Unified Communications
Put simply, unified communications is when you integrate your communications systems, be it voice, media, video, web or business applications, and they work together in real time. It can be fixed or mobile, desktop or networked applications, anything that involves integrating communications into one single environment to give users a better experience.
Unifying communications can help you overcome communications obstacles and complexity throughout the organisation. It delivers clear business benefits in terms of improved productivity and streamlined cost.
How does it compare to unified messaging?
You might have also heard the term unified messaging. Unified messaging refers to the integration of different streams of communications, such as email, text, fax, voice or video, into a single message store that different devices can access.
The difference is that while unified communications refers to real time delivery of communications based on the preferred method and location of the recipient; unified messaging systems can draw messages from several sources (such as email, voice mail and faxes), but holds those messages for retrieval at a later time.
What elements make up unified communications?
Unified communications can include a variety of components such as instant messaging, telephony, video, email, voicemail, and message services, all of which could be brought into real time and coordinated.
Presence is also a factor - knowing where your colleagues are and if they are available, in real time - and is a key component of unified communications.
Why implement unified communications?
Have you ever felt any of the following pain points*?
- Waiting for information - attempting to get in touch with/get information from an individual with multiple means of communication in order to make progress on a particular process or task
- Unscheduled/unauthorized communications - communications that disrupt the flow of work
- Coordination inefficiency - inability to fully direct or interact within a team in order to move it towards its goals
- Planning to plan - time spent on planning and arrangements in preparation to actually make progress towards completing work
- Barriers to collaboration - inaccessibility of the tools needed to collaborate fully with colleagues
- Offsite productivity loss - reduced output when working from a location other than one of the company’s offices
- Customer complaints due to communications - handling complaints and other incidents of customer dissatisfaction that stem from the communication policies/technology of the company
- Trips with additional communication costs - added costs of communication while on business trips
- Trips to “synch up” - business trips taken for the purpose of receiving information that will be disseminated to a number of individuals at the same time/place and in the same manner
- Working from home extra costs - added costs of communication when working from home
(*source: Insignia research, October 2007)
Unified communications products
We recommend a range of market leading products that can help businesses of all sizes to unify their communications across the board. Click on the names to read more about each product.
Not sure which one to choose?
Give us a call or email us and we’ll happily advise which one is for you.
