The return on investment in unified communicationsUnified communication can improve business processes, save time, make employees more productive. Susanne wants to get in touch with co-worker Henry on a pressing business matter. Susanne has several ways to reach Henry; however she does not know which one will reach him momentarily. She sends him an instant message, but she doesn't get a response. She calls his desk phone and leaves voice mail, then tries his mobile phone. Finally, Susanne sends an e-mail or SMS�message in the hope that he'll read it on his mobile device.The result? Susanne did not reach Henry in time and maybe lost a sale as a result. Henry now has messages in multiple places that he must retrieve and delete. The problem isn't that John and Mary lack communication devices. Quite the opposite -- they have too many ways of communicating and those methods are not unified. These disjointed applications make communications more complex, leading to frustration and reduced efficiency. And it's only getting worse. Knowledge workers are increasingly distributed and virtual: working from multiple locations.Enter unified communicationsThe answer is unified communications, in which real-time applications are integrated so individuals can manage all their communications together, in both desktop and mobile environments.Expect to see UC adoption happen gradually and steadily. There is no one way or the �right� way to implement UC, and the way in which companies approach UC will be based on their specific needs and environments. UC adoption generally starts with the people who need it the most, and then spreads throughout the enterprise, once the benefits become more apparent. Initial adopters of UC are geographically dispersed workers who need to collaborate with team members and colleagues. Organizations must look at their specific operational justifications and requirements for UC, which should come from the business management and end-user side of the house.The challenge for many IT executives is to make the business case for unified communications. This can be tricky, because purported productivity benefits can be hard to quantify.However, business cases do exist. Companies see unified communications as a way to improve internal communications and increase productivity. There also is the potential for cost savings.Comtico can assist you in building the business case or finding the best product, or mix of products, for your company.
