News

March 12, 2015 12 Mar'15
UC service and product preview

Check out some of the anticipated UC service and product announcements coming out of Enterprise Connect 2015.
March 09, 2015 09 Mar'15
Recap: StarLeaf room system offers Lync integration

In UC news, StarLeaf's latest video room system offers Lync integration, while CentralTouch announced a WebRTC platform to enable real-time communication in the contact center.
March 05, 2015 05 Mar'15
Jive social software boasts more metrics for targeted communications

Jive social software is delivering more relevant content to administrators and users with an updated homepage, analytics and integrations.
March 04, 2015 04 Mar'15
UC blogs: Why enterprises need effective collaboration

In this week's sUC blogs, analysts discuss why effective collaboration must be a priority for enterprises and how Google is ready to join the BYOD game with Android for Work.
March 03, 2015 03 Mar'15
AT&T, Microsoft launch joint mobile office suite

AT&T and Microsoft have launched a mobile office suite for small and medium-sized businesses that includes audio calls, video conferencing, Office 365 and tech support.
February 27, 2015 27 Feb'15
Video conferencing software cutting into hardware revenue

Video hardware revenues are expected to stagnate as video conferencing software grows in popularity. Vendors may be in trouble if they don't adapt to a changing market.
February 26, 2015 26 Feb'15
Social email, collaboration bolster inbox importance

Combining collaboration and social features into existing email platforms will encourage adoption, without forcing users to work with standalone tools.
February 18, 2015 18 Feb'15
New Cisco collaboration certs expand expertise beyond voice, video

The new Cisco collaboration certifications address the need to expand collaboration training for IT professionals beyond voice and video training.
February 18, 2015 18 Feb'15
UC blogs: Cisco finally arriving to the video streaming party?

In this week's UC blogs, analysts discuss what Cisco's partnership with VBrick means for its enterprise video streaming service and the five trends that will have a major impact on the UC market this year.
February 17, 2015 17 Feb'15
Microsoft's Sunrise app acquisition to improve mobile email experience

Microsoft has acquired Sunrise to improve the mobile email and calendaring experience in Outlook.
February 16, 2015 16 Feb'15
8x8 VoIP services now guaranteed over public Internet

A new SLA guarantees 8x8 VoIP services 99.9% of the time, even for services delivered via the public Internet.
February 12, 2015 12 Feb'15
New Plantronics devices address UC noise

While on a phone or video call, it’s pretty common to pick up some background noise -- whether it’s dogs barking, car horns blaring or a co-worker’s goofy ringtone. As offices become more open and ...
February 11, 2015 11 Feb'15
3CLogic adds WebRTC to its contact center services

3CLogic is introducing WebRTC into its portfolio of cloud-based contact center services for click-to-call functionality without the use of plug-ins.
February 03, 2015 03 Feb'15
Jive social apps give users an enterprise-grade, mobile social experience

The three new Jive social mobile apps gives users an enterprise-grade social experience in a lightweight, mobile form factor.
January 30, 2015 30 Jan'15
Video key to future of Web conferencing services

Millennials, mobile workers driving changes in organizations' attitudes and usage of Web conferencing services, study shows.
January 27, 2015 27 Jan'15
ShoreTel Common platform: Same UC applications on land or in the cloud

ShoreTel's forthcoming common UC platform gives customers an easy migration path to a hybrid or cloud-based UC approach.
January 23, 2015 23 Jan'15
Polycom RealPresence updates include new audio and visual features

Polycom has announced new audio and video enhancements to improve the user experience of video conferencing.
January 21, 2015 21 Jan'15
Lifesize Cloud, video takes on Google in business video conferencing

Lifesize Cloud updates, combined with new hardware video endpoints, competes with Google Chromebox in bringing business video conferencing to huddle rooms.
January 19, 2015 19 Jan'15
New Facebook for Work app may not address security concerns

Businesses can soon legitimately use Facebook for work, as the new business-friendly application was officially released last week.
January 16, 2015 16 Jan'15
NextPlane expands UC federation service to voice, video

NextPlane's expanded UC federation service allows users to make voice and video calls to other platforms without having to switch clients.
January 15, 2015 15 Jan'15
Will new real-time collaboration tools oust legacy products?

