Why Dialpad was Inevitable
Apps today need to be smarter. They need to be personalized to the user, and contain more intelligence (so the user doesn’t need training, or have operational challenges). In addition, the app should be getting smarter with each use. The app should be continuously be collecting data to help with personalization, as well as making it smarter.
Digital Transformation (DX) is some of the reasons why Dialpad is inevitable. As we move from analog phones on our desktops to digital switching and VoIP, the costs per call are dropping precipitously. A third reason is the ability to integrate with other digital systems in the business environment. In addition Dialpad is an all-in-one system, as it can support both audio and (1 to 1) video meetings (through UberConference). It also allows you to connect (and move the call seamlessly across devices) and keep the call going as you move through your work day.
Dialpad already integrates with some of the tools you use every day (Microsoft Office 365, and Google’s G-suite), as well as Salesforce,and social media like LinkedIN. You can view your LinkedIn connections through a conversation window, which helps to alleviate “switching costs.” Switching costs are the cost of moving from application to application, and its effect on any productivity you gain from the app, can be quite negative. It also helps support a common context (which is critical for collaboration). When you receive a call on Dialpad, and it is from a LinkedIn connection, it display’s the caller’s title, so you can be sure of a common context.
These integrations are part of another trend that is driving DialPad’s inevitability; and that is digital integration. To quote J.R.R. Tolkein from Lord of the Rings “…one ring to rule them all, and one ring to bind them…” Dialpad provides that central point from which you can do all types of collaborative work, from co-editing a document, to Slack-like chat, to a full audio or (1-to1)video conference. Having one interface that can be learned quickly, and then be applied to all functions, not only makes the app smarter, easier to learn, and quicker to use, but it also makes both the process of collaboration more efficient, and can increase the productivity of the process your interactions are part of.
Finally, the changing nature of work is another trend that makes Dialpad inevitable. By 2020 40% of the economy will be contractors or “gig workers”, many of these talented people work remotely, and Dialpad makes it as easy to work from home as at the beach (as long as you have a good wifi connection). Dialpad is free (forever) for up to 5 people.
The speed of business, and the velocity of change also make Dialpad inevitable, if you are working all over the world, you need a phone system that supports that. Dialpad is based in the Cloud, so there are no long distance land line costs involved. Dialpad is even able to record a call and transcribe it (in 80 different languages), enabling you to keep a common context for collaboration even though you are working in different languages.
So Why Was Dialpad inevitable again?
- It supports Digital Transformation (DX)
- It allows people to work from anywhere
- It integrates with other applications you are already using
- It allows you seamlessly, move into meetings through UberConference
- It supports multiple devices, and allows you to move the call between them
- Eliminates most of the productivity loss from switching applications
- It is a smart app, and not only allows personalization, but provides a common, intuitive interface (which later can have a conversational interface added to it)
- It supports the velocity and changing nature of work
Although I have used Ring Central for many years, I not only found it to be more expensive, but also less intuitive. In addition, it does not work as well as a centralized work hub as Dialpad does. Although there are lots of virtual PBX services available today, they all seem to support some functionality quite well, but are not built to be part of an organization’s digital transformation, like Dialpad is.
David Coleman is an industry analyst who has focused on collaboration and digital transformation for almost 30 years. He is the author of 4 books on collaboration, and currently writes for CMSwire, CiO.com, Cutter IT Journal, and ELearning! Magazine. He is a frequent speaker, webinar expert, panelist. He works with both collaboration vendors, and end-user organizations, and can be found at david@collaboratingbetter.com .