Businesses must look at
unified communications (UC) as a
method of increasing productivity and driving down costs,
according to new research from Analysys Mason.
In principle UC essentially offers a single infrastructure for
voice, video, data and email in both fixed and mobile settings, and
is being touted by vendor as being able to create
an
environment that brings out the best in workers.
In practice, UC is a complex entity that presents many
challenges in deployment such as the integration between key
applications such as desktop productivity applications and the
telecoms network.
That said, Anlaysis mason is optimistic about the opportunity
that UC can present to a new breed of workers called ‘Generation
Y’.
“Generation Y [workers are] used to instant information,
connectivity, mobility and multi-tasking. They also prefer
interdependence over independence. In other words, they often need
to collaborate with colleagues instead of working independently –
they need one another,” explained George Robertson, senior
consultant at Analysys Mason.
“[They] want access to the information they require, whenever
and wherever they need it, whether it’s files from a server or the
knowledge of a co-worker. In other words,
collaboration in data, systems, and most importantly people. An
organisation that implements a unified communications strategy can
harness this new working mentality to its advantage. Productivity
is the real driver of UC,” added Robertson.