News

December 23, 2015 23 Dec'15
Talko acquisition caps year of UC services consolidation

This past year saw a surge of mergers and acquisitions among UC services, most recently with Microsoft buying startup Talko. Experts think this trend will continue in 2016.
December 21, 2015 21 Dec'15
Keen UC insight the hallmark of 2015

In 2015, intriguing developments shaped the unified communications industry, highlighted in part by the emergence of Skype for Business, and the impact of WebRTC and VoIP technology.
December 17, 2015 17 Dec'15
RingCentral launches new Apple Watch application

In UC news, RingCentral launches its mobile app for the Apple Watch, while a report finds that employee video skills are increasingly important in the workplace.
December 11, 2015 11 Dec'15
Polycom phone portfolio supports Microsoft Cloud PBX

Polycom's line-of-business phones now offer support for Microsoft's telephony service, while the conferencing services market is seeing a shift toward video.
December 10, 2015 10 Dec'15
Cisco, Microsoft UC battle to benefit tech buyers

Tech buyers can take advantage of the fight between Cisco and Microsoft for UC customers -- a battle that intensified this week with Cisco's overhaul of Spark.
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December 10, 2015 10 Dec'15
Mitel, Vidyo bolster partnership, video collaboration tools

Mitel has strengthened its partnership with Vidyo in order to boost video collaboration tools within its unified communications services.
December 08, 2015 08 Dec'15
Cisco reinforces Spark as cloud-based PBX, UC service

About a week after a similar announcement from Microsoft, Cisco has reinvented Spark as a UCaaS offering, targeting small and medium-sized businesses and featuring cloud-based telephony.
December 03, 2015 03 Dec'15
Microsoft's new Office 365 Enterprise E5 heats up SMB market

Microsoft's new Office 365 Enterprise E5 is expected to heat up the competition with Cisco and other telephony vendors in the SMB market.
November 30, 2015 30 Nov'15
UC briefs: Unify updates team collaboration app pricing for SMBs

Unify has updated the pricing of its Circuit team collaboration app to appeal to SMBs, while Genband and SAP partnered to provide real-time collaboration for customer engagement.
November 24, 2015 24 Nov'15
Cisco to connect video conferencing technology with Acano

Cisco acquisition of video conferencing technology specialist Acano would provide a bridge between Cisco UC software and Microsoft Skype for Business.
November 24, 2015 24 Nov'15
UC is dead, long live UC?

Unified communications will soon reach its "use by" date, and the next evolution of enterprise communications is around the corner, analysts say. But what exactly is coming next? UC has reached ...
November 24, 2015 24 Nov'15
ThinkingPhones acquires Fuze to bolster video conferencing service

UCaaS provider ThinkingPhones is taking a mobile-first approach to enhancing its video and Web collaboration capabilities by acquiring cloud video provider Fuze.
November 19, 2015 19 Nov'15
Growing demand for video conferencing in huddle rooms

The popularity of office huddle rooms is behind a growing demand for low-cost video conferencing in the small meeting spaces.
November 17, 2015 17 Nov'15
Atos-Unify deal leaves customer questions open for now

With Atos set to acquire Unify, UC customers are in limbo about the future of their Unify services and platforms until deal closes in early 2016.
November 13, 2015 13 Nov'15
Blue Jeans revamps user interface for video meetings

Video collaboration services provider Blue Jeans has launched a new interface, video integrations and analytics capabilities. The new look, considered overdue, should boost usability.
November 12, 2015 12 Nov'15
Microsoft updates Lync video conferencing technology

Microsoft updates Lync Room System, giving the video conferencing technology the same user interface as Skype for Business.
November 10, 2015 10 Nov'15
UC briefs: RingCentral debuts Glip team collaboration app

RingCentral's Glip collaboration app is now available for RingCentral Office customers, while Masergy launches a virtual meeting room conferencing service.
November 09, 2015 09 Nov'15
Embedded apps a hot UC trend

More businesses want UC software with third-party embedded apps that range from social media updates to notifications when networks go down.
November 03, 2015 03 Nov'15
UC briefs: Microsoft tops social software in the workplace

