The Growth of Unified Communications

Published on 28 May 13

Victoria Follow

What Does Unified Communications Mean?

Unified communications is the integrated system of various types of communication into one entity. This just means that UC is a system of different outlets we use to communicate to others but it is its own system. Itâ€™s easier not to think of it as a single thing but to look at it as multiple devices and means of communication that come together to create their own network.

UC also refers to things such as a unified email, voicemail, and data storage systems. An easy example is to think of modern schools since they use a unified communications approach in everything that they do. Every teacher has their own computer where they keep track of attendance, school grades and student conduct. At any time that teacher can go in and change any information they need to, like if a student got a not so decent grade on the last test. When they update that information it is updated in the entire system so that anyone who has access to it can see the up-to-date information.

Benefits of Unified Communications Systems?

Access from Anywhere

UC is designed to operate on any communication device, and they mean any. Whether it be your cell phone, PDA, laptop or home computer as long as you have access to the internet then you can access to your system. That way if something important is going through the system and it needs to be sent to you such as an important memo or email, then it will be delivered to your device so you can stay updated.

Enhanced Communication

UC allows you to change how and when you communicate. Say you are instant messaging someone else on the system and you are trying to work out a problem but it is increasingly difficult to try and explain via just chatting. With a simple click you change from instant messaging to a phone call or even a video conference call. By allowing this transition it makes it easier to communicate with others over the system.

Enhanced Collaboration

This goes hand in hand with enhanced communications. While you are chatting or conferencing with each other, thanks to unified communications you can also collaborate on projects at the same time. While conferencing say you have an excel spreadsheet based on the quarterly profits. Everyone who is part of that conference can see that same spreadsheet, but the added bonus is that everyone can edit that same spreadsheet at the same time. So if Fred was in charge of calculating the sales revenue for a certain month, he would enter the information on his end, as he is doing this he is also entering it on their spreadsheets as well.

Increased Productivity

With the aid of UC and the different avenues of communication it provides work becomes easier and more can get done. This in turn increases how fast things are done and increases revenue because everything is getting done in a timely manner.

Better Customer Service

With UC you can communicate with your clients more effectively. Not just inside the company but also your customers who arenâ€™t within your system. Using UC you can reach out to them and help them better than you would with just a phone call.

Cost Effective

It can save companies money mostly on travel expenses. Think about it, larger companies have offices nation or even worldwide. There are times when those offices need to communicate with each other about important information. Sometimes they like to check in personally. With UC you can still check in with more than one office and donâ€™t have to leave your office through teleconferencing. This can save thousands on travel expenses.

Shared Calendar

No one wants to forget that important meeting and thanks to UC you donâ€™t have to. Everyone can have the same calendar and add important dates and meetings for everyone to see so everyone is on the same page.

Integrated Voicemail Capabilities

With UC receiving and answering voicemail turns into a different process. Instead of just listening to any voicemail you may receive you can actually access it from your email and it can convert it to written text for easier understanding. It can even do the reverse, thanks to text-to-speech functionality you can speak your message and it writes it for you offering another way to multitask while working on other projects.

Any Business Can Benefit

Whether you are a large corporation or a small up and coming business UC improves everything regardless. For big corporations it helps keep everyone in the loop and up-to-date, and for smaller businesses it helps them expand so they can grow into a successful business faster.

Simplicity Is Key

UC is all about making sure that everything is easy to use, effective and pretty much idiot proof. After you learn the few different technologies that go into UC itâ€™s almost as youâ€™re an expert because they make it easy for you to learn. It helps relieve the stress of adapting to new technologies by immersing you into them in an interesting way.

This blog is listed under Data Centre Management , Digital Media & Games and Telecommunications Community

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