Manage

Manage

Learn to apply best practices and optimize your operations.

• Preparing for IETF-mandated WebRTC video codecs

  Expert Tsahi Levent-Levi said enterprises will face challenges in the IETF decision to require VP8 and H.264 codecs for WebRTC video in browsers. Continue Reading

• Social customer service next up in call centers

  Social customer service is engaging customers where they gather online. Expert Lisa Durant explains how to best handle these online interactions. Continue Reading

• Are bulk or individual UC software licenses a better fit for you?

  When does bulk licensing make sense? When is it cheaper than buying individual licenses? Expert Carrie Higbie tells you how to avoid paying too much for your UC software licenses. Continue Reading

• Does Microsoft offer a PBX replacement?

  Does Microsoft offer a PBX? How can it replace a PBX? Unified messaging expert Richard Luckett explains how Microsoft Lync Server acts as a PBX replacement. Continue Reading

• SIP security checklist helps lock down your SIP trunks

  Part five of our series, SIP Trunking Explained, walks you through the dos and don'ts to prevent SIP security breaches that could lead to toll fraud using a layered approach. Continue Reading

• Calculating VoIP bandwidth needs for SIP trunk services

  Part three of our series, SIP Trunking Explained, looks at the amount of VoIP bandwidth you'll need to avoid latency for SIP trunk services via a dedicated line or an Internet connection.Continue Reading

• Finding SIP trunking providers that meet your needs

  Part two of our series, SIP Trunking Explained, offers advice on how to find SIP trunking providers that meet your needs and how to enable your legacy equipment to make SIP trunking services possible.Continue Reading

• Why should you implement QoS for VoIP?

  Why should enterprises implement QoS for VoIP? Telephony expert Jon Arnold explains why QoS is vital to measure the performance of voice services.Continue Reading

• Why should you enhance WebRTC security?

  If WebRTC is natively encrypted, why would anyone need to improve on WebRTC security? Expert Carrie Higbie explains why it's smart to complement WebRTC with additional security measures.Continue Reading

• Unified platform management needed for hybrid cloud UC

  Maturing hybrid cloud UC deployments strike a balance between on-premises controls and outsourced UC apps that enable universal UC platform management as enterprises work to best meet the needs of different end-user groups.Continue Reading

• A new take on video conferencing in healthcare

  In this Q&A, an engineer at the Ryan Seacrest Foundation describes how his organization is using Polycom video conferencing in pediatric hospitals to improve the quality of life for young patients receiving care there.Continue Reading

• What does 'per-seat' licensing mean in UC?

  Expert Jon Arnold explains the meaning of a per-seat license in terms of how it applies to unified communications software.Continue Reading

• Preparing your enterprise for video integration

  Learn what you need to be prepared for enterprise video integration, from collaboration use cases to the network requirements of video.Continue Reading

• How to add UC to your call center design

  The first step in call center design is knowing the communication needs of the agents. Matt Brunk explains what UC technology is needed for a call center.Continue Reading

• How to successfully integrate video into your UC architecture

  To successfully adopt video conferencing, enterprises must be sure their UC architecture is prepared. Irwin Lazar explains how to integrate video and the challenges enterprises face.Continue Reading

• Improve collaboration with enterprise video

  Enterprises that want to improve collaboration can look no further than deploying video. In this webinar, Irwin Lazar explains why video is vital to collaboration.Continue Reading

• Preparing your network to support video

  Video can be the worst kind of traffic an enterprise can bring to its network. Learn the options available to enterprises forsupporting video traffic.Continue Reading

• Do we need a PBX system to use VoIP?

  Is a PBX system required when organizations move to VoIP? Or do they need to replace it? Telephony expert Jon Arnold explains the options available to organizations.Continue Reading

• Video sharing: Your kids can do it. Why can't your employees?

  As video sharing pervades consumer lives, enterprises must make room for it in the workplace. Nemertes Research explains the business case, concerns and tips for video content management.Continue Reading

• Which UC and VoIP equipment is essential in the enterprise?

  When it comes to UC and VoIP equipment, there is no one-size-fits-all for enterprises, according to telephony expert Matt Brunk. Brunk explains how you can measure your enterprise's UC and VoIP equipment needs.Continue Reading

• What role do FCC regulations play in corporate communications?

  Telecom expert Matt Brunk explains the role FCC regulations play in corporate communications, from Title 47 regulations to issues like net neutrality.Continue Reading

• Is a UC user dashboard the same as a single pane of glass?

