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COMMERCIAL PROFILE ■
Unified communications:
UC, I see, we all see a change for the better
By Clive Ryan, Director, eircom Advisory Services
ENTERPRISES are used to bracing themselves when will not meet their expectations, and they will revert to
they hear about the next big thing in ICT. That’s because more familiar, tried and trusted communications channels.
‘it’, whatever it is, usually requires significant new invest-
ment in hardware, software, services and support. Unified
Real benefits, for staff and for your
communications (UC), the current hot technology, is a little
bottom line
different – it’s the innovation that’s already there, trapped
inside your existing ICT investment, waiting to get out. So But get UC right and users will certainly both see and
the question is not ‘Why invest?’ but ‘Why aren’t you appreciate the difference. Through both presence and
making the most of the investment you’ve already got?’ voice/video calling, UC opens up the possibility of employee
The power of UC is in the name, it can unify all your home-working for many organisations that had never
existing communications and information formats into a considered it before, so you need to include broadband and
secure, cost-effective, easily managed platform – with the 3G mobile data services in your business case planning.
associated cost efficiencies. It can also enable new and Reducing travel saves your employees time and expense;
fantastic ways for your workforce to work more effectively, by-products of this are improved employee retention and
together and with your customers – with the associated fewer days lost to sickness due to a perceived better work-
transformational business impact. ing environment. Organisation-wide, a decrease in travel
Consider this: you have a PBX, LAN, WAN, email system, reduces your carbon footprint and increases efficiencies,
mobile phones and office productivity software, but have as both desk-based and field-placed employees obtain true
probably never fully integrated them to extract maximum work-anywhere capabilities … especially where tools such
financial return and user functionality. UC does this for you. as smart phones or PDAs are added.
So what are the stages of a UC project, and where do Plus, UC allows an organisation to roll out an all-
you begin? A UC project needs CxO sponsorship from the encompassing information management policy. With UC,
start, as it could potentially embrace every department all company communications become data streams you
and employee in your organisation. Once you have this can more easily store, search, archive, retrieve and dispose
buy-in, the stages are: of, in line with whatever data retention requirements your
1. Business case definition – develop and baseline the company must adhere to. UC means easier-to-manage
business case for UC (including a roadmap of future communications, which is good news in a world where
requirements), then run a fully managed pilot to trial compliance requirements are making strict information
UC functionality management policies a must.
2. Network infrastructure audit – ensure the core
LAN/WAN network infrastructure is designed and
Full speed ahead with UC?
deployed, including broadband and 3G mobile data
connections There’s no doubt that UC is an attractive value proposi-
3. Implement asynchronous communications – email, tion for enterprises, as it lets you fully leverage existing
voicemail, fax, call history ICT investment, and can have positive, measurable impact
4. Implement synchronous communications – instant on your people’s ability to communicate and get things
messaging (IM), VoIP calls, audio/video calling done. But do be aware of the load that UC will put on your
5. Integrate existing PBX – PSTN voice calls via gateway enterprise network, and be sure the provider you select
or direct. has the data, voice and networking expertise to help you
Stage 2 is the most critical, as your existing LAN, WAN correctly prepare your systems for what lies ahead. And,
and mobile networks will need configuring and possibly since the shift to a totally IP-centric communications
upgrading to handle the additional data, voice and rich world will be complete in less than five years, your UC
media traffic associated with UC usage. Functionality infrastructure must include expansion capacity to allow
such as voice/video calling and conferencing, IM and pres- for the inevitable increase in traffic.
ence will add incremental traffic onto networks that were Is it worth the bother? Yes – a properly designed UC
probably designed to handle data only. If you don’t provision project will save you money, reduce your carbon footprint,
your network capacity correctly, ultimately your UC proj- increase efficiencies and employee satisfaction. And that’s
ect will fail, and fail spectacularly. The users’ experience the kind of return on investment any CFO can live with.
September 2008 Knowledge Ireland 47
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