What do you see in Unified Communications?

Brent Kelly, Senior Analyst and Partner at Wainhouse Research, demystifies some of the issues and challenges associated with the migration to unified communications.

The need to communicate and collaborate between individuals and groups of individuals has grown exponentially as suppliers, manufacturing, R&D, engineering, production, operations, sales, marketing, finance, and retail have all become globally dispersed. Companies of all types and sizes are acknowledging the competitive need to streamline the flow of knowledge and information worker expertise both within and without the organisation, regardless of where in the world that knowledge and expertise need be applied. The big economic wins in this decade, and the next, will likely go to those companies, and their key partners, who are able to flatten and accelerate their knowledge chains through real-time, ad hoc, global collaboration. UC is emerging as a proven framework for reducing human latency in knowledge-intensive business processes.

A well-designed and implemented unified communications system should significantly reduce or eliminate multiple communications attempts in favour of more rapid, ad hoc, one-on-one and group meetings, facilitated by presence, instant messaging, voice, and conferencing capabilities. UC systems will, typically, tightly integrate real-time media with collaborative services and any devices a person uses within the context of any workflow application.

Rich presence is a fundamental enabler for a UC system. Rich presence gives status information about any of the communications tools a person may use along with the person's working context. For example, telephone status information (on-hook, in a call, in a conference call) adds significant information about how people are working, and it complements and enhances a user's presence information based on calendar data, location services, or computer keyboard state. By knowing both device status and an individual's context, people are able to reduce human latency and more effectively reach out and communicate with the other people in their particular value chain.

Presence will become the dial tone of the 21st century because it allows people to know when someone is available, as well as how to best contact them. One interesting proof in our company that presence reduces latency is that we have completely eliminated internal voice mail because we never call someone unless we first establish an instant messaging session asking two questions: First, are you there? Second, may I call you? Internal phone tag has been completely eliminated.

Challenges and Pitfalls

Implementing a UC solution requires the same level of discipline and planning one would use when upgrading a production line or when installing a new line of business application. The companies having the most success with UC are those who employ some kind of defined procedure or process for integrating new technology with people, business processes, and existing technology. A company does not want to deploy a UC client that supports VoIP and desktop video and then afterward wonder if the underlying network infrastructure can support the increased bandwidth demand IP voice and video will require.

Do the homework

Many companies have heterogeneous environments where there may be multiple kinds of devices (PCs, Macs, mobile phones) as well as telephony systems from multiple vendors and back office systems running a variety of operating systems. Care must be taken to assure that the UC solution selected will meet the needs of all prospective users and that it will integrate with the existing infrastructure and solutions. Performing a needs analysis is a healthy exercise prior to considering a UC  solution because it will help pinpoint which people or groups of people can really take advantage of such a solution.

Creating a baseline that includes not only the network hardware, firmware versions, and current bandwidth, but also the kinds of devices and the existing software licences available, will also be important. For example, if people already have Microsoft Office Professional, then individuals using Office Communications Server will not need an additional license for the Microsoft Office Communicator client. Small things like doing a needs assessment, profiling user needs, creating a baseline, and examining existing licences can save organisations lots of money when ultimately deploying a UC solution.

Why businesses deploy unified communications.

ROI or TCO?

One of the key concerns with unified communications is justifying the expense or generating a ROI. As shown in the pie chart, companies are investing in UC for two primary reasons: First, to increase productivity and second, to reduce costs. We have found that trying to justify a UC solution based on productivity increases is a difficult sell to management.

Instead, we suggest that people look at UC from a total cost of ownership (TCO) perspective versus an ROI perspective with productivity increases being soft benefits one may also accrue. Most companies already have many of the elements that make up a unified communications solution: presence and IM (either premise-based from a free public service), one or more enterprise PBXs, audio conferencing (either premise-based but more likely from a service provider), web conferencing (usually from a service provider), and some video conferencing. Given that companies already have access to all of these capabilities, it seems reasonable to look at a UC solution, which enables a common interface and user model for all of them, from a total cost of ownership position.

Reducing Risk and Maximizing Control

Other practical reasons for deploying a UC solution can be from a control and risk standpoint. For example, companies may want better control over who its employees are sending instant messages to and what the content of these messages are. A premise-based IM solution may reduce certain kinds of risk by giving the organization more control. Companies can archive instant messages and they can apply 'message hygiene' software so that instant messages are scanned for sensitive words, phrases, links, and so on, prior to the message being sent.

Conclusion

There are a number of organizations deploying unified communications solutions. The keys to success include understanding the need, deploying a solution that fits with an organizations people, its existing processes, and its existing technology, and creating a cost model that provides real TCO reductions in a short period of time. In reality, most companies do not see quite the TCO reductions they target when deploying a UC solution, but they are clearly able to have a much better communications solution with the same or somewhat less total spend.

Brent Kelly identifies the tangible cost savings for organisations looking to take the plunge with unified communications.

Reduced travel. The caveat is that in most organisations, travel costs are so spread out that they are never rolled up to a single number. So some internal reporting and accounting procedure work will likely need to be done to prove that a UC solution can really save the company money.

Consolidating infrastructure. We have seen some significant savings occur when companies consolidate their voice systems into centralised or regional solutions versus having individual PBXs at numerous locations. Cost savings typically appear in reduced maintenance, on-net calling and a smaller number of trunk lines being required.

Audio conferencing. Some companies claim significant savings when bringing audio conferencing in-house, enough in fact to pay for the entire UC deployment. Our own experience is that premise-based audio conferencing works for some companies, but the hassles and cost with managing an on-premise audio conferencing solution out weight the benefits for others.

Brent Kelly is the Unified Communications (UC) Practice Manager at Wainhouse Research where he focuses on unified communications markets, strategies, products, and services. He has written numerous reports, white papers and articles on UC and collaboration.