New Generation Of Low-Price Unified Communications

The new generation of UC is available as a software application that can be immediately deployed onto a standard server. The new generation of universal communication provides for ease of administration for IT, as well as for users. Administration of the UC solution can be performed by end-users with a minimum of training.

Alternative to hardware can eliminate the need for expensive networking upgrades. Organizations need inexpensive unified Relevant Products/Services communications Relevant Products/Services (UC) solutions that can integrate with their existing IT, telephony Relevant Products/Services and mobile Relevant Products/Services environments. Such tools are now beginning to appear, offering the ability to leverage the existing infrastructure, a minimal impact on available bandwidth and simple, straightforward policy-based administration. This new generation of UC solutions streamlines the task of providing on-demand access to people and information in order to encourage collaboration, accelerate the flow of information and deliver better and faster decision making at all levels of the organization.

The key problem is bloated offerings that require significant investments in hardware and software hinder UC adoption. Today's UC solutions offered by the major vendors can be complex and expensive, and lock an organization into specific infrastructures.

The key elements of a UC solution include:

* Presence. The cornerstone of any UC application, this provides real-time notification of users' current availability.

* Secure instant messaging (IM). Colleagues can enter into timely sessions to collaborate faster, but with the security Relevant Products/Services and privacy that are not offered by public IM services.

* Video. Desktop videoconferencing offers anytime, spontaneous convenience over traditional videoconference or telepresence approaches where employees have to book conference rooms in advance.

* Conferencing and collaboration. UC is about bringing together groups of people who can see and edit information together.

* Mobile integration. People want to collaborate anytime, anywhere. Teleworkers and business travelers can fully participate in UC sessions from laptops and mobile devices.

The new generation of UC is available as a software application that can be immediately deployed onto a standard server Relevant Products/Services within the corporate network and leverages existing videoconferencing and communications infrastructures. UC software can eliminate the need for expensive networking upgrades by utilizing IT-defined controls, user-specified adjustments and real-time adaptive bandwidth management to deliver a positive experience on the existing infrastructure.

IT defines the maximum operating parameters for all UC sessions to control the impact on bandwidth. Adaptive bandwidth management constantly monitors communications latency for each user, making adjustments as required to provide users the best possible experience with the highest possible performance. Users have the flexibility to make individual adjustments for voice, video and data according to the unique circumstances of the UC session.

The new generation of UC provides for ease of administration for IT, as well as for users. Administration of the UC solution can be performed by end-users with a minimum of training. Individuals initiating a UC session can easily reach out to participants using preexisting Active Directory or LDAP groups or personal address books.

UC can help organizations provide faster and more flexible access to people and information, while offering the potential to reduce business travel expenses. The new generation of UC has the potential to deliver on the potential espoused by the big players by supporting existing equipment, providing high performance with the current infrastructure and eliminating administrative complexities.

by Bob Johnson
Source: http://www.newsfactor.com/news/