What drives channel churn?  

Customer service? Cost?  

The fact that both are true should doubly disappoint providers as control over those factors is entirely theirs.  

There are levers they can pull. Strategies and initiatives can be deployed designed to sharpen up delivery and drive down customer dissatisfaction. 

They often work too: service and cost are familiar and predictable foes in the constant fight for long-term loyalty. 

But (as seems to be the case in every aspect of our lives) the pandemic is now throwing punches too. 

The forced adaptations to the way we work have created huge demand for technological innovation. 

And if your offering is failing to keep pace, customer service and cost are the least of your worries. 

The latest case in point? Video. 

Not so long ago it seemed like a luxury: reserved for special occasions and rolled-out only when vast physical divides appeared to conspire against meaningful face-to-face interaction. 

Today? 

Well, in the case of ALL your communications, when was the last time you proactively chose just voice when both were on offer?     

“Some people thought telephony was going to last forever but switching and re-routing will not be around for much longer,” says Jason Martin, President & CEO at Toronto-based global video conferencing platform provider iotum. 

“It’s video first for everyone now. Growing numbers of people automatically turn to video in the same way they used to make a phone call. It’s now a societal thing and that really fast behavioural change has happened entirely organically. 

“People were forced into it to begin with, due to the pandemic and home working. After just a year, it has become the instinctive go-to means of communication for so many. 

“We know about established platforms like Microsoft Teams and Slack, but video will soon be integrated into every app. 

“From an enterprise perspective, if organisations aren’t getting a brilliant video solution from their UCaaS provider, they will go elsewhere, and fast” 

Not that voice is ever likely to die. 

The smart thinkers are instead predicting a standard expectation among users to be able to either choose or switch seamlessly between voice AND video, no matter what the platform. 

Historic security concerns also continue to abate.  

Opportunity, as always, abounds. 

For example, organisations not already in the cloud will make the move; many will not want their people to bring their own devices; integrating video into existing networks will be imperative.  

So video IS driving the next big transformation – and it seems the Over–the–Top providers and Competitive Local Exchange Carriers out there for whom it is not their main focus are lagging behind. 

The train has all but left the station but there’s still time to sprint and jump onto the last car. 

“There’s no doubt that the technological weather is changing rapidly,” says Martin. 

“Companies who respond best to the demands of a video-first world will thrive. It’s about being able to adapt and add value.  

“Of course, that brings huge opportunity. I believe the smartest thing UCaaS providers can do now is focus on video. They should put it front and centre in their offering and have confidence that it will drive performance for them AND their customers.”   

To read more about how iotum simplifies video and audio integrations across borders, businesses, apps and platforms, visit iotum. 

 

 



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