Unified communications (UC) is a broad term for the integration of real-time communications (such as chat, voice, and video) with other business applications, such as email, customer relationship management (CRM), and contact center applications. UC solutions combine real-time communications with digital business applications that are delivered from a single communications system—a system that delivers all of these services through business-class network connections. By unifying the way people, applications, and communications are delivered, businesses can reduce costs, improve customer service, and streamline their operations.
To delve further,UC is the integration of communication services such as (but certainly not limited to):
- telephony
- instant messaging (chat)
- presence information
- video conferencing
- data sharing (including electronic whiteboards interactive/web)
- call control
- speech recognition
- integrated voicemail
- SMS
- fax
- IPTV (Internet Protocol Television)
- digital signage
UC provides a “unified user-interface and user-experience across multiple devices and media-types and may be directed as one-to-one communications or broadcast communications from one to many.”
What are the benefits of using Unified Communications?
Imagine dialing into a conference call from your office and having it seamlessly transfer to your mobile phone and then your car’s speaker system (via bluetooth) so you can stay on the call while on the way to your next appointment. This is just one example of how UC can improve your efficiency personally.
It’s become commonplace for us to all individually manage several phone numbers, devices and locations we might be working from. With UC you can make technology work for you and your business so you can:
- get more done quickly
- stay connected with customers, co-workers and employees while on the go
- move seamlessly between easily accommodate additional employees regardless of their geographic location
However, by unifying these communication tools, businesses can increase collaboration amongst their staff and their customer’s accessibly to their team. Also, it’s advantageous for business to look at their overall communications strategy rather than isolated purchases to optimize their efficiency.
Teltek is a Certified Avaya Business Partner, NEC Dealer, and Microsoft Partner with two locations in the Baltimore Metropolitan area. We specialize in providing one call technology support for small to mid-sized businesses and nonprofits in Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
How to get started with Unified Communications?
If you’re thinking about deploying a unified communications solution, you’re probably wondering where to begin. That’s perfectly normal—it’s not every day you undertake a project this complex. A good place to start is by considering your company’s goals for deploying a UC solution. For example, if you’re looking to cut costs or improve collaboration among your staff, then you should have a good understanding of what each of those terms means. If you’re hoping to plug gaps in your current phone system, then you should have a good idea about your current phone system. And if you’re hoping to make the most of every phone call, you’ll want to understand how a UC solution can help with that.