Government organizations need to jump over many hurdles when trying to communicate internally or with their constituents. They are expected to have open communication with constituents while still protecting sensitive information.
Government agencies are forced to meet these requirements on a limited budget, often leaving them to work with outdated infrastructure. Unified communications (UC) delivers all the tools government agencies need to gain up-to-date, enterprise-level communications capabilities in an affordable way.
Here’s an overview of 3 ways UC can enhance government communications:
1) Better Communication
Constituents want to feel that they are being heard. No one wants to call their representative only to be sent to voicemail, never to hear back. Government representatives can be tough to reach because they frequently need to travel and participate in meetings.
Constituents often complain of red tape when trying to communicate with local, regional, or state government representatives. Direct communication is blocked by complicated bureaucracy. Voters want to be able to speak to their representatives and have face-to-face contact with them.
Government representatives need to use the feedback they receive from constituents to make policy decisions. If they can’t communicate, they risk making unpopular decisions and may face the ire of angry voters when they seek re-election.
UC enables constituents and government agencies to communicate more easily and freely. Voicemails can be transcribed into emails so a representative can access them on a mobile device. Single number reach ensures a representative receives a call – no matter which of their phones is dialed.
UC provides notifications, alerting government representatives of communication attempts. All messages, whether through text, voice, or email, can be consolidated into a single inbox for easy access. Meetings with the community can be arranged through web conferencing.
2) Increased Employee Efficiency
Outdated communications technologies negatively impact employee productivity. Legacy technology makes it difficult for employees to collaborate on projects. Holding an on-site meeting requires gathering decision-makers in a conference room. This can be challenging when representatives have hectic schedules and frequently need to be traveling.
Even though individual politicians run for office, government, as an entity, is inherently collaborative. Office-holders rely on whole teams of staffers that work under them. They serve on committees that draft billsState and local governments need the right tools in order to best utilize the skills of their staff members.
UC provides a whole suite of integrated communication tools. Government employees can use these tools to collaborate with each other and do their own jobs more efficiently. File sharing enables team members to maintain version control over project documents. Employees can schedule web conferences or team chats so they can discuss projects face-to-face, even while out in the field.
3) Reducing Communications Costs
Government agencies must stretch limited tax dollars ― and budgets are often tight. This makes affording an updated communication system difficult. Agencies are sometimes forced to cut corners by opting out of upgrades to their aging technology. Accessing enterprise-level communication tools sometimes can seem out of reach to most agencies.
UC allows government organizations to receive all their communication services from a single provider. Using VoIP as part of UC eliminates costly long-distance charges by allowing for unlimited local and domestic calling. One monthly bill covers all charges. Using SIP trunking lowers maintenance requirements, reducing operating costs.
Meeting the Challenges of Government Communications
Efficient, diverse, and affordable communication tools are accessible to government organizations when they make the switch to UC. With UC, government offices can boost employee productivity and improve community outreach.
FirstLight understands the challenges governments face in implementing telecommunications. We provide a whole portfolio of telecommunications solutions for government organizations. We will help you put together an affordable UC solution that is supported by our high-speed fiber optic network.
Learn how to implement UC at your government organization. Talk to an expert at FirstLight today.