Gartner's Magic Quadrant report for enterprise social software named Microsoft a market leader, while Polycom's third-quarter revenue is seeing short- and long-term declines.
November 02, 2015 02 Nov'15
BroadSoft UC-One Hub bolsters cloud-based communications

Enterprise applications are central in BroadSoft's new UC-One Hub cloud-based communications tool.
November 02, 2015 02 Nov'15
Facebook at Work taps into social networking for businesses

Despite brand recognition, familiarity and big customer wins, Facebook's business offering faces hurdles in the enterprise social networking market.
October 29, 2015 29 Oct'15
Tely extends cloud video conferencing to small rooms

Tely's newest endpoint aims to help enterprises expand their cloud video services beyond the desktop and into small meeting rooms for greater collaboration across the workforce.
October 28, 2015 28 Oct'15
Mobile-first development for enterprises growing

With a growing number of remote workers, businesses want vendors to focus on mobile-first applications for unified communications.
October 23, 2015 23 Oct'15
How the Xbox spawned the Microsoft Surface Hub

Microsoft executive Michael Angiulo had a thought: If a couple teenagers in separate parts of the country, or world, can connect in a minute or two and talk, look at and play a video game together, ...
October 21, 2015 21 Oct'15
UC briefs: Global UCaaS market poised for significant growth

Telephony services and enterprise mobility drive substantial growth in the UCaaS market, while Yorktel announces the launch of its Univago video suite.
October 16, 2015 16 Oct'15
Understanding the small business VoIP transition

Small and midsize businesses are looking to make the VoIP transition to solve the problems caused by legacy phone services and meet the needs of a changing workforce.
October 13, 2015 13 Oct'15
UC briefs: Video conferencing room deployments vary widely

A Wainhouse Research study shows how enterprise size impacts the approach to video conferencing deployments, while Polycom unveils new collaboration products.
October 05, 2015 05 Oct'15
Jive-n collaboration tool gets more social on mobile devices

Jive rolls out a social intranet to add community to employee collaboration on mobile devices.
September 29, 2015 29 Sep'15
UC briefs: Mobility, APIs driving UCaaS market

A recent Gartner Magic Quadrant report shows how the UCaaS market is evolving for enterprise mobility, while an IDG study shows the impact of UC tools on productivity.
September 24, 2015 24 Sep'15
New Microsoft Office 2016 touts collaboration

The new Microsoft Office 2016 includes a Groups collaboration tool for building convenient team workspaces.
September 23, 2015 23 Sep'15
Communication integration drives business app productivity

Mobility and the cloud have become the primary drivers for organizations to integrate communication capabilities like voice and video with business applications. Moving unified communications (UC) ...
September 18, 2015 18 Sep'15
Verizon, CenturyLink top SIP trunking provider ranking

Verizon and CenturyLink take the top two spots in an IHS Infonetics SIP trunking provider ranking of the top 10 providers in North America.
September 16, 2015 16 Sep'15
Companies look for email alternatives

More companies are seeking email alternatives to curb an overabundance of information.
September 15, 2015 15 Sep'15
UC briefs: StrongLoop acquisition buoys IBM app development

In UC news this week, IBM acquires StrongLoop to support IBM app development in the enterprise, while NetFortris announces four new UC services.
September 14, 2015 14 Sep'15
WebEx integration with Spark advances Cisco UC

Cisco combines mobile and Web collaboration with Spark and WebEx integration.
September 10, 2015 10 Sep'15
Microsoft acquires VoloMetrix to improve Office 365 data analytics

Microsoft acquired VoloMetrix to mine Office 365 data for better intelligence on employee productivity.
September 09, 2015 09 Sep'15
UC blogs: Industry leaders collaborate on open WebRTC video codec

In this week's blogs, UC analysts discuss the Alliance for Open Media's plan for an open WebRTC video codec, and BlackBerry's EMM market position.
September 04, 2015 04 Sep'15
Polycom video conferencing gets tighter integration with Skype for Business

Polycom video conferencing system RealPresence provides better content sharing in Microsoft Skype for Business.
September 03, 2015 03 Sep'15
Apple, Cisco to improve iOS for business, UC&C

Apple and Cisco are partnering to improve iOS for business. Analysts say UC&C performance could get better on devices running the mobile OS.
September 01, 2015 01 Sep'15
UC briefs: Global spending on SaaS apps on the rise

Global spending on enterprise SaaS apps is expected to reach $201 billion in 2019; IR debuts service to help organizations migrate to Office 365.
August 31, 2015 31 Aug'15
A new chapter for mobile UC and collaboration apps

Have mobile unified communications and collaboration apps finally outgrown their awkward adolescence?
August 27, 2015 27 Aug'15
Businesses get behind mobile-first development for UC

With enterprises increasingly dependent on mobile devices, UC vendors that tackle mobile-first development can differentiate themselves.
August 26, 2015 26 Aug'15
Which WebRTC video codec will prevail?

