The Top Five Reasons Why Unified Communications Fail

If you are planning to deploy a unified communications (UC) platform, keep the following pitfalls in mind to keep your implementation process as smooth as possible.

1. Shiny Object Syndrome
Don't put the cart before the horse. Rather than choosing from all of the fancy features available or just going with what your IT department decides, take a close look at how your business really operates and how the users will be interfacing with the system. If you choose a UC system that is too complicated or cumbersome to use because it is the "newest shiny object" available on the market, your users will most likely avoid the system. Once you figure out what your users' needs are, it will be much easier to select a UC platform that will work seamlessly with your existing methods of doing business.

2. Biting Off More Than You Can Chew
It is important to only buy as much system as you need. Unified Communications are designed to help your business operate more efficiently by allowing people to communicate and/or exchange information across various devices. You can always implement a UC system in phases or add on more components as they are needed in the future. It usually takes 1 - 2 years to roll out a successful implementation. Be patient and give your users time to adapt to the system as well as giving yourself time to start seeing the return on your initial investment.

3. Determining Cost of Ownership
Although it may be difficult to determine the total costs associated with buying, owning and operating a unified communications platform until it goes live, be sure to factor in time that the IT department may need to spend answering questions and teaching people how to use the system. Another consideration is long-term costs. For example, a UC platform designed for a midsize enterprise with 1,000 users will require 10 servers in a Microsoft environment, five servers with Cisco and two with Avaya-an 80 percent cost difference in hardware alone. That doesn't include the cost of hardware maintenance and system administrators.

Beware of paying licensing costs for features that you don't use because of the way the software licensing is sometimes bundled as an "all or none" deal, which may not end up being such a good deal in the long run. Knowing the front-end costs (hardware, software, licensing) as well as the back-end costs (administration, maintenance, service delivery) upfront can go a long way toward understanding the bottom-line costs of a UC implementation.

Here are some ways to measure your return on investment:

Internet Protocol transport savingsReduced mobile phone costsIncreased employee efficiencySavings in upgrading to a more modern communications platform

4. Communication
It is important for the management and IT department to provide clear direction, guidance and expectations for the implementation of a new system. An effective change management program begins with a clear plan for when each stage of the deployment will take place and setting expectations about what types of changes users should make and see as a result. Providing ample training opportunities is also key to a successful implementation.

5. Vendor and Partner Selection
Luckily, there are a few unified communications vendors that offer complete enterprise-wide solutions as well as expert help in assessing your company's needs and customizing a solution for you. You need to consider your partner choice carefully and should plan to evaluate at least four vendors before making your final selection. According to the Info-Tech Research Group, "The fact is that for most enterprises, the selection of the product itself should be secondary to the strength and vision of the vendor, and the knowledge and expertise of the integrator."

Because a unified communications implementation is one of the most important decisions your company will make, be sure to shop around for the best solution for your specific needs, your budget, and the most supportive partner to help you create a solid strategy and plan for success. Change happens slowly at times but it often turns out to be exactly the kind of change an organization needs to improve operations, reduce costs and remain competitive.

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Unified Communications Bring Together Person A and Person B Seamlessly

Unified communications integrate real time messaging services with non-real time messaging services. Real time messaging services consist of instant messaging, videoconferencing and telephony. On the other hand, non-real time messaging services are e-mails, texting, fax and voicemail.

What unified communications basically does is that it allows one person to send another person a message through one method while the other person receives it through another. For example, person A sends person B voicemail. If person B can't access his voicemail for some reason, he can receive it via e-mail or a mobile phone instead. Thus, the transmission of any information consumes a lot less time and effort, so employees are able to complete tasks and reach agreements with clients in the half the time it took them previously.

This optimizes businesses and has become popular to many companies. There's no wonder that it has become immensely popular. It allows better communication between coworkers and clients. As we all know, communication is very critical in conducting business and this makes it more efficient. As the old saying goes, time is money. As this allows one to make use of his time more efficiently and productively, it only follows that he or she will be able to make more money in turn.

Also, this service minimizes our dependency on a specific media device. Let's say one person has a mobile phone and another has a computer. It would be no problem for them to communicate with each other even if they have different gadgets in hand. This makes a business always available and open to anyone which is a very welcome advantage. It has even enabled a great many people to begin performing their jobs from home, which can save a company office space and help employees with lengthy commutes conserve gas.

Another benefit of this is it eliminates the thing that we all hate - unanswered emails and playing phone-tag. These solutions enable us to find persons where they are and how they can be contacted in real time. So, even if two people are miles apart for each other, they can work seamlessly as if they were together.

There are many unified communications firms that offer these solutions. Why not contact one of them and know further about their incredible services? If you have a business and you deal with multiple clients, this may actually be helpful in making your business flourish. As we move towards the future, these services will become more and more of a necessity so better to get well acquainted with them now.

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