Unified communications (uc)

Unified Communications (UC)By Mohammad Yasser

Agenda•What is UC?•What UC has for enterprises?•Possible UC components

What is UC

What is UC?•UCStrategies.com defined UC from the

outset in 2006 as:“Communications integrated to optimize

business processes.”• As was well said in a panel at VoiceCon

San Francisco 2008"Let's quit arguing about what UC is; let's

spend our time focusing on what UC actually does."

What UC actually does?•Most of us probably use at minimum:

▫Cell phone▫Landline phone▫Fax▫Email

•Many use other tools like:▫Voice messaging▫Instant messaging▫Web conferencing

What UC actually does?•Incorporates different modes of

communications into one system. •Breaks down communications barriers.•Integrates real-time and non real-time

communications with business processes and requirements.

•Provides unified user interface and user experience across multiple devices.

Always remember•UC is not one tool or one product.•It is a solution that pulls together

communication and collaboration tools.•Enables communication through a

consistent interface and experience.

Enterprise objectives

UC enterprise objectives•Supports the enterprise to manage:

▫Various types of communications▫Across multiple devices and applications▫Across geographies▫With personalized rules and policies▫Seamless communication and collaboration▫Integrating with back-office applications,

systems and business processes.

UC enterprise objectives•Expected results:

▫Better user and group productivity▫Dynamic collaboration and simplified

business process▫Increasing revenues▫Decreasing costs▫Improving customer service▫Tying into business process and

applications achieves highest ROI results

UC components

UC components•Call control and multimodal

communications▫IP PBX▫UC enabler no more no less▫Ex. Avaya Aura

UC components•Presence

▫Corner stone of UC▫“The dial tone of the future"▫Real-time notification of user current

availability

UC components•Instant messaging

▫Critical component of UC▫Enterprise-grade system rather than public

service

UC components•Unified messaging

▫integration of voice, fax, email messages and message notification

▫Allows access of messages, anywhere, anytime, from any terminal

▫adds a variety of advanced call and message management functions

▫desktop call screening of inbound calls, find me/follow me, live reply or call return, and cross-media messaging

UC components•Speech access and personal assistant

▫Speech commands, personal assistants▫Allows access of inbox, calendar, directory,

etc▫Provides intelligent screening and filtering

of messages▫Navigation through schedule, calendar,

contacts, outbound dialing and UM system

UC components•Conferencing and Collaboration

▫Audio ▫Video▫Web▫Ex. WebEx from Cisco, Avaya Web

Conferencing

UC components•Mobility

▫Integrating the mobile users' voice and real-time communications services with core enterprise communications

UC components•Business process integration (BPI)

▫An important element of a UC solution ▫Eliminates "human latency" ▫Back-office applications such as CRM, ERP,

sales force automation and supply-chain management

Thank You

Next presentation•Avaya UC solution (Avaya Aura)

Later •Avaya Unified Messaging•Avaya Soft Clients•Avaya Conferencing and Collaboration•Value proposition of each Avaya UC

product•Key comparison with competitive

products•ROI calculation