Cisco recently announced a new WebRTC video codec named Thor, which joins the fray of other video codecs competing for compatibility dominance.
August 26, 2015 26 Aug'15
Hosted IP telephony market reaching mass adoption

More organizations are deploying hosted IP telephony and UCC services to reap the benefits of the cloud, according to a report from Frost & Sullivan.
August 25, 2015 25 Aug'15
UC blogs: Kollective, Panopto form video platform partnership

In this week's UC blogs, analysts discuss Panopto and Kollective's potential enterprise streaming video platform partnership, as well as the innovative features of Enghouse's contact center platforms.
August 20, 2015 20 Aug'15
ShoreTel offers single UC client trend for cloud, on-premises software

ShoreTel launched a single UC client for cloud and on-premises software designed to ease use of both.
August 19, 2015 19 Aug'15
Gartner debuts Magic Quadrant for group video

A market evolution has led Gartner to create a Magic Quadrant for group video systems, as enterprises focus not only on endpoints, but infrastructure and interoperability with their room system deployments.
August 18, 2015 18 Aug'15
UC briefs: Cisco developing new video codec

In UC news this week, Cisco is developing a new video codec following licensing issues with H.265, while wearable technology is making its way into the enterprise.
August 14, 2015 14 Aug'15
Microsoft refreshes Yammer mobile

Microsoft has made it easier for corporate employees to use Yammer mobile for team collaboration.
August 11, 2015 11 Aug'15
Digium joins rivals in providing WebRTC mobile app tools

Digium introduces WebRTC mobile app development tools. The communications tech vendor joins a host of companies bringing WebRTC to mobile devices.
August 10, 2015 10 Aug'15
UC blogs: Approaches to public cloud security monitoring

In UC blogs, analysts discuss how enterprises approach public cloud security monitoring and the different categories of contact center chat vendors.
August 05, 2015 05 Aug'15
ThinkingPhones collaboration app integrates with Gmail

ThinkingPhones integrates click-to-call, instant messaging and presence capabilities into Gmail. The collaboration app looks to limit context switch.
August 03, 2015 03 Aug'15
UC briefs: Silent Circle joins Android for Work program

In UC news, Silent Circle announces its Blackphone 2 will launch as part of the Android for Work program, while Jive will release its mobile directory app this month.
August 03, 2015 03 Aug'15
Organizations slow to upgrade legacy communication platforms

Organizations are holding out on updating their legacy communication platforms and endpoints until they can justify the cost of a new rollout.
July 28, 2015 28 Jul'15
UC blogs: Building on your enterprise mobility strategy

In UC blogs this week, analysts discuss how a mobile center of excellence can support an enterprise mobility strategy and how enterprises can evaluate PaaS applications.
July 22, 2015 22 Jul'15
Office 365 telephony an emerging threat to Cisco UCM

Microsoft is building out Office 365 telephony, a strategy that could trump Cisco in providing an all-in-one communications suite.
July 21, 2015 21 Jul'15
Lack of employee training equals lack of UC success

Employees aren't using UC tools because they're not trained on them or don't know about them, which limits UC success, according to a new report.
July 21, 2015 21 Jul'15
UC briefs: 8x8 unveils new contact center analytics

In UC news this week, 8x8 announces new contact center analytics capabilities, while IDC reveals the top UC and collaboration vendors.
July 20, 2015 20 Jul'15
Organizations opting for single-vendor UC architecture

Struggles with interoperability, cost and user experience have led organizations to move away from a multivendor UC architecture.
July 17, 2015 17 Jul'15
Is your PBX bad for business?

