Merging communications tools onto the data network helps improve collaboration, productivity and customer service.
In the beginning there was an inbox, and it was good.
Soon, however, there were multiple e-mail inboxes, voice mail inboxes, cell phone inboxes, PDAs with both e-mail and voice mail — not to mention the old-fashioned, cubby-hole-style inboxes next to fax machines. Not so good.
Luckily, the concept of voice, video and data as distinct elements of business communications is rapidly fading as organizations utilize existing fixed and wireless data networks to provision a wide range of IP-based communications services, including voice, data and video. The integration of these services within a single user interface is known as unified communications, and it is fundamentally changing workplace interactions by seamlessly blending a host of formerly independent communication applications. Indeed, the benefits of unified communications solutions are so profound that the market for these technologies is set to top $1 billion by 2013, according to Infonetics Research.
“Against the backdrop of significant enterprise spending reductions on all kinds of products, the unified communication market is holding up remarkably well. Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise, as these tools are designed to allow users to communicate and collaborate more effectively,” said Matthias Machowinski, directing analyst for enterprise voice and data, Infonetics Research.
Communications Toolkit
By integrating a wide range of common communications applications, unified communications can improve employee collaboration, productivity and customer service, as well as reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) and equipment costs. The latest unified communications systems also integrate features such as instant messaging (IM), click-to-call, Web and voice conferencing, multimedia chat, and document collaboration to further enhance the communications paradigm.
Presence technology is another key element of today’s unified communications platforms. Presence allows users to see whether someone is available, busy, away from their computer or offline, while so-called contextual presence also includes real-time information about the communications channels and devices available to the end-user. As a result, presence-based applications can determine an intended recipient’s location and route information to the appropriate computer or device, guaranteeing that the user receives critical information in a timely manner.
Unified communications also boosts the efficiency of the IT infrastructure. Because key communications channels are merged onto the data network, unified communications enables organizations to reduce the amount of infrastructure equipment and devices they must support and maintain. It also reduces or eliminates the telephony wiring infrastructure, and decreases energy consumption and the amount of 'e-waste' generated by enterprises.
How It Works
Unified communications is a key application of today’s IP telephony systems. Once voice calls, e-mail, instant messaging and all forms of conferencing are carried over a common IP network, it is possible to manage them from a single point and use them with common devices. This enables organizations to transform key business processes with improved communication flows.
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is the key to unified communications applications. SIP is a signaling-type protocol that enables different types of devices such as computers, handheld gadgets and telephones to “talk” with each other seamlessly in an IP network. Because SIP is an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) protocol, it is inherently an open architecture, which is a big reason most major communications equipment manufacturers and software companies are embracing it.
Although SIP is used to enable IP telephony, it is not merely a software-based telephony switch — it is capable of much more than that. SIP treats voice as just another medium, albeit a very important one. It can also be used to send files such as video images between two points, opening the door for a variety of multimedia applications. It is quickly becoming the backbone protocol for numerous personal and enterprise communications such as rich-media conferencing, push-to-talk and location-based services.
Getting Results
In order to derive maximum value from unified communications, organizations should begin by identifying potential productivity gains that can be realized through improved communications as well as tasks that can be streamlined. Stakeholders representing both business and IT should identify groups of who users can benefit most from improved collaboration. After the implementation project is complete, this team should ensure that those users are taking advantage of the new technologies and that productivity benefits are being realized.
Organizations should also take steps to ensure the effective management of the unified communications environment. End-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) supporting data, voice and video becomes critical as the emphasis shifts from individual communications solutions to the overarching network environment. The networking team should be involved from the outset of any unified communications implementation project, to ensure that the system meets performance expectations.
Phone, fax, e-mail, instant messaging, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, Web conferencing — in many organizations these remain separate, discrete functions. However, this “siloed” communications infrastructures no longer meets the business requirements of today’s extended enterprise.
As the reach and range of business processes continues to increase, involving interactions with partners, suppliers, customers and geographically dispersed teams, organizations should re-examine their corporate communication and collaboration strategies in order to better support today’s business activities and objectives. Unified communication services can help organizations improve employee productivity, augment business processes and foster innovation.
