INFORMATIONWEEK REPORTS
Strategy Session: UC: Charting a Rational Path
Strategy Session: UC: Charting a Rational Path
As technology continues to evolve, people are becoming overwhelmed by the myriad communications technologies they’re expected to manage. The list includes—but isn’t limited to—corporate and private e-mail, SMS texting, instant messaging, Skype, and voice mail, all delivered via cell phones, landlines, and personal and corporate PCs. By themselves, these technologies don’t work together effectively. But the promise of unified communications is integration, leading to higher productivity. Businesses seeking a simpler communications strategy often don’t know where to begin, however. Fundamentally, there are two approaches to UC: Use open system/open architecture products that are best of breed, or implement an all-in-one manufacturer’s system in hopes of minimizing fingerpointing.
Companies must also consider whether they want an on-premises or hosted system. And even as IT struggles with technical choices, they must assess the best option for the business. Among the most powerful examples of productivity gains and strategic benefits are situations in which a company engineers a change in its fundamental infrastructure in an effort to transform its way of doing business. The merging of all communications into a single infrastructure encompassing voice, data, video and a range of deployment approaches can profoundly change how work is accomplished.
While the goals of UC are admirable, putting a number on its value is a tougher nut to crack. ROI may be measured in hard financial terms, as cost savings or increases in revenues, margins or profits, or in softer, nonfinancial terms, as accomplishment of business objectives, such as improvements in speed or quality of operations, increases in customer satisfaction and loyalty, or better employee productivity and retention rates. In this report, we’ll outline the business benefits, both tangible and intangible, of UC; discuss how to cost justify such a system; and examine integration, security, and SaaS and managed services options.
