As businesses recover from the upheavals of the last couple of years, they’re facing new hurdles: potential recession, geopolitical instability, continued supply chain challenges, labor shortages, and more. In these challenging times, it’s hard to know what to focus on next.
One certainty has emerged, however: the way we work has changed forever, making the ability to connect seamlessly with and provide support to customers and employees all the more crucial.
Unfortunately, the ad hoc communications and support tools many businesses cobbled together at the start of the pandemic aren’t always up to the job. A menagerie of solutions can’t provide the flexibility companies need to adapt to new challenges quickly. And they drive up costs, not only the direct cost but also through decreased productivity as employees struggle with tools that don’t play well with each other.
The good news is that modern unified communications and support solutions can help.
The need for connection
How we connect has evolved over the years. Still, especially in these times, it comes down to technology — reliable, easy-to-use technology that gets out of our way so we can share ideas, solve problems, and support others. That’s why nine out of ten (91%) consumers surveyed before the pandemic said they would consider taking their business elsewhere instead of relying on a company using outdated tech.
Now, of course, the need for technology-facilitated connection with the people we serve and work with is more pressing than ever, with customers and employees demanding seamless interactions wherever they are and on any device. That’s because technology has to pick up the slack from the face-to-face interactions that were more common only a short time ago. And that situation isn’t about to change in the era of hybrid work.
Nearly half (48%) of the full-time workers surveyed for Owl Labs’ State of Remote Work 2021 study said they’d look for another job if denied the ability to work remotely. And employers are listening. Most organizations surveyed in Foundry’s Future of Work Study 2022 plan to offer employees flexible work options to remain competitive in a challenging labor market.
Although technology plays a critical role in keeping distributed workers and customers connected in this context, it can present its own challenges.
Making the connection
Now that the dust has settled following the overnight lockdowns of 2020, fast and furious deployments of whatever tech came to hand to get the job done aren’t cutting it for the long haul. Today, many SMBs confront a proliferation of tools that add cost and complexity to the technology stack.
That’s why 95% of small-and-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have prioritized consolidating the tools they use for communication, collaboration, and IT management, according to the GoTo State of Worklife: 2022 report. In fact, nearly a third (29%) cite such tech consolidation as their most important initiative.
Chances are, you’re with the majority SMBs looking to simplify their tech stack without sacrificing the hard-won gains they’ve made in keeping employees and customers connected. At the same time, you may be bumping against the limitations of your existing solutions, causing issues like customers stuck in endless holds, poor audio quality, web chat disconnects, and helpdesk requests that fall through the cracks. Add potential budget cuts to the mix, and you’ve got the potential for a perfect storm of tech problems.
At first glance, unified solutions that seek to solve the challenges with minimal hassle and maximum efficiency and simplicity look like a ready answer. Yet, not all solutions are created equal.
Why many solutions fall short
Many unified communications and support solutions leave some devices behind. Instead, what’s needed is a solution that can provide remote support for PCs, Macs, Chromebooks, Androids, and Apple devices alike.
Other solutions may bundle customer service functions but leave IT support behind, or vice versa. That means companies are left to find alternatives to set up, manage, and support all the devices in their fleets.
Additionally, communications and IT support solutions typically offer few options for customizing features such as meeting or phone settings while proactively monitoring the health of their systems. In fact, no single solution provides all of these functions — except one.
How the GoTo Essential Connections bundle helps
The GoTo Essentials Bundle was built specifically for SMBs, providing all the features they need and none they don’t, at an affordable price point.
Key features include:
- Single-provider sourcing with the only all-in-one solution for the business communications and IT support essentials that SMBs need to connect and support their most valuable assets – employees and customers.
- Consolidation, providing the remedy for a bloated tech stack.
- Ease of use and affordability, thanks to a single app with straightforward pricing – as low as $35 per user per month.
The Essentials Bundle app includes the features of both GoTo Resolve and GoTo Connect.
GoTo Resolve offers IT support and management for accessing and monitoring all the devices in your fleet from anywhere.
GoTo Connect provides business communications software for all your essential digital connections. It lets you message, meet, collaborate, and call from one unified communications platform.
GoTo also provides zero-trust authentication, 99.999% uptime, 24/7 dedicated support, and integrations for Slack, Microsoft Teams, Instagram, and more to help you connect anywhere, any time.
Altogether, the Essentials Bundle packs a powerful punch, giving you everything you need for business communications and IT support without breaking the bank. Just the kind of dependable relief the doctor ordered for unpredictable times.
Learn more at GoTo.com/plans/essential-connections.
