Business

SIP and UC . . . okay?

Recent research highlights that between 40-60 per cent of mobile phone usage takes place in the workplace
Recent research highlights that between 40-60 per cent of mobile phone usage takes place in the workplace Recent research highlights that between 40-60 per cent of mobile phone usage takes place in the workplace

SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) trunking is the fastest growing telephony service in the market. Not only is it a cost-effective alternative to traditional ISDN, but it is the gateway to greater flexibility and resilience.

SIP is one of the fundamental technologies that underpins unified communications (UC) – a source of genuine business agility. But what does it mean to be agile and how do SIP and UC deliver tangible business benefits?

Scalability is a key component of agility. Being able to expand or contract your services and resources, either in response to seasonal changes in demand or to exploit new opportunities, it is vital if you are to deliver quality of service without overextending yourself.

By eliminating the scenarios where you are either under or over resourced, an agile business can maintain profitability in the face of changing conditions. Communication and collaboration tools are quickly becoming the essential workplace technology.

Global Workplace Analytics reports that workers at Fortune 1000 companies are not at their desks 50-60 percent of the workday. Additionally, millennials – who will comprise 75 percent of the workforce in 10 years – expect to engage seamlessly in work activities while in the office, at home, and on the go.

A quick review of UC's cost and operational benefits might surprise someone who was put off by its perceived complexity. Companies that 'unify' voice and data communications find that it not only removes the need for expensive desk phones but delivers instant cost savings, can also prevent the duplication of call charges when staff make calls via their own mobile contracts.

Recent research highlights that between 40-60 per cent of mobile phone usage takes place in the workplace.

For years, UC has been perceived as too complicated to adopt. However, attitudes are changing as companies are forced to transform operations in today's tough operating conditions. Unified communications platforms offer fixed mobile convergence that provides office and remote staff single DDI telephony, voicemail and presence indication for improved flexibility and working efficiency.

Unified Communications tools include audio and web conferencing, Instant Messaging and presence, video conferencing, and screen sharing. These tools allow employees to collaborate with their co-workers, suppliers, and customers in real-time.

Advancements in UC solutions over the past few years have made much more possible and in many ways, we are only at the start of a UC revolution. So which side are you on?

:: Eric Carson is director of Rainbow Communications and can be contacted at www.rainbowcomms.com. Rainbow Communications can also be followed on Twitter @Rainbow_Comms.