Microsoft Lync for Enterprise Collaboration
Larger organisations are not naturally homogenous, but rely on collaboration between smaller teams of employees in order to make any kind of progress. Unfortunately, enabling this collaboration can be difficult, particularly if staff are dispersed across multiple sites in a variety of geographic locations.
Communicating via phone and email is still common, but there are limitations to these technologies that mean that they never quite match a face to face meeting. It is harder to convey information and place proper emphasis on certain elements of a conversation through these channels, but with VoIP and video conferencing available through Microsoft Lync, such obstacles can be overcome.
Staff located on opposite sides of the planet can get in touch with one another using high definition streaming capabilities that give enough detail to make it feel like they are in the same room. This makes it easier for employees to hold meetings, carry out presentations and collaborate on projects.
For many big businesses the topic of BYOD is contentious, because there is a sense that allowing employees to use personal devices for work purposes is not only a potential security risk, but also a technical challenge because of all the conflicting and incompatible software platforms that are being brought into play. However, the best way to overcome any perceived limitations is to implement Lync and encourage staff to harness it on their smartphone or tablet of choice. There are some minimum specifications for devices which are required in order to run the Lync app, but if these are met then the cross-platform nature of this service will allow a business to transcend the usual restrictions.
Microsoft Lync's conferencing capabilities can actively be used to save money in a number of areas, which means that your firm might be financially motivated to adopt it if the practical benefits are seen as secondary. Primarily you will be able to reduce travel costs, because collaboration between colleagues will not necessitate them sharing the same physical space, when they can occupy a virtual alternative which is much more convenient and entirely unrelated to their geographic position. This has an additional benefit of allowing employees to devote their time to more productive activities, which means that your human resources are not being wasted. And because Lync also offers compatibility with mobile platforms, staff can still be contactable while on the move so that their availability is optimally exploited.
Additionally, if your business is looking to replace an ageing and archaic on-site telephony set-up, the cost of a new PBX solution may be daunting. So choosing an IP-based solution like Lync which can be hosted internally or remotely could ease this transition and slash the cost of procuring hardware and maintaining equipment. Reducing IT and telecoms complexity is always a sensible way to save money and in larger businesses where such infrastructures might be particularly daunting, this is not an opportunity to be missed.
Microsoft Lync's unified nature means that it can enable collaboration between large groups of employees and actively streamline their interactions so that time is not needlessly wasted. Users will instantly be able to see which of their colleagues are available, while also indicating whether certain team members are busy or away from their device of choice. Knowing who to contact and when to contact them will allow people to become more productive and will also lead to less distraction and annoyance as might otherwise be caused by other forms of communication.