Enterprises should prepare to migrate to newer real-time collaboration tools as vendors release new tools that rival their own legacy products.
January 13, 2015 13 Jan'15
Software-defined networks could give UC performance a boost

Software-defined networks could be what enterprises need to ensure the performance and reliability of their UC applications and services.
January 08, 2015 08 Jan'15
The Buffalo Bills roll out new ShoreTel UC system

The Buffalo Bills have deployed a new ShoreTel unified communications system to accompany their revamped stadium.
January 07, 2015 07 Jan'15
Real-time collaboration may finally blend into business processes

Emerging real-time collaboration tools are becoming integrated into business processes, giving employees one place to go to get their work done.
November 24, 2014 24 Nov'14
Mitel backs off its ShoreTel domination plans, but should customers still be worried?

Mitel has officially shelved its plans for a ShoreTel takeover. Mitel pulled its third acquisition proposal -- several days prior to the Nov. 20 deadline -- due to " the repeated refusal of ...
November 11, 2014 11 Nov'14
Cisco finds multitasking employees are changing UC&C

A Cisco report shows shifts in work habits as multitasking and the technology that enables it, from mobile devices to UC&C tools, grow more popular.
October 29, 2014 29 Oct'14
Long-anticipated Unify UCC service Circuit seen as incomplete

Industry experts say Unify UCC service Circuit has yet to deliver the promised groundbreaking features.
October 24, 2014 24 Oct'14
Jive-Google integration deepens

A deeper Jive-Google integration will let users work simultaneously on documents within the Jive environment.
October 16, 2014 16 Oct'14
Plantronics headset review: The Voyager Legend UC

The latest Plantronics headset -- the Voyager Legend UC -- allows users to connect hands-free to their mobile devices and UC applications.
September 12, 2014 12 Sep'14
Updated Jive Present, JiveX offer better collaboration

Jive updated its cloud-based tools, including Jive Present and JiveX, for better mobility. It also unveiled early Cisco integrations.
August 13, 2014 13 Aug'14
Tighter Yammer-Microsoft integrations mean a more social Office 365

As Yammer's co-founder leaves the company, Microsoft plans to deepen the integration of Yammer with Office 365 and Outlook. Learn more about the Microsoft-Yammer social integration.
April 25, 2014 25 Apr'14
Dropbox for Business finally delivers enterprise-grade file sharing

Dropbox introduced new security features and its new collaboration platform, Project Harmony, as Dropbox for Business.
April 10, 2014 10 Apr'14
Striving for secure unified communications

With security threats on the rise, IT must pay special attention to secure unified communications components, reports Jim Romeo.
March 31, 2014 31 Mar'14
SecureLogix CTO: The UC network security issues enterprises face

SecureLogix CTO Mark Collier discusses at Enterprise Connect the UC network security issues enterprises are facing.
March 21, 2014 21 Mar'14
Plantronics pins hopes on next-gen wearable technology to ‘unify UC’

Imagine using your headset not just for calls, but to adjust the temperature of your conference room or pull up documents you need for your meeting. With the advancement of next-generation wearable technology, those capabilities may not be so far ...
March 18, 2014 18 Mar'14
Will the dying desk phone reinvent itself as a ‘multimedia device’?

ORLANDO – With the use of mobile devices and BYOD growing in the enterprise, will desk phones go the way of the rotary phone, or can they be reinvented for the future?
March 17, 2014 17 Mar'14
ShoreTel rounds out cloud offering with new 400 series for ShoreTel Sky

ORLANDO — ShoreTel announced today at Enterprise Connect 2014 that it is now shipping its 400 series IP phones for ShoreTel Sky, a series of three new deskphone options for cloud customers.
March 13, 2014 13 Mar'14
Enterprise Connect 2014: New year, same UC technologies?

