Gaining Business Advantage through Unified Communications

No matter what field or discipline they’re in, every employee in an organization must engage in communications. And with employees, associates, stakeholders and clients increasingly far-flung, remote communications has become the rule, rather than the exception.

Unified communications (UC) – an industry term that envelopes all calling and multimedia functions performed by a user – facilitates more efficient exchange of information by integrating phone-based and digital data on the same robust platform.

Uses for UC vary among the technology’s applications, but can include:

•  Single-mailbox access for voice, email, fax and other media;
•  Integrated multimedia such as video clips, audio files and pictures;
•  Scheduling, collaboration and workflow management functions like integrated calendars;
• Video or web-conferencing capabilities, similar to the kind Skype offers; and
• Web-based real-time information systems, such as stock reports, weather updates and even e-Commerce capabilities

Finding people faster

Anyone who has ever played “phone tag” or sent emails that never were opened would find unified communications delivering a timesaving resource. Presence technology refers to the UC function of locating recipients – via services like text messaging – and providing options like a voice or video call to deliver information in a timely and efficient manner.

Money-saving benefits

UC can simplify an organization’s otherwise unwieldy billing processes connected with multiple communications systems. Under a unified communications solution, one bill covers voice and data so that a manager may more easily predict monthly and yearly budgets.

At the same time, the options for web conferencing and other online options reduces the instances of costly long-distance phone calls.

A business asset

With a single network supporting diverse voice and data platforms simultaneously, UC can help organizations realize new levels of workflow efficiency at all levels of the enterprise. In an increasingly mobile marketplace, UC makes sense for any business that hinges on the smooth flow of communication.