UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS

ALWAYS CONNECTED. ALWAYS ON. ALWAYS AVAILABLE.

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989 Old Eagle School Road Suite 815 Wayne, PA 19087 USA 610.964.8000 www.evolveip.net

Unified Communications – Always Connected. Always On. Always Available.

Defining Unified Communications (UC)

Simply stated, unified communications (UC) refers to the concept of consolidating phone, , , chat, video and collaboration into a single unified channel, either on a device or on a computer. If you receive a , it is deposited in your email inbox where you can listen to the message, review the availability status of the party who left it, and respond to them in their desired communication channel, whether it be chat, phone or email.

The Purpose of UC

The purpose of UC is to reduce communications latency, or telephone tag. It aims to decrease the amount of time it takes to respond to a communication by making all “return call” methods available at a single click, without having to look up phone numbers or type email addresses. Unified communications strives to increase the likelihood that the other party will be available to receive a communication by sharing information about their availability and preferred method of communication (referred to as presence). UC also aims to improve the quality of those communications by adding other PC-based communications to the mix, such as chat, video and collaboration (desktop file sharing and presentations).

The Components of a UC Solution

The components of a UC solution include, but are not limited to:

• IP PBX: In order for the promise of unified communications to be realized, the phone system must be able to integrate with outside components to share presence information and voicemail. While many phone system vendors sell the PBX as the heart of the unified communications landscape, the phone should be regarded as another application to be shared with others on the user’s desktop. PC-based call control is a basic unified communications tool that enables end users to answer and transfer calls, initiate dials, and adjust phone features from the interface where they spend most of their day. • Email: The second most used and most important component of any UC solution is email. Because most email clients are also the location where a user keeps schedules and contacts, it is perhaps the most important application in the UC landscape. • Unified Messaging (UM): UM probably does not deserve its own category, as it is generally a component of the IP PBX. It refers to the ability of the PBX to deliver voicemail and as email in order to eliminate the need to check a second (or third) location for messages. It is mentioned here as a separate item because it is often confused with unified communications. • (IM): IM has moved from the secret of the IT department to a universally accepted means of communication. Aside from shortening mundane communications that do not require the pleasantries of a phone conversation, IM was also the first real presence application, as it has been used as a means to see if someone is available to talk since its inception. • Desktop Video: The proliferation of inexpensive desktop video cameras and simple point-to-point video applications has pushed the barrier of entry for video conferencing down to even the smallest businesses. While the technology is moving fast, it is an important consideration in the UC landscape.

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Unified Communications – Always Connected. Always On. Always Available.

• Collaboration: Collaboration refers to conferencing services such as voice, Web or video. It describes the ability to pull multiple parties together into a work space to share documents, presentations, video, etc. WebEx is an example of a widely-used collaboration application.

A major driving tenet of UC is mobility. Mobility generally refers to the ability to use the mobile phone to perform many of the functions listed above. But mobile also can refer to the ability to answer calls that were intended for an office line from any location.

Application integration is another key benefit of unified communications. It refers to the ability to pull some or all of the items listed above into the applications that the end user touches daily, from customer relationship management (CRM) to enterprise resource planning (ERP) and accounting systems.

What really drives the UC story, however, is presence. It is also the single biggest barrier to pulling off the promise of true seamless communication. Presence refers to the ability to see whether another party is available to communicate via your intended path. It also reveals the communication method that a particular user would prefer to use based on their current situation. A presence engine (or server) must pull information from several locations in order to make this a reality. If done correctly, presence can be the single biggest driver toward reducing communication latency. IBM and have presence solutions, as do many IP PBX manufacturers.

The Challenge of UC

Where is the magic UC device that makes all this happen? There isn’t one. UC is not a piece of software you buy off the shelf. It is a concept that includes many disparate components that must work in concert to give the end user the unified experience.

The challenge for businesses looking to deploy UC is to integrate multiple communication methods, equipment and software into a seamless user experience while keeping capital expenditures and administration under control. Cloud-based, hosted PBX solves this challenge by offering multiple, fully- integrated UC options.