  Vendors have many names for the user dashboard in a UC system. Expert Carrie Higbie explains how it compares to a single pane of glass.Continue Reading

• SBCs aren't a UC security silver bullet: Try monitoring, analytics

  UC security must be a part of the network security picture. Enterprises are turning to providers for help with securing VoIP and video traffic.Continue Reading

• Secure Internet feeds are part of a Heartbleed fix

  The Heartbleed bug left 600,000 Internet feeds exposed. Here are some lessons learned to keep future UC applications secure.Continue Reading

• When buying contact center applications, don't be oversold

  When buying contact center applications, some enterprises will need to focus on basic functionality instead of the bells and whistles.Continue Reading

• What is a jitter buffer used for?

  Telecom expert Matt Brunk explains the uses for a jitter buffer on a VoIP network and the importance of configuring it properly.Continue Reading

• New WebRTC applications and services focus on user experience

  As enterprises think about adopting WebRTC applications and services already on the market, vendors are focusing on WebRTC quality of experience.Continue Reading

• How is VoIP different from a virtual PBX?

  Telephony expert Jon Arnold explains how VoIP and virtual PBX are different, but related.Continue Reading

• Steps to successful mobile unified communication deployment

  Follow these steps to effectively deploy mobile unified communication in your enterprise.Continue Reading

• Don't get swindled by false VoIP over NFV service claims

  In this early stage of network functions virtualization (NFV) adoption, enterprises must be wary of false NFV service claims for VoIP and UC services.Continue Reading

• Monitor real-time communications or they will fail

  Supporting real-time communications is an ongoing process. Vendors and providers are offering voice and video testing, monitoring tools and services.Continue Reading

• Do enterprises need to secure communications platforms?

  With data security breaches headlining the news, UC expert Carrie Higbie explains why enterprises should secure communications platforms.Continue Reading

• Deploying real-time video and voice? Get your network ready, first

  Before deploying real-time communications, enterprises must ready their networks by planning and testing bandwidth-intensive applications.Continue Reading

• UC mobile applications: Four deployment factors to consider

  Are you looking to deploy UC mobile applications? Take a look at four factors IT should evaluate before adding video or Web conferencing to a tablet.Continue Reading

• Lync-Skype integration can upend UC, but Microsoft must play it right

  It's not enough for Microsoft to just make Skype work with Lync, says one IT pro. The platforms must marry B2B with B2C in a seamless way.Continue Reading

• Benefits of video conferencing include less travel, but it's not No. 1

  Reduced travel has long been the top reason to deploy video, but enterprises find the soft benefits of video conferencing reap greater rewards.Continue Reading

• Cloud UC users share deployment wins and trials at Enterprise Connect

  Enterprise users and consultants share their hosted VoIP and cloud UC deployment stories at Enterprise Connect.Continue Reading

• Can VoIP softphones replace desk phones? Six ways to make it work

  Enterprises looking at VoIP softphones for employees with laptops and mobile devices should follow six guidelines to boost user adoption.Continue Reading

• Lync-Skype integration can upend UC, but Microsoft must play it right

  Continue Reading

• Enterprise Connect keynote: Cater to Millennials or cut them off?

  At Enterprise Connect, attendees and speakers argued about whether to give Millennial employees the tools they want.Continue Reading

• Three use cases for Wireshark VoIP and UC network forensics

  Find out how to use Wireshark VoIP and UC packet capture, and learn from three main use cases why they are valuable to VoIP administrators.Continue Reading

• When should you deploy a WebRTC application?

  WebRTC is well on its way to becoming a UC standard, but when should you consider deploying a WebRTC application?Continue Reading

• Supporting mobility with a unified communications technology strategy

  To successfully implement mobile collaboration, enterprises must have a strong unified communications technology strategy.Continue Reading

• How to integrate mobile UC products into your infrastructure

  Integrating mobile UC products hinges on how well you understand your infrastructure requirements.Continue Reading

• How UC mobility changes your enterprise

  Unified communications and collaboration (UCC) has traditionally focused on the desktop, but due to an expanding mobile workforce and the bring your own device (BYOD) movement, extending UC to mobile devices is the new challenge. Sophisticated ...Continue Reading

• Can UC technology be tied to a smart grid system?

  Can utility companies tie UC technology to a smart grid system? Expert Carrie Higbie explains how they already have.Continue Reading

• How to build a successful enterprise mobile platform for UC

  A strong enterprise mobile platform is critical to ensure mobile UC technology is successfully deployed within an enterprise.Continue Reading

• Mitel contact center software boosts self-service, mobile management

  Flagship Mitel Contact Center offering expanded to include new self-service options for callers, mobile management for call center supervisors.Continue Reading

• How does bursty traffic affect quality of service on a VoIP network?

