Unified Communications

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Today’s tight integration of collaboration tools is changing the way workers communicate – and accelerating the speed of business

You’ve probably heard the term unified communications (UC) a lot lately, but may not be clear on what it encompasses – or why business leaders are showing such great interest in it. And they’re interested for good reason: UC can be a competitive growth advantage for businesses.

UC creates a flexible yet robust networked communications platform that seamlessly integrates voice, video, data, and applications that enable workers to exchange ideas and do their jobs in the most efficient way possible. The communications platform plays host to a number of communication tools that serve as a catalyst for improved efficiency; chat, voice calls, web application sharing, or video conferencing instant messaging. Together, these facilitate synchronous communication that leverage software to allow users easy access from whatever endpoint they are using in their environment. The demand for UC has become increasingly common in the enterprise IT landscape, and fast on its heels is the growing demand for UC in the small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) sector.

Let’s take a look at how UC can make a difference in various industries, starting with healthcare.

An unsettling trend is emerging in the healthcare industry: trained medical personnel are struggling to keep up with the demand and rising costs of services.

Therefore, greater emphasis is being placed on the need for healthcare providers to improve the productivity of existing staff; that means improving the scope and flexibility of the communications systems that caregivers use. The goal is to allow people to use more devices more effectively, for faster overall response times – after all, the healthcare field is based on communication.

UC aims to improve communications with an interoperable communications platform that integrates with multiple healthcare applications, systems, and devices. Its networked platforms integrate voice, video, data, and mobility products and applications to accelerate information sharing from wherever the medical personnel may be, using any device – wired or wireless.

Understanding the potential and efficiency of Unified Communications

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Unified Communications

UC implementation in healthcare means that providers have faster and time-sensitive access to content, the latest studies, and diagnostic images; easy access to this content also leads to overall improved patient care.

Let’s examine another industry with a strong potential to benefit from unified communications: education.

Today, administrators, teachers, and influencers are asking – and trying to answer – reoccurring questions such as:

“How can we make communications more engaging, informative, and efficient while capturing the attention of today's tech-savvy generation of students, faculty, staff, parents, and visitors?”

The answer can be found in unified communications.

Traditionally, communications modes in school districts consist of paper-based practices, outdated phone systems, site-based paging and auto-dial configurations, problems connecting to the Internet, limited access to student data, and limited voicemail support. These outdated systems cost a significant amount of money to operate and they require personnel to supervise and maintain them.

A viable UC solution can help. A converged IP network infrastructure with an all-new wireless network can be installed to support new services and to improve contact between teachers, students, and staff. This increased connectivity enables expanded educational programs and network-based student management systems. Additionally, video conferencing can enhance classroom learning (e.g., distance learning).

The district can also save money by reducing the costs of moves, adds, and changes, standardizing applications, and lowering manpower costs through the reliable network and IP communications tools.

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Explore the possibilities of unified communications todaySchedule a unified communications workshop with Zones. We'll help you map out a strategy for enabling higher levels of communication and collaboration throughout your organization.