Enterprise communications systems are usually made up of siloed applications running on multiple networks carrying voice, data and wireless components, each with their own dedicated platforms, devices and protocols.

Even companies that are shifting their communications onto a common internet protocol (IP) network frequently still maintain the separateness of the functionality. The result is an increasingly large and complex set of applications and devices for users to learn and for administrators to manage.

However, help may be at hand. By adopting an effective unified communications strategy, companies can dramatically change productivity and efficiency. Steve Cramoysan, research director at analyst Gartner, says unified communications is accomplished through the convergence of the physical communication channels, networks, devices and systems, as well as through the consolidation of controls over them.

“Contact management and control components are crucial to the functionality,” he says. “Capabilities such as routing, filters, notification, profiles, business rules, reporting, analysis and workflow integration will enable unified communications to derive value from the many communication channels available to it.”

Many companies are already questioning the value of email, with its issues of spam and viruses. Such firms hope that adding more communication channels will make it easier to communicate ­ and unified communications becomes a framework for multiple services designed to enhance productivity.

Unified communications components can comprise standalone products or a portfolio of integrated applications and platforms. Peter Hall, principal analyst at Ovum, says that the main choice of delivering the technology will be a suite of applications running on an industry-standard server. “Unified communications is bringing together telecommunications and software, allowing the evolution and merging of two different worlds,” he says. “Over time we will see the role of the desktop phone diminish and people will make contact from their terminal because it provides a richer experience.”

For unified communications to work effectively, knowledge about presence is required. Presence is information regarding the current location and availability of the person being contacted, and is used to determine the best communication channel to use at any given time.

James Bacchus, head of operations at internationally renowned nightclub Ministry of Sound, says knowing where people are, and if they are available, is essential for its 24-hour global operation. “Although we are based in one London office, we have people at our international clubs, as well as Ibiza, in the summer months. So it’s really helpful to see if they are online, offline or available on a mobile connection,” he says.

Being able to manage such availability is one of the big draws of unified communications. Currently, information on availability is often restricted to whether people are online, offline, or away from their computer. But as the technology becomes more established, new applications will support it.

Integrating diary information makes presence data more meaningful by indicating whether the contact is in a meeting, travelling, offsite, on holiday, or about to take part in a conference call.

Similarly, existing processes within a company that are presence-dependent can be enhanced by writing applications with rules that make decisions based on availability; for example, routing an urgent document to someone else if it can’t be reviewed within the next hour.

Building access control systems, meanwhile, can become part of the network, allowing presence information to include location. When leaving the building, an individual’s last card swipe will not only open the door, but also notify the communications system that the person is no longer in the building, automatically switching communication options to voicemail.

Lester Hewett, senior technical architect at consulting group Avanade, says that while presence may be used in some organisations in a Big Brother-type way, it is also a tool that enables a more interesting experience in the office and around the globe. “If people can see your presence and status, they can make better choices on how to interact with you,” he says.

But not all applications are appropriate for unified networking. Gartner’s Cramoysan says organisations will have to assess which architectures and technologies best address their requirements. “An effective, unified communications system must have voice, instant messaging and email ­ all of which are rated as high in importance,” he says.

“Existing general-purpose fixed communications will co-exist with many new flexible, mobile and specialised systems before being displaced over time.

“Unified communications is not well understood from a practical implementation stage. It is still complex, but we are starting to see a simplification at the integration points.”

Most organisations are ready, in technology terms, for unified communications. The underlying IP network infrastructure is already in place and many companies are experimenting with IP telephony and application integration. Business units and workgroups may already be using instant messaging, conferencing and collaborative tools.

To roll out a consistent unified environment for the organisation, it is important that IT staff gather and manage networking requirements from the outset. Not having a vision often leads to a much greater spend and a variety of isolated, non-interoperable user deployments.

Ben Darji, network manager at Birmingham shopping complex Bullring, says it is important to have a robust infrastructure on which to deploy new applications. “We have the benefit of a freshly built city site and significant money has been spent to create an infrastructure that can support the communication technologies of the future,” he says.

“The evolution of unified communications over the next 10 years has the potential to deliver considerable business benefits in cost, productivity and process efficiency, and really prove the business value of IP-based communications, which has often been lacking.”

But while unified communications can change the productivity and efficiencies of a firm dramatically, a poor implementation can potentially cause disruption. Many companies wonder whether adding more channels will really make it easier to communicate, or just eat further into valuable work time.

The IT manager should ensure that unified communications is about bringing together communication technologies and standards to reflect specific business requirements, while facilitating the improvement of existing ­ and the creation of new ­ business processes. Such a vision may include the rationalisation of equipment, removal of the desktop phone and providing users with one computer for the office, together with a portable handheld device.

Making the business ready for unified communications will take a concerted effort, but the long-term benefits will make the exertion worthwhile.

Next week: the first part of Computing’s definitive guide to information management.

What the experts say about unified communications

The pace that we have moved at is probably faster than retail is used to. However, the merit is when users see that these communications facilities work well and are reliable when they use them. We have opened up new forms of communication at the Bullring that are actively driving business to our tenants. As with any business initiative, it is important to measure how well it’s working and that the anticipated benefits are actually being gained.
Ben Darji, network manager, Bullring

Globalisation is a disruptive force for any organisation. So it helps to have a unified communications platform that allows you to find the people with whom you need to communicate easily and quickly. IT directors need to understand how their telephony platform is plumbed into the organisation and the synergies that exist between the data and voice teams who are going to have to start talking to each other pretty soon.
Lester Hewett, senior technical architect, Avanade

Enhanced presence information is invaluable in fielding the large number of calls around the organisation to an appropriate person. Integration with our diaries means that the presence status changes according to the person’s daily activities. And it’s easy to use, moving from a phone call to an instant messaging conversation or conference call at the click of a button.
James Bacchus, head of operations, Ministry of Sound

The real big benefit to adopting unified communications is that it can be integrated into applications, changing the way that processes work in large organisations. However, people are going to have to think differently. They will have to change the way they deal with, and view, communication in the workplace.
Steve Cramoysan, research director, Gartner Research

One of the biggest challenges for the industry is to justify the productivity benefits of unified communications. I have seen wild and extravagant claims, but it’s the great goal that validates why companies should do it and justifies the investment. Many companies will implement a unified communications strategy in a step-by-step fashion, bringing it together for a low investment, while they build up the capabilities.
Peter Hall, principal analyst, Ovum