Unified Communications.com

unified communications (UC)

By Alissa Irei

What is unified communications?

Unified communications (UC) is an umbrella term for the integration of multiple enterprise communication tools -- such as voice calling, video conferencing, instant messaging (IM), presence, content sharing, etc. -- into a single, streamlined interface, with the goal of improving user experience (UX) and productivity. Unified communications technology supports a user's ability to switch seamlessly from one mode of communication to another within a single session, whether on a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone. For example, someone might initiate a conversation via chat before escalating the interaction to a video conference with a single click, without having to open a separate, video-only application. Many UC systems also integrate with third-party business applications, such as project management software, to enable the centralization of information and resources, as well as more efficient workflows.

UC technology facilitates the integration of software that supports both real-time communications (RTC), such as voice over IP (VoIP), and asynchronous communication, such as persistent chat, so the end user has easy, immediate access to all relevant tools in a consistent environment, from any physical location and digital device. Many UC offerings also include -- or even hinge on -- team collaboration tools, which have messaging-centric workflows and cooperative features such as real-time file sharing and annotating. These next-level UC systems are also referred to as unified communications and collaboration (UCC).

The increasing popularity of unified communications is part of a larger digital transformation and cloud migration under way across today's enterprises. The COVID-19 pandemic greatly accelerated this shift, with many organizations relying heavily on UCC technologies to enable remote work.

How does unified communications work?

A unified communications environment is typically supported by one or more back-end management systems, sometimes referred to as UC platforms, that facilitate integration among services, as well as the front-end clients that provide access. For example, a web conferencing system would make use of an audio conferencing system -- which, in turn, would be built on an underlying Internet Protocol telephony platform -- and a Unified messaging client would allow click-to-talk, click-to-chat or click-to-video functionality.

UC systems and their components can be deployed on premises, in a public or private cloud, or as a combination of all three. Cloud-based UC services, also called UC as a service (UCaaS), are gaining traction. An Open Source project called WebRTC enables RTC to be embedded into web browsers. This provides users the option of accessing services via Google Chrome, for example, rather than a downloadable, standalone app.

Historically, single-vendor UC environments have demonstrated the tightest integration and compatibility. Interoperability among vendors remains an ongoing challenge in UC, but it has also been mitigated, in part, by partnerships, common protocols and open application programming interfaces (APIs).

What are the benefits of unified communications?

UC is often credited with increasing employee productivity, supporting more communication and collaboration than the legacy phone system.

Additionally, specific technologies, such as video conferencing, are linked to reduced travel costs, greater efficiency, more flexibility and better engagement. With UC technologies, employees can work from the office, their homes or the road using a variety of devices, from desktop and laptop computers to mobile devices.

The benefits of unified communications can also stretch to an organization's customer base. Organizations that integrate UCaaS solutions with social media, customer-facing apps or call center platforms can directly engage with their customers -- or students or patients in the education and healthcare sectors, respectively -- providing real-time feedback and improved service to boost customer satisfaction.

What are the components of unified communications?

The suite of tools that a UC platform might offer includes the following:

On the back end, a strong communication system may include the following:

Differences between communications and collaboration

UC and team collaboration tools overlap significantly, and vendors, IT pros and end users increasingly use the terms interchangeably. Technically, differences between business communications and collaboration exist, however, depending on how workers interact, and for what purpose, while using a given tool or feature. Email, for example, enables communication between two or more parties. And, while those parties might send and receive messages in the spirit of cooperation, their communication isn't necessarily collaborative.

Collaboration, on the other hand, involves interactively working together toward a concrete shared outcome. Imagine that a group of sales professionals needs to plan a client presentation. If they convene on a video conferencing platform to discuss the upcoming meeting, they are communicating. But, if they also have a single shared document in the cloud -- perhaps, a presentation outline, PowerPoint file or virtual whiteboard -- where each user can make changes the whole group can see, then they are also collaborating. While communication can exist without collaboration, collaboration is impossible without communication.