The Enterprise Connect 2014 UC conference is showcasing many of the same technologies, but with the advancements enterprises are looking for.
December 05, 2013 05 Dec'13
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.
October 15, 2013 15 Oct'13
Siemens Enterprise Communications reborn as Unify; will it make a US comeback?

Siemens Enterprise Communications changed its name to Unify in a rebranding effort emphasizing unified communication technology.
September 18, 2013 18 Sep'13
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.
July 31, 2013 31 Jul'13
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.
July 24, 2013 24 Jul'13
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.
May 31, 2013 31 May'13
Lync/Skype integration helps quench user demand, IT concerns

The Lync/Skype integration will offer greater interoperability for external enterprise communications, without burdening IT.
April 03, 2013 03 Apr'13
Cloud telephony: A potential hit or miss for businesses?

Cloud telephony users describe their implantation process, pros associated with moving to the cloud and advice for prospective customers.
March 19, 2013 19 Mar'13
Vidyo bets on virtual video conferencing for desktop adoption

Vidyo is banking on virtual video conferencing software to drive desktop video adoption among businesses, claiming high growth in advance.
March 19, 2013 19 Mar'13
Are legacy voice attitudes holding back unified communications?

At Enterprise Connect 2013, some enterprises are still trying to merge legacy voice into the rest of their IT organizations.
February 27, 2013 27 Feb'13
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.
January 18, 2013 18 Jan'13
Desktop and small group video conferencing solutions on the rise

Small group video conferencing solutions are emerging for enterprises looking to extend roundtable video conference meetings to lower-level workers.
November 08, 2012 08 Nov'12
Enterprise mobility needs could ramp up UCaaS market

The UCaaS market has been slowly evolving. As enterprises shift to using mobile devices to access UC applications, however, UCaaS could mature.
October 31, 2012 31 Oct'12
Cisco SBC technology beats Acme Packet as enterprise market leader

Cisco SBC technology leads SBC market, more enterprises are choosing SBC technology from their UC vendor for greater interoperability and lower costs.
September 25, 2012 25 Sep'12
Collaboration during crisis with the Avaya Notification Solution

The new release of the Avaya Notification Solution offers collaboration and communication for crisis management or everyday business continuity scenarios.
August 29, 2012 29 Aug'12
Hosted vs. multi-tenant UCaaS: What are enterprises receiving?

As multi-tenant and hosted UC models emerge, enterprises must read between the lines to select the right service delivery model for UCaaS.
June 28, 2012 28 Jun'12
Microsoft announces Yammer acquisition, launches social strategy

Microsoft officially announces Yammer acquisition, an effort to accelerate social strategy and cloud services.
April 26, 2012 26 Apr'12
Enterprise wish list: Video conferencing interoperability

Service providers and vendors are trying to develop video conferencing interoperability for enterprises. InterCall and Blue Jeans Network partner for B2B video conferencing.
April 19, 2012 19 Apr'12
Enterprises leaning toward managed video-conferencing services

Enterprises are turning to service providers for managed video-conferencing services to mitigate risk and lower operational costs.
February 15, 2012 15 Feb'12
Video conferencing essential to disaster recovery communications

Video conferencing and telepresence have become essential parts of a disaster recovery communications plan for both government agencies and enterprises.
January 11, 2012 11 Jan'12
UCaaS Magic Quadrant: Providers not ready for large enterprises

Gartner's latest Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) Magic Quadrant reveals an immature market that is better suited for SMBs than large enterprises.
August 11, 2011 11 Aug'11
Breaking cultural barriers to enterprise social software adoption

The barriers to enterprise social software adoption are more cultural than technical. In this Q&A, Caleb Barlow, IBM director of UC, explains how UC pros can overcome them.
June 02, 2011 02 Jun'11
Unify UC user experience for mobile, bring your own device initiatives