  UC expert Matt Brunk explains what 'bursty traffic' is and how it affects quality of service on a VoIP network.Continue Reading

• Four main uses illustrate need for WebRTC gateways

  WebRTC promises easy communication between browsers for video conferencing and voice, but the need for WebRTC gateways is clear.Continue Reading

• UC federation primer: Merging UC tools for unfettered communications

  This UC federation primer explores the definition and 'flavors' of UC federation, and what vendors and service providers offer federation services.Continue Reading

• Got UC deployment plans? Make sure you got buy in

  Creating a strong UC deployment plan doesn't just mean selecting the right technology. Find out what three requirements you have to address.Continue Reading

• How to evaluate mobile UC capabilities and mobile integration limits

  As employees bring their mobile devices to the enterprise, IT architects must evaluate the capabilities and mobile integration limits of UC plans.Continue Reading

• Is an SBC and an E-SBC the same thing?

  Is there a difference between SBCs and E-SBCs? IT expert Michael Brandenburg explains how the industry differentiates between the two terms.Continue Reading

• VoIP and unified communications define the future

  Chapter 6 of the book "VoIP and Unified Communications: Internet Telephony and the Future Voice Network" offers a history of VoIP and UC technologies.Continue Reading

• Unified communications 2013 recap: Top news, tips and what we learned

  In this unified communications 2013 recap, we count down the year's top tips, news highlights and go over what we learned.Continue Reading

• Top 10 UC tech news highlights of 2013

  What big UC tech news articles did you miss in 2013? We highlight unified communications news stories in this top 10 countdown.Continue Reading

• Answers to your top UC questions of 2013

  Check out our experts' answers to your top UC questions of 2013, from explaining the different conferencing methods to the benefits of SIP trunking.Continue Reading

• How can UC&C advance project management?

  UC strategies expert Matt Brunk explains how unified communications and collaboration can advance project management.Continue Reading

• Implementing CEBP in the enterprise

  Esna's Davide Petramala explains how enterprises can discover the advantages of CEBP and determine what business processes could benefit from it.Continue Reading

• UCaaS Magic Quadrant sees increased relevance of systems integrators

  Systems integrators bring customization expertise to the UCaaS market, which could help make UCaaS more attractive to larger businesses.Continue Reading

• How can IT measure the call rate for an endpoint?

  Video expert Stephen K. Campbell explains what call rate is and how call rate can be measured for video conference endpoints.Continue Reading

• Building the business webcam use case; solving common install issues

  This Q&A interview with video conferencing expert Stephen Campbell explains the use cases for business webcams and how to solve common install issues.Continue Reading

• Business social software adoption: How to make it successful

  Even all the benefits of business social software can't ensure enterprise adoption. Here are four tactics to make your social deployment successful.Continue Reading

• How do you calculate the bandwidth of a mobile video conference system?

  Videoconferencing expert Steve Campbell explains how to measure bandwidth of a mobile video conference to size for your video system deployment.Continue Reading

• How social collaboration platforms enhance contact center performance

  Looking to improve the performance ratings of your contact center? Consider using social collaboration platforms internally.Continue Reading

• Tightly integrated UC architecture gives ROI a boost

  Enterprises are beginning to notice a more tangible ROI for UC architecture deployments and tools, like cloud and video.Continue Reading

• How can I get the best video equipment price in vendor negotiations?

  Learn how to negotiate the best price for video conferencing products and other networking equipment when preparing for your vendor negotiations.Continue Reading

• Make video work: Ensuring a successful deployment

  In order to make video work for your enterprise, IT professionals need to tackle the technicalities that go along with a videoconferencing deployment.Continue Reading

• Enterprise social network software: Integrate with business applications

  Enterprises need social network software that can integrate with existing UC and business platforms, according to 'Gartner's Magic Quadrant report.Continue Reading

• UC & collaboration breathing new life into call center technology

  UC and collaboration tools are bolstering call center technology, enabling active customer service strategies. Social media is the next step.Continue Reading

• TDoS attacks on the rise: Who is at risk and what to do under attack

  Telephone denial of service, or TDoS, attacks are increasing and no one is exempt. Learn what to do during a TDoS attack and how to prevent one.Continue Reading

• Enterprises need Microsoft Lync monitoring to ensure UC performance

  Lync environments need combined UC, network performance monitoring tools. NetSout's nGenius gains certification for Lync UC environments.Continue Reading

• Can unified communications make simple project management?

