by James Mustarde, Director of Marketing for Twisted Pair Solutions
Unified communications is commonly defined as the integration of disparate devices, media, desktop computers, applications and mobility. While the benefits are many, the bottom line is that the technology can make people more accessible and productive. Industry research firm Gartner Group states, “The largest single value of UC is its ability to reduce human latency in business processes.” Following are considerations for maximizing channel opportunities.
UC is in demand across the globe and in many industry setting. Any business that utilizes systems like PCs, IP phones and mobiles can gain operational benefits by enabling users to connect with one another regardless of device, application or network. To take advantage of this growing market need many channels have offered proprietary hardware solutions but brand standardization forces customers to make a number of poor and costly decisions.
These hardware systems are in stark contrast to interoperable ones that connect an unlimited number of users and creates opportunities to deliver system-agnostic equipment. Interoperable software can help connect workers cross-company and across varying communications systems, leveraging existing infrastructure without deploying additional hardware.
Flexibility – uses a standards-based approach to deliver the widest possible breadth of deployment options suitable for the most demanding environments. Proprietary hardware deployments lock businesses into a single framework, an unnecessary limitation.
Innovation – software can be paired with an SDK to enable customization needed to meet unique requirements today while providing options for the future.
Reliability – distributed computing capabilities promise uninterrupted communications regardless of device, network or operator failure.
Cost-advantage – software can support off-the-shelf hardware, minimizing upfront investments and reducing ongoing operational and maintenance costs.
These solutions can serve as either the foundation for a ground-up deployment or deliver specific capabilities like push-to-talk (PTT) radios in a larger UC environment.
The software serves a critical role for businesses that operate disparate communications systems and want to tie them together to boost worker efficiency, productivity and collaboration. Channels that add these solutions to their portfolio stand to better serve customers and generate additional revenue.
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