With increasing focus on mobility and bring your own device initiatives, UC pros must ensure that users who juggle multiple devices have a unified user experience.
May 05, 2011 05 May'11
Soft PBX adds flexibility to VoIP business continuity strategy

Legacy TDM voice was often too expensive to build into a business continuity strategy. VoIP changed that, and some UC managers find more flexibility in soft PBX platforms.
March 31, 2011 31 Mar'11
Telepresence recording gets smarter with searchable video, auto-tags

Who wants to sit through a 90-minute telepresence recording when only a fraction of it is relevant? In response, vendors are adding ways to search and tag content.
February 10, 2011 10 Feb'11
VoIP security issues: How you might become a target for TDoS attacks

The maturation of VoIP deployments has opened UC pros to a new world of VoIP security issues -- telephony denial of service (TDoS) attacks. Contact centers are prime targets.
October 28, 2010 28 Oct'10
Don't overprovision mobile UC licenses; most users just need the basics

When developing a mobile unified communications strategy, UC pros must not uniformly deploy the same set of mobile UC applications enterprise-wide. Instead, they should take a tiered approach -- basic features for most, advanced for some -- to avoid...
September 23, 2010 23 Sep'10
Do tablet touch screen interfaces make mobile UC slick or clumsy?

Touch screen interfaces may not revolutionize mobile unified communications (UC) -- the keyboard's death knell hasn't rung just yet -- but they can make some applications more intuitive for users who otherwise find mobile UC too clunky.
May 06, 2010 06 May'10
Will 4G make mobile video conferencing good enough for enterprises?

Wireless operators promise higher bandwidth and lower latency with 4G networks, but it remains unclear whether the benefits of mobile video conferencing for enterprises will compensate for its limitations.
February 03, 2010 03 Feb'10
Best practices guide: Testing VoIP system power consumption

To accurately benchmark VoIP system power consumption, a number of factors must be taken into account, such as VoIP handset configuration, the LAN infrastructure, system states, steady-state power draw, power factor and other variables. This guide ...
May 07, 2009 07 May'09
Instant messaging strategies: Usage policy and training are key

Some people still believe that unified communications begins and ends with Voice over IP. But instant messaging is just as critical, if not more so. And establishing an instant messaging strategy is essential. Otherwise everyone in an enterprise ...
July 10, 2008 10 Jul'08
Social media challenges reside with users, not technology

Strict network policing will not solve productivity problems stemming from excessive social media use, and the tactic could backfire. IT managers should embrace social media in the enterprise and create best practice guidelines for employee usage...

November 27, 2007 27 Nov'07
VoIP saves company long-distance, bandwidth costs

VoIP and unified messaging have helped one automotive company cut long-distance costs and streamline communications.

October 15, 2007 15 Oct'07
VoIP certification credentials

In this Voice over IP (VoIP) certification survey, we take a look at available certifications that IT pros can obtain to perfect their voice skills.

September 17, 2007 17 Sep'07
Open communications vs. closed communications?

Open communications are key to making the inevitable multimodal, multi-vendor communication environment work, so why aren't more vendors providing open-source solutions?

February 26, 2007 26 Feb'07
Top 10 VoIP search terms

The top ten VoIP search terms and definitions. Keep tabs on the most popular VoIP terms – updated regularly.

January 29, 2007 29 Jan'07
VoIP case studies: What you need to know

Case studies are the next best thing to being there. Learn how others overcame the expected and the unexpected challenges of a VoIP migration in our case studies series.

January 25, 2006 25 Jan'06
Fixed mobile convergence: The past, present and future

FMC is about the battle between mobile and fixed operators and for the building, however VoIP operators are making a strong play for the market. Learn why an aggressive FMS strategy is a win-win approach for both end-users and operators.

May 24, 2005 24 May'05
Pizza Pizza serves up call center innovation

Through VoIP, this Canadian delivery chain is using a virtual call center to take orders from all over the country, with many agents working from home.

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