  Our general unified communications expert explains how the technology can be used to make project management simple.Continue Reading

• Social project management tools: Conversations, tasks in one place

  Social project management tools can boost productivity. Clarizen updates its collaboration tool, combining project management with social engagement.Continue Reading

• Polycom scales up video management software and enhances SMB management

  Polycom adds scalability to its video management software and announces RealPresence Video DualManager for SMBs for evolving video network demands.Continue Reading

• Social strategies: Enterprise-grade software, or consumer tools?

  Many enterprise social strategies still include consumer tools, but businesses are starting to realize the benefits of enterprise social software.Continue Reading

• Google applications: Deeper integration between Voice, Hangouts

  Google drops XMPP and integrates its voice app into Hangouts to unify Google applications for a blended social experience.Continue Reading

• Lync/Skype integration helps quench user demand, IT concerns

  The Lync/Skype integration will offer greater interoperability for external enterprise communications, without burdening IT.Continue Reading

• How to keep your UC&C deployment from failing

  Ovum research firm statistics point to challenges that could keep a unified communication and collaboration (UC&C) deployment from succeeding.Continue Reading

• Four steps for managing multiple unified communications vendors

  Managing multiple vendors in any IT environment is difficult. Try mixing UC vendors and it's next to impossible. These 4 steps ease multivendor woes.Continue Reading

• What do I do after I've integrated my existing UC applications?

  After integrating existing UC applications as part of a UC solution, there are steps that need to be taken, says Irwin Lazar of Nemertes Research.Continue Reading

• Yorktel VCMCS combines VideoCloud with managed services

  Continue Reading

• Glowpoint OpenVideo Cloud collaborates with managed video services

  Continue Reading

• Defining an enterprise strategy to reap social media benefits

  In order to reap social media benefits, enterprises must define a social media strategy, which includes revisiting technology and security policies.Continue Reading

• Enterprise social tools need UC integration to thrive

  Enterprise social tools won't become part of users' daily routines without some integration with basic UC services like voice and messaging.Continue Reading

• Blue Jeans Network integrates Lync-Skype and room-based video

  In addition to integrating Microsoft Lync and Skype, Blue Jeans Network enables screensharing and conferencing with room-based video.Continue Reading

• Corporate collaboration: The essential ingredient to any UC strategy

  Enterprises are beginning to learn that the essential ingredient to any UC strategy is corporate collaboration. Learn to successfully integrate UC&C.Continue Reading

• Buying social software won't give you a social networking strategy

  Enterprise social software spending is increasing, but business needs a social networking strategy to ensure employees use the technology.Continue Reading

• Integration between cloud-based UC apps require cloud federation

  Third-party vendors offer cloud federation as enterprises seek integration among their mixed vendor, cloud-based UC apps.Continue Reading

• Advances in integrating UC apps into VDI environments

  Unified communications in virtual desktop infrastructure causes network performance problems. Find out how to integrate UC apps into VDI environments.Continue Reading

• UC&C vendors must integrate collaborative tools for good communication

  For the most effective communication, companies with a UC&C strategy must implement collaborative tools that adapt to users -- not the reverse.Continue Reading

• Mobile device adoption alters UC strategies

  As the BYOD revolution unfurls, enterprises find that mobile device adoption requires an alteration to current unified communications (UC) strategies.Continue Reading

• Productivity gains outrank PBX issues in Lync deployment

  Continue Reading

• Users deploy Lync citing easy Windows integration

  Continue Reading

• Cisco collaboration sales blamed on lack of integration, simplicity

  Cisco collaboration sales have dropped by 8% in 2012. Enterprises need a simpler, tightly integrated collaboration and UC offering.Continue Reading

• Use session management for a successful unified communications deployment

  To ensure a successful unified communications deployment, consider the benefits that session management features bring to the project.Continue Reading

• Cloud UC strategies: Hosted unified communication service models diverge

  The way workers are collaborating is changing the way unified communications is delivered. See which cloud UC strategies vendors are providing.Continue Reading

• Will Skype, Lync integration kick-start UC federation?

  Microsoft releases Skype integration plans with Lync, raising hopes for further UC federation efforts in the market.Continue Reading

• Microsoft announces Yammer acquisition, launches social strategy

  Microsoft officially announces Yammer acquisition, an effort to accelerate social strategy and cloud services.Continue Reading