Contact center as a service (CCaaS) and unified communication as a service (UCaaS) are both cloud-based communication platforms. Thus, some of the services’ functions do overlap. However, within a business, separate departments purchase and utilize these services for different purposes.
CCaaS and UCaaS are valuable tools that can significantly improve your business’s success. Please keep reading to learn these services work and their potential benefits.
What Is CCaaS?
Using a cloud-based infrastructure, CCaaS enhances a company’s contact center by integrating contact center tools with communication channels into one interface.
A contact center is a centralized point where businesses manage every customer interaction across various communication channels. The contact center’s purpose is to provide efficient and effective:
- Technical Support
- Customer Service
- Sales Assistance
Typically, contact centers have one or more call centers and use other communication channels like:
- Webchat
- Social Media Interaction
What Is an On-Premises Contact Center?
As proprietary platforms, on-premises (legacy) contact centers have not aged gracefully. Like other legacy systems, on-premises contact centers require on-site, proprietary infrastructure.
That is why most modern businesses consider on-premise contact centers a thing of the past. On-site, proprietary infrastructure is too expensive to justify its inflexibility.
Businesses need fiscally practical and customizable systems adaptable to ever-changing customer expectations and digital advancements.
That’s where CCaaS comes in!
CCaaS Benefits
Many businesses will pay a CCaaS vendor for a software subscription with a pay-as-you-go model, meaning two things:
- The CCaaS vendor manages assets (e.g., hardware and IT investments).
- Businesses can manage their required CCaaS resources as demand increases or decreases.
Overall, businesses see benefits, such as:
- Resource Scalability
- Accessible Advanced Application Integration
- More Interaction Channels (vs. On-Premises Contact Centers)
- Cost Savings
- Supports Remote Work
- Improves CX (Customer Experience)
- Boosts Sales
View this visual aid summarizing the differences between on-premises and cloud-based contact centers.
What Is UCaaS?
UCaaS is a cloud-based delivery model that utilizes a third-party vendor to deliver services over an IP network (e.g., the Internet), just like CCaaS.
Offering UC (unified communication) as a hosted service, UCaaS streamlines employee communication and collaboration by improving access to UC applications (e.g., VoIP, video conferencing, messaging, email, etc.).
Like CCaaS, UCaaS is cheaper upfront because a business does not have to purchase hardware as it would for on-premises UC systems.
UCaaS also offers greater:
- Availability,
- Flexibility,
- And Scalability.
CCaaS & UCaaS Differences: A Summary
Here are some of the key differences between CCaaS and UCaaS:
Purpose
CCaaS:
- Efficiently and conveniently connects service and sales representatives with customers to optimize CX and a business’s sales performance.
UCaaS:
- Connects a business’s employees for optimal internal communication and collaboration.
Features
CCaaS:
- Cloud Calling,
- Messaging,
- Video Conferencing,
- Fax,
- Email,
- IVR (Interactive Voice Response),
- SMS,
- Call Queuing,
- Call Center Analytics,
- Customer Survey Tools,
- And more!
UCaaS:
- Cloud Calling,
- Messaging,
- Video Conferencing,
- Fax,
- Email,
- SMS,
- Call-Routing,
- Conference Bridging,
- And more!
Integration
*Integration capabilities can vary from vendor to vendor.
CCaaS:
- CRM (Customer Relationship Management),
- Help Desk Software,
- And UCaaS.
UCaaS:
- Calendar Applications,
- Productivity Applications,
- CRM,
- Third-Party Communication Applications (e.g., Salesforce, Slack, etc.),
- And Other UC Platforms.
CC3 Solutions Connects You with The Perfect Cloud Service Provider!
At CC3, our primary goal is to find, integrate, and manage our clients’ IT infrastructure. As a full-spectrum telecommunications solutions company, you can rest easy knowing that your business is receiving top-tier service that enhances employee and customer satisfaction.
We offer many solutions. However, as the number of remote and hybrid jobs increases, our “Hybrid IT” solutions are more vital than ever.
As a part of our “Hybrid IT” solutions, we can help you find the perfect cloud service provider or connect you with data centers (for businesses looking for hosting) that fit your business and budget needs.
Please contact us today to learn more about CC3 Solutions and our services.