Hybrid work and productivity are driving cloud phone adoption in Asia, say executives

Asia Pacific is one of the regions around the world that is experiencing both a shift to hybrid work and a shift to cloud communications to enable employees to work from anywhere in the world. Zoom and OpenGov Asia have partnered to enable Zoom to induct a number of top public sector executives in Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand as part of the Zoom year-end program. During our conversation, we talked about how cloud technology can be used by companies to facilitate the digitization of voice services and how easy it can be implemented.

Cloud phone boosts connectivity for hybrid teams

In their presentations, the speakers expressed a growing concern that organizations are facing increased pressure to improve productivity and keep up with the increasing demand for hybrid and remote work. Good tools and communication skills are essential for remote workers to get their jobs done.

As one of the most popular tools nowadays, cloud telephony is among these tools. Being able to pick up the phone and get in touch with customers, suppliers or business partners when necessary is important for most companies as it is an integral part of doing business. Corporate phone systems provide businesses not only with the lines of communication they need, but also with a level of immediacy and intimacy that facilitates real-time communication, enabling them to learn more about their customers and meet their expectations. This is achieved through a flexible platform approach that offers a wide range of features such as call logging, compliance recording and reporting dashboards that can be easily integrated and deployed from one central location.

The enterprise phone system can provide a reliable, high-quality calling experience because it provides a reliable, high-quality call on a global scale to meet the needs of a global workforce. A cloud-based telephony system has the advantage that employees can make and receive calls using any device that has an internet connection, instead of using a landline, similar to a cell phone, giving them more flexibility and connectivity when taking calls .

Communication platforms are undeniably critical to the success of hybrid teams. By using a state-of-the-art communication platform like Zoom, it is possible to increase performance, expand opportunities and engage employees more effectively.

Survey Results: Phone Priorities and Challenges

To find out what leaders in each country think of our events, we conducted a live poll at each event. This allowed us to better understand what their top priorities and challenges will be in 2023. Here are some key takeaways that you might want to keep in mind:

In response to the question ‘What is your main reason for moving your business phone system to the cloud? “In each country, different priorities have been set by the heads of state and government.

Among participants in Thailand, support for a hybrid workforce was a key factor (60%).
28% of Indonesians cited hybrid workers as a key driver. Attendees accounted for 24% of all attendees, followed by access to feature-rich options (24%) and simplified multi-site management (24%).
The number of participants in hybrid workforces was lowest in Singapore (12%). In contrast, 44 percent said they want a cloud-based business phone system that simplifies the management of multiple locations.
There were almost equal proportions of participants who focused on cost savings (26%), hybrid workforce (23%), multi-site management (23%), and access to feature-rich options (23%).

Participants from different countries each answered the question: “What is your biggest challenge in moving your phone system to the cloud? ”

Participants in Thailand were most challenged by budget (35%).
Security and compliance risks were ranked as the top challenges for 33% of respondents in Singapore.
Security and compliance risks were perceived as the top concern in Indonesia (31%), followed by executive support and top management strategy (31%).
Executives in the Philippines cited outdated infrastructure as their top challenge (22%), closely followed by people and skills (26%).

A majority of respondents in the Philippines (52%), Singapore (46%) and Indonesia (42%) rank data security as their top priority. 40% of Thai executives prioritized increasing productivity.

Across countries, respondents said performance was their most important criterion (50 percent in Indonesia, 42 percent in Thailand, 36 percent in the Philippines, 29 percent in Singapore), followed by safety (31 percent in Indonesia, 29 percent in Singapore , 27 percent). in Thailand, 27 percent in the Philippines and 23 percent in the Philippines).

What to look out for in a cloud phone system?

The following priorities and concerns have been identified by our event surveys as factors to consider when choosing a cloud phone provider:

security and compliance

Many attendees identified safety as their main concern and priority at our events. Security is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a cloud service provider.

Encryption and private peering capabilities help Zoom Phone customers maintain compliance and security.

CSA STAR Assessment (Level 2) and Cyber Essentials Certification – NCSC are some of the certifications that Zoom Phone carries along with the entire Zoom platform.

Performance

For our audiences, performance matters when evaluating cloud phone providers because it’s the factor they chose as their top criterion. UCaaS is a cloud-based product that combines traditional phone systems with unified communications. Zoom’s UC platform, which includes our phone system, has been recognized as a leader in this market. Among other criteria, Gartner’s report evaluates vendors’ processes, systems, methods and procedures that ensure competitiveness, efficiency and effectiveness.

Enabling the modern workforce

Education, healthcare, financial services and government are among the sectors where hybrid and remote work is becoming common. According to many executives we spoke to, hybrid work was a key factor in moving to the cloud.

With a cloud phone system, employees can work from anywhere on any device. A hybrid work environment requires collaboration tools, and Zoom Phone, part of Zoom One, provides them.