The Hybrid Work Reality
Hybrid work is now the default operating model for most Canadian knowledge-work organizations. According to recent surveys, over 60% of Canadian organizations operate in a hybrid model, with employees splitting time between office, home, and other locations. This reality demands unified communications infrastructure that delivers consistent, high-quality collaboration experiences regardless of where people work.
For technology leaders, the challenge extends beyond selecting the right platform. Successful hybrid UC deployment requires network infrastructure optimization, security architecture, integration with business applications, and thoughtful change management.
Key Considerations for Canadian Organizations
Network Infrastructure
Hybrid work distributes collaboration traffic across corporate networks, home broadband connections, and mobile networks. Organizations must ensure quality of service across all these connection types.
For corporate offices, this means upgrading to Wi-Fi 6 or later, implementing QoS policies for voice and video traffic, and ensuring sufficient bandwidth for simultaneous video meetings. For remote workers, organizations should consider providing managed networking equipment or stipends for business-grade internet connections.
SD-WAN technology offers significant benefits for organizations with multiple offices, providing intelligent traffic routing and optimization for collaboration traffic.
CRTC and Regulatory Compliance
Canadian organizations deploying VoIP and SIP trunking solutions must ensure compliance with CRTC regulations, including E911 requirements, accessibility standards, and telecommunications privacy obligations. CRTC mandates that VoIP providers register and maintain compliance with emergency service requirements.
Organizations should work with Canadian-based SIP trunking providers who understand the regulatory landscape and can ensure compliant number provisioning and call routing.
Platform Strategy
Most Canadian enterprises are standardizing on Microsoft Teams for internal collaboration, often supplemented by Cisco Webex or Zoom for specific use cases. The key decision is not which platform to choose but how to build an integrated communications strategy that encompasses voice, video, messaging, and contact centre capabilities.
Microsoft Teams Phone System offers deep integration with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, while Cisco provides robust integration with network infrastructure. Organizations should evaluate platforms based on their existing technology investments, integration requirements, and user experience priorities.
Contact Centre Integration
For organizations with customer-facing contact centres, integrating UC platforms with contact centre solutions creates significant value. Agents can collaborate with back-office experts in real time, supervisors can monitor and coach from any location, and customers experience faster resolution.
Cloud-based contact centre platforms like Genesys Cloud and Five9 offer native integrations with major UC platforms, enabling unified agent experiences and consistent reporting across channels.
Best Practices for Deployment
Start with a UC assessment that inventories existing communication tools, identifies user personas, and documents integration requirements. This assessment should cover not just technology but also user behavior and preferences.
Implement phased rollouts that allow for learning and adjustment. Begin with early adopter groups, gather feedback, refine configurations and training, then expand to the broader organization.
Invest in user training and adoption programs. The most powerful UC platform delivers limited value if users default to familiar but less effective communication patterns. Change management is as important as technology deployment.
Establish clear governance policies for communication channels. Define when to use chat versus email versus video, how to manage presence status, and expectations for response times across channels.
Measuring Success
UC deployments should be measured against business outcomes, not just technology metrics. Track adoption rates, meeting quality scores, help desk ticket volumes, and employee satisfaction. Survey users regularly to identify pain points and improvement opportunities.
The most successful UC programs we have delivered achieve over 85% active adoption within six months and measurable improvements in cross-team collaboration and information sharing.
Michael Tremblay is VP of Consulting Services at Zaha Technologies Inc.