Ads by TechWords

See your link here
Receive the latest technology news and information.
Networking
Computerworld Daily News (First Look and Wrap-Up)
Computerworld Blogs Newsletter
The Weekly Top 10
Cloud Computing
View all newsletters




Privacy Policy
 

Opinion: Unified communications with ROI in mind

June 17, 2008 12:00 PM ET

CIO - Today's CIOs must focus on developing more effective strategies toward taking connectivity and messaging capabilities to the next level. And there's no denying that unified communications (UC) is an IT issue that all CIOs in the 21st century should carefully consider.

MORE ON CIO.com Is Unified Communications (UC) on the Technology Manager's Radar? The ROI of Alignment

Internet Protocol-based (IP-based) solutions operating over a converged voice-and-data network are heralding a new world of communications. Indeed, successful organizations recognize that improved collaboration translates into faster answers and better teaming -- connecting teams in a way that they can communicate and work together, whether in the office, telecommuting or on the road. And as technology continues to converge, CIOs will need to develop effective strategies to update aging communication systems to be more productive.

From a CIO perspective, it is highly important that any UC investment deliver a rapid and adequate return, with both strategic and financial value. Now is a good time to revisit UC technologies -- looking at what fits your enterprise, what you might already own and what you can leverage.

UC: The new world of business

While unified messaging integrates disparate communication tools -- including fax, voice and e-mail -- into a centralized repository available from a variety of different devices, unified communications takes it a step further, automating and merging existing communication modes in a manner that optimizes business operations. UC effectively connects disparate technologies into an infrastructure that allows people to connect with the appropriate available team members and work collaboratively using a variety of technologies in a seamless fashion.

As adoption of IP telephony reaches critical mass, successful CIOs are recognizing that UC is becoming not only more practical but a potential competitive driver as well. In a real-world context, UC is about improving collaboration and overall presence for internal staff and clients alike. UC can improve the productivity of network staff and accommodate network growth with the same staffing levels. It also enables geographically dispersed personnel to function as if they were in the same location, whether it's via video, the Web or voice.

Given all the communication technologies today's knowledge workers now use on a daily basis, the potential to quickly and seamlessly shift between voice, instant messaging and videoconferencing technologies is fast becoming more than a "nice to have" -- it's becoming the shape of working more productively and collaboratively in the 21st century.

Building the case for unified communications

Discovering value in UC comes from understanding its potential to fundamentally change the way we communicate, collaborate and get work done. Certain UC components are very mature (for example, dropping a voice mail or fax into an inbox). That said, now's a good time to move from tire-kicking to a staged deployment and start working at it in chunks.


Reprinted with permission from

This story is reprinted from CIO.com, an online resource for information executives.
Story Copyright CXO Media Inc., 2009. All rights reserved.

Jump to comments

unified communications

Additional Resources

Microsoft
Here are some of the key reasons why you would want to run Unified Access Gateway with DirectAccess.
Microsoft
Review how one energy firm tightened protection and simplified IT work using business-ready security solutions.
Sybase
In this white paper, IDC analyzes the role of next-generation mobile enterprise platforms as organizations seek a more strategic deployment of mobile solutions.

Learn the important issues you must consider before starting your next mobility initiative. Get your mobility white paper from IDC now, compliments of Sybase.

What People Are Saying

White Papers & Webcasts

Death to PST Files
Download Now  

Business Process Framework Demo
Learn about Configurable Business Processes and Calculated Fields. Watch Now!

A Green Architectural Strategy That Puts IT in the Black
Levergage green computing across your data center. Read more now.  

Manager Experience Demo
Go beyond self-service solutions to perform more effectively. Watch Now.

Quantifying the Business Value of VMware View
Learn why you should invest in a centralized virtual desktop.  

Asia-Pacific Enterprise Network Solutions
Learn through this Webcast how your business can achieve reliability, performance and value in hard-to-reach locations within the Asia-Pacific region.

Mainsoft Webcast w/ Forrester Research: Drive SharePoint Adoption in Lotus Notes Shops
How can you drive mainstream user adoption of Microsoft SharePoint when your users rely on Lotus Notes?

Disaster Recovery & Cost Savings Zone
Thousands of customers world-wide have turned to virtualization solutions from Riverbed as a way to reduce costs.



IT Jobs