Unified Communications (UC) continues to receive a lot of attention and press coverage; however the 'hype' around the underlying technology components tends to obscure the argument that its full potential is yet to be properly understood and fulfilled.

Hudson & Yorke has combined market knowledge and current client experiences to develop a viewpoint on how organisations should consider & evaluate the adoption of UC.

There is much talk by equipment and software vendors of the benefits of UC, but all too often this is technology focused rather than business focused. Hudson & Yorke's view is that there are three key themes that organisations should consider when evaluating UC:

  1. UC is neither a product nor a technology. It is an over-arching concept. UC is a means of integrating multiple technologies in an infrastructure agnostic manner.
  2. Operational effectiveness can be improved through presence management. Operational effectiveness can be maximised by creating the ability for communications technologies to transparently switch between user profiles based on a user's current location and level of connectivity.
  3. Enhanced collaboration can be enabled. In today's business world with an increasingly mobile workforce, disparate supply chain, and diverse customer base, collaboration is vital if organisations are to remain competitive.

Hudson & Yorke believes that UC can provide business benefits both directly through the rationalisation of systems and infrastructure and indirectly through improved operational effectiveness and enablement of better collaboration. Whilst the benefits of UC are generic in nature the actual value developed is contingent upon the organisation concerned.

UC is neither a product nor a technology but a wider concept that needs to be clearly understood and driven by the specific business objectives of the organisation concerned. UC is the bringing together of multiple technologies and solutions in a single integrated environment to enable effective collaborative working. Given the multitude of UC applications and services, there is no one-size-fits-all implementation. The size and scope of a UC deployment must be supported by a robust business case and driven by a clear strategy, one that serves to underpin specific business and ICT objectives.

For more detail on the issues involved in adopting Unified Communications download the full viewpoint at www.hudsonyorke.com/insights/insights-viewpoints.html

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