. However, when it comes to something as complex as business communications, can we really describe any product as best-of-breed?
In this post, we discuss why best-of-breed technology isn’t necessarily the best option for your company – and how to find the right solution.
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An arsenal of single-platform solutions
Long gone are the days of single-channel business communications. Modern enterprises need capabilities for voice calls, private branch exchange, video calling, conferencing, messaging and live chat – to name just a few. They need to communicate freely with both customers and colleagues, collaborating seamlessly across teams, departments and even borders.
To achieve this, many organisations have built up a collection of best-of-breed technologies. Think Avaya for telephony, Polycom for video calling and Microsoft Teams for collaboration. This is especially common because of how businesses have developed over time. If you start with just one technology, it’s easy to add new, single-platform solutions each time a new requirement crops up.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Incompatible technology
The first problem here is compatibility. With more and more technology solutions, it’s increasingly unlikely that the end-user will be able to seamlessly move between different types of communication. Let’s say they want to create a conference call in a live chat or go from a voice call to video. It’s not going to be easy when each of these actions requires different software.
Another important issue is the capability of your IT team. In a world where IT departments are shrinking, it’s unrealistic to expect IT teams to be multi-skilled and experienced in so many different technologies. That means either significant investment in training and recruitment or a lot of problems further down the line as issues begin to arise.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Choosing a single vendor
With these issues in mind, a single-vendor alternative may offer a better solution. While it might not be considered ‘best-of-breed’ across the board with all the latest features, it could provide a better user experience with easier management. Staff can move between different functions with ease, while IT teams can offer sufficient support without the need for expansion.
Not only that, it makes things easier to find the root cause when issues do arise. By choosing a reliable, established vendor like Avaya, Cisco or Microsoft, companies can also ensure their investment is worthwhile for years to come. The only hurdle is finding a single vendor which offers anything close to the functionality your company needs.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Finding a multi-vendor provider
To create a solution that’s tailored to their specific requirements, companies need reliable advisors with the right expertise. Unfortunately, a single-vendor service provider won’t be reliable as they’re typically focussed on selling their products.
A practical solution is for companies to partner with a multi-vendor or vendor-agnostic service provider for an open system. This way, they get the right assistance and support when problems arise without finger pointing in terms of technology. A multi-vendor provider with years of experience and expertise can advise the best route without any vested interest.
But how do you find the right provider? It’s already challenging for businesses to find single-vendor providers on a global scale. Finding a multi-vendor provider who can assist worldwide is the same issue amplified.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Uniquely positioned for global enterprise communications
Now more than ever, companies need to partner with the right service provider. At Aura Alliance, we have the resources to deploy and support multi-vendor global communication systems. With a network of hand-picked partners in 120 countries across the world, we can provide a bespoke solution to drive productivity for your company.
Want to talk more? Get in touch with our communications experts today.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
