Darryl Wilson | Area Practice Manager | Dimension Data Canada
There is no doubt that Unified Communications & Collaboration (UC&C) solutions have crossed the chasm to mass adoption.? Most, if not all, vendors and manufacturers in the marketplace have flooded the industry with products and solutions that speak to UC&C, and the market continues to demand it. We live in a global economy where people collaborate across regional, functional and country borders each and every day.? ?Over the past 10 years, we?ve seen clients traditionally starting with either ?voice over IP (VoIP) enabling? their PBXs for toll-bypass savings on long distance or having deployed IP telephony solutions (voice being transmitted on a converged data network) to cut communications costs.
These days, collaboration is much more than VoIP. Collaboration is now seen as something we ?do? (a human process) not something we ?use?. True collaboration enables a level of engagement, intimacy and trust not possible through traditional communications channels. If created and implemented properly, UC&C technology can enable true collaboration with peers, clients and partners, through technologies such as unified messaging, instant messaging, presence, desktop and application sharing and video conferencing.
It is imperative for any UC&C strategy to be designed with true collaboration in mind. In order for your business to be competitive in the marketplace and to attract and retain new talent, your UC&C strategy needs to be carefully structured and implemented to ensure adoption, therefore yielding the highest return on investment.
Putting the user at the centre of your UC&C strategy is critical and requires a deep understanding of the various user classes in your organisation. Traditionally, tools and applications used by the employees have been dictated based on device type.?? For UC&C and mobility to be adopted, we believe it should be ?User Centric? approach.? Prior to architecting or implementing a UC&C solution, one must segment the user base into various classes based on the user?s requirements. For example, some users remain within a single facility (eg the office) throughout the workday.? They are not mobile and they need tools and solutions at their workspace.? On the opposite side of the spectrum, you may have other users that are highly mobile.? Mobile workers require applications and tools on a variety of devices including laptops, smart phones and tablets.? Finally, you may have executives that require all of the above.? Each of these various user classes will require different tools and communication device options to be productive in their respective job functions. This will affect the way you license the UC&C solution as mobility or multiple device options likely require different licensing approaches. It is therefore critical to classify these users in advance to ensure the optimal blend of licenses. Using a ?one size fits all? mentality will in most cases not be the most cost effective approach.
Once the understanding of the user community is in place, the proper training and adoption programs, and support strategies coupled with the correct technology solution can be implemented.
Focusing on the user as you define your UC&C strategy will ensure you take advantage of the proper solutions and tools for the appropriate users in your business, resulting in increased levels of productivity with the return on investment you are looking for.
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