Why might the difference between business communications and collaboration matter? Vendors increasingly package an array of connectivity and productivity applications in their UC offerings, sometimes inaccurately describing communication features as collaborative. Customers should understand the difference between communication and collaboration, if only to have confidence they will get the value they need from any given platform or tool.

What are technologies related to UC?

UC overlaps with contact center technologies in the form of automated call distribution, interactive voice response and automated attendant systems, video chat functionality, and messaging capabilities. Integrating internal and external UC capabilities -- with in-house and customer-facing communications happening on the same platform and over the same channels -- can eliminate departmental silos and improve customer outcomes.

Other types of UC offerings embed enterprise communication tools into business processes. This concept, known as communications-enabled business processes, has evolved into communications platform as a service (CPaaS) and the use of communications APIs. Services such as presence, chat and telephony can be integrated into business applications that span the entire organization. For example, users can launch a voice call directly within a customer relationship management application.

UC risks and security issues

The biggest security challenges a business faces when implementing and maintaining its UC infrastructure are managing users' identities and access and securing data. UC strategies focus on connecting disparate technologies operating on an array of different networks, so the challenge becomes ensuring each disparate access point is secure, no matter the device or the network on which it is operating.

Additionally, UCaaS and bring your own device (BYOD) environments are becoming increasingly prevalent in enterprises. Both approaches spread out an organization's data and increase the attack surface. UCaaS also places a portion of the security responsibilities in the hands of a third-party vendor and requires an organization to thoroughly vet the security practices of the service provider.

Another potential UC security vulnerability is the exploitation of open APIs. Traditionally, open communication APIs are used to streamline workflows by enabling an organization to add customizable communication features to existing applications, removing the need for employees to switch between applications for communication. However, the open nature of the API leaves room for access credentials to be stolen. If credentials fall into the wrong hands, potentially sensitive data could be leaked.

Other significant security issues enterprise UC faces as a result of compromised access procedures and poor encryption include the following:

Organizations can take a few steps to ensure they are practicing good access management, including the following:

Unified communications platforms

When choosing a unified communications platform, an organization should ensure its preferred vendor offers a product that meets the organization's unique needs and has strong security practices in place. Some popular UC platform vendors are the following:

Criteria an organization should consider during the decision-making process include the following:

What is the future of unified communications?

The UC market is going through a period of significant transformation, particularly when it comes to UC's migration to the cloud and the growing dominance of UCaaS over purely on-premises deployments. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically hastened this shift by forcing an unprecedented percentage of the workforce to work remotely. According to a Metrigy survey, the percentage of organizations using UCaaS increased by 79% between 2019 and 2020, with more than 60% of organizations speeding up their adoption plans.

Going forward, as employees return to the office, it's clear they must have the ability to communicate from anywhere on a moment's notice. Many experts also expect enterprises to permanently embrace a hybrid work model, with a mix of in-office and remote employees. These factors make cloud-based UC technology attractive and, in many cases, necessary.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, vendors were already shifting their focus from on-premises products and support to investment in cloud-based products and will likely continue to do so in the months and years ahead. Organizations that plan to stick to on-premises solutions for the foreseeable future should be aware that only a select few vendors are still making a point of investing in on-premises UC and there may not be adequate support for this type of infrastructure in the near future. On the other hand, some experts argue that escalating cyberattacks on cloud services make a compelling case for on-premises UC systems, which offer organizations greater control over their own security.

In addition to ongoing cloud migration, users can expect vendors to continue to partner up and collaborate in creating stacks of UC tools, which can help companies capitalize on each other's strengths and improve compatibility between their respective products.

Lastly, emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, are anticipated to have an impact on the field -- although, its less clear exactly how. In addition, only 5% of companies surveyed by Metrigy used AI in their UC and collaboration experiences; 43% of companies were considering it. Some uses for AI in UC could be to break down language barriers and to improve UX.

03 Jun 2021

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