Unified communications — also called unified messaging or UM — is the new buzzword in the IT industry, but what does it really mean?
In some cases, it depends on whom you ask; vendors tend to put their own spin on the definition depending on what they're trying to sell you. But by most definitions, unified communications (UC) refers to the ability to integrate different types of communications — including voicemail, email, faxes, instant messages and videoconferencing — into one common interface and/or repository.
That said, there are many ways to implement a UC solution in an organisation. In its simplest form, it provides a way for users to access their faxes and voicemail messages via their email clients. More sophisticated implementations provide advanced features such as the ability to hear email messages read to you over the phone as well as the ability to dictate a reply and send it as an email, instant message, fax or audio message.
Vendors tend to put their own spin on the definition of UC, depending on what they're trying to sell you
You don't necessarily need VoIP to implement UC; you can use the regular phone system. But VoIP does make it easier: VoIP services already include mechanisms for forwarding voicemail to email, Find Me Follow Me (FMFM) functionality, and other features used in a UC system. In addition, you get more scalability and better integration with VoIP than with UC-type products that rely on traditional phone services.
Combining an asynchronous communication type such as email with a real-time communication type such as telecommunications presents some challenges. However, it gives users far more flexibility and allows each of them to receive, process and send messages in the way that works best for that individual.
Using UC in the business environment
Not surprisingly, UC has taken off more quickly in the enterprise environment than in the small to medium-sized business world. Although it simplifies life for end users and can also reduce operational and maintenance costs and overhead, the initial implementation can be a bit costly and complex for smaller businesses. However, as competition in the field increases and costs for UC products decrease, VoIP-based UC is catching on with SMEs.
Some of the standard features of a UC system can greatly increase productivity, especially in companies that rely on daily (or more frequent) communications with customers, partners, vendors, and within the company. A UC system can give users the ability to:
- Use the same device and interface to access email, voicemail messages, faxes, etc
- Set priorities on messages or callers so users can retrieve high-priority messages and act on them more quickly
- Respond to a message without exiting the messaging system, or forward a message to someone else within a single call
- Send voice messages as email attachments to other users, including setting up automatic forwarding so an assistant or other designated person will always get a copy of the user's voicemail
- Send messages to multiple individuals by making a single call
- Use text-to-speech translation to have email messages read to the user over the phone
- Answer email messages by dictating a reply over the phone
- Access information about new fax messages over the phone
- View fax messages from an email client on any computer or mobile device
- Forward faxes to others as email attachments
- Get notification of new voicemail messages, email messages or faxes via pager or mobile phone
Another important feature of a good UC system is the ability to locate the user wherever he or she is available via one phone number. The FMFM feature will ring different numbers (for example, office, home, mobile) in specified order or allow callers to opt to leave a message instead, which the system...