Why Move to UC

There are multiple reasons why your organization might want to implement a UC solution:

• Your existing time division multiplexing (TDM) system has reached its end of life. • Your current system does not have the features that you want or need. • The cost of maintenance on your current solution is exorbitant. • Your business is growing, and your existing technology solutions are unable to scale with it.

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Unified Communications – Always Connected. Always On. Always Available.

Six Questions to Ask Before You Choose a UC Solution

There are a number of questions you should ask as you conduct the due diligence process of choosing a UC solution.

1. What UC capabilities are most important to your business and your users? 2. How do different UC deployment models (e.g., hosted, premise-based, hybrid) vary? 3. Can you integrate the UC solution into your current system? Does your current system have any useful life remaining that can be used to leverage a discount with the new solution? 4. What resources will you need to deploy and maintain the UC solution, and do you have them? 5. How long does it take to deploy the UC system? 6. Is the system flexible and able to scale with the growth needs of the business?

Benefits of UC

1. Collaboration: Unified communications gives coworkers, business partners, and clients a way to come together and collaborate using advanced data sharing and communications devices. Users can exchange ideas, share data and documents instantly, edit a document live, and more. Virtual collaboration tools include online white boards and shared document repositories. UC is often referred to as unified communications and collaboration, which indicates its role in facilitating virtual teamwork. 2. Communication: UC enhances business communications by bringing all available devices under one roof. With UC, users can seamlessly transition between all available modes of communication. With a single mouse click, they can escalate an instant message (IM) exchange into a phone call or even a conference call, bringing other callers on board. The graphic user interface facilitates the transition. 3. Access: Because UC operates across all communications devices, users enjoy unprecedented remote access to the system. Users can connect to their company’s internal network via wireless using a PDA, laptop, netbook, or home computer. Unified messaging ensures that users receive all messages in their chosen format. 4. Business Process Integration: UC expands the integration between data and communications applications, promoting continuity across all business processes. Via the UC interface, users can access all available business process applications--ERP, CRM, supply chain management (SCM)– and other data management and reporting utilities. 5. Presence: With unified communications, users can eliminate time previously wasted tracking down available contacts and leaving messages. For example, a customer support specialist can use the presence application to identify an available expert qualified to answer a particular customer question.

Other benefits of UC technology include increased productivity, reduced travel, and cost savings.

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Unified Communications – Always Connected. Always On. Always Available.

The next generation of unified , IP-based HPBX solutions promises even more features and collaboration tools to enhance the way we work and communicate.

The Promise of UC

There is no set formula for what UC features you should deploy. Start by determining which features will have the most impact on your end users. If you have a large mobile workforce, unified messaging and mobility will provide great benefits. Both are often included as a capability in IP PBXs with little, if any, integration to work with other systems. A large, in-house call center might get the best bang for its buck by focusing on application integration between their call center solution and the PBX.

Trying to get it all? Start with the presence engine and build out from there, ensuring that your email, chat and PBX integrate with the engine for real-time sharing of status information.

Regardless of the path you choose, make sure that the products you select use standard protocols, have a well-documented application programming interface (API) to support future plans, and include a documented and tested list of interoperable equipment. Also confirm that the vendor you are considering can demonstrate what they are selling, preferably outside of their shiny demo lab.

Unified communications holds great promise. Tread carefully and execute your seamless communications strategy with a tactical approach that has clear and realistic expectations.

About Evolve IP

Evolve IP is a leading cloud-based technology provider that offers businesses a better way to buy and manage their applications, infrastructure, and security solutions. We help organizations outsource technologies that are not within the budget, skills, or focus of their IT resources. Evolve IP customers upgrade their legacy environment without capital expense, accomplish more with enhanced features, increase stability and control with an award-winning portal, and reduce their carbon footprint, allowing them to focus on their core business and reduce costs. More information about Evolve IP is available at http://www.EvolveIP.net.

Acknowledgement

Scott Kinka Chief Technology Officer

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