presence management: Simply connecting people?
companies often stagger
deployments - typically
starting with applications
which place lower demands
on the infrastructure
A presence-enabled application can reduce the need to WHAT IS FEDERATED PRESENCE
search other applications to source information and set up MANAGEMENT? (FPM)
meetings. As an example, Figure 1 on page 14 illustrates how Federated Presence Management is the
a mortgage system and a presence management system aggregation and integration of presence software
work in an integrated way to identify available people with capable of extending across all products and
the right skills and systems access. The mortgage system applications. These can range from simple
displays the product and sales information. The presence location tracking to discovery of available experts
system displays the relevant people and the channels they in real-time. FPM ‘mixes and matches’ device
are available on. Simply clicking the appropriate person’s related presence services (like device status
name can open up, for example, an instant messaging and subscriber location) with application related
conversation. This is possible as the system has access to presence services (such as free/busy, expertise
their diaries / availability, an understanding of their skills and & availability).
an awareness of both the devices they can access and their
preferred communication channels. Analysts remain positive that a universal presence
standard, providing interoperability and universal security
ADOPTION TRENDS protocols, will emerge
2
.
The lack of interoperability between presence standards
has divided users into separate communities. Early There is also a global shortage of system integrators who
adopters of presence have found that even if two parts are experienced and skilled enough to “mix and match”
of a company use the same product, factors such all the components and provide a warranty. Finally, the
as security, firewalls and licensing can still keep them problem is compounded by few companies having
separated. This situation won’t change until presence confidence to invest in the necessary infrastructure – an
standards and operational models are unified. ‘end to end’ review of the whole computing fabric, with
inevitable changes to applications, networks, computers
Federated presence management has emerged as a and communication devices, is required.
potential solution to this problem, with the key vendors
in this market offering proprietary extensions to the main This does not mean that nothing is happening. For
presence protocols. many organisations being reachable at any time is
crucial, and contact now often needs to span different
In practice, the take up of federated presence management geographies, time zones and technology networks.
systems is slow and fragmented. The communication and So companies often stagger deployments – typically
application standards that enable presence management are starting by presence enabling applications with email
relatively new. No single vendor can supply all the necessary and instant messaging which place lower demands on
components, so companies tend to procure the best voice the infrastructure. Voice and video are then added into
solution from one vendor, combined with email and instant the mix, but only when the necessary infrastructure has
messaging from another and video conferencing from a third. been deployed.
Perspectives on technology | 1
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