The legacy PBX is still a fixture for some organizations, but it may be holding them back from reaching their business goals. 8x8's Mike Reinhart, senior product marketing manager, and David Leach, ...
July 14, 2015 14 Jul'15
UC blogs: Enterprise tablet market growing

In UC blogs this week, analysts discuss the factors driving the enterprise tablet market, and how vendors are approaching WebRTC testing.
July 08, 2015 08 Jul'15
Dell unveils UC tools for comparing Cisco UCM with Microsoft Skype

Dell's latest version of Unified Communications Command Suite has UC tools for comparing Cisco UC Manager and Microsoft Skype for Business.
July 07, 2015 07 Jul'15
UC briefs: Video conferencing services grow worldwide

In UC news, a Technavio report shows the trends in the global video conferencing services market, while Office 365 previews Skype for Business updates.
July 02, 2015 02 Jul'15
The three UC issues to address before you deploy

Before making the move to unified communications (UC), every organization must prioritize three issues: scalability, application integration and security. Failure to address these issues can have ...
July 01, 2015 01 Jul'15
UC services, projects rank modestly in networking survey

UC services, projects and planned investments rank in the middle of the pack among IT pros' networking goals in a recent TechTarget survey.
June 30, 2015 30 Jun'15
UC briefs: IBM and Box make collaboration partnership

In UC news, IBM and Box announce a collaboration partnership, while LogMeIn updates its join.me application for new video capabilities.
June 26, 2015 26 Jun'15
UC blogs: Redefining collaborative technology

In this week's blogs, analysts discuss how vendors were redefining collaborative technology at InfoComm, and how concerns over WebRTC can be addressed.
June 24, 2015 24 Jun'15
RingCentral acquires Glip for team collaboration capabilities

RingCentral acquires Glip to strengthen its portfolio as enterprises put more focus on team collaboration applications.
June 24, 2015 24 Jun'15
Vidyo launches drone-based video conferencing service

Despite strict federal aviation rules, Vidyo and Stampede tout the benefits of the video conferencing service, including governmental and industrial uses.
June 17, 2015 17 Jun'15
Ubiety Room launches for interoperable cloud video conferencing

Collaboration Squared launches its Ubiety Room cloud video conferencing service that promises interoperability without having to buy additional hardware.
June 16, 2015 16 Jun'15
UC briefs: Plantronics UC headset reduces open workspace noise

In UC news, Plantronics announces a UC headset aimed at reducing background noise in open workspaces, while Tango Networks debuts mobile messaging for Cisco Jabber users.
June 16, 2015 16 Jun'15
Polycom RealPresence video platforms, cloud updates unveiled

Polycom has introduced its first WebRTC-based videoconferencing platform. The company has also updated its video library and cloud-based video conferencing platform.
June 12, 2015 12 Jun'15
Microsoft Outlook and the inside collaboration app conundrum

Collaboration applications are the hot thing right now in unified communications. The big collaboration apps seemingly do it all. They offer an easy-to-use, consistent and persistent workspace that ...
June 12, 2015 12 Jun'15
Unify updates UC platforms for SMB, midmarket

Unify is expanding its market reach by updating its OpenScape UC platforms for channel partner resale to SMB and midmarket organizations.
June 10, 2015 10 Jun'15
Microsoft Surface Hub looks to revamp conferencing systems

Combining hardware and software, the Microsoft Surface Hub looks to replace aging conference room equipment.
June 09, 2015 09 Jun'15
Next generation 911 pinpoints location, supports multimedia messages

NG 911 will support multimedia messages to 911 and help ensure that the locations of IP-based emergency communications are pinpointed.
June 09, 2015 09 Jun'15
UC blogs: Make shadow IT part of your collaboration strategy

This week in UC blogs, analysts discuss how shadow IT can align with an enterprise's collaboration strategy, and what WebRTC practices can be seen in an Internet trends report.
June 02, 2015 02 Jun'15
Avaya acquisition of UC integrator Esna Technologies could threaten Cisco partnership

Avaya has acquired Esna Technologies for its integration capabilities. The deal may force Cisco to find a different way to integrate its UC services with business apps.
June 02, 2015 02 Jun'15
UC briefs: Masergy adds WebRTC service for enhanced customer contact

In UC news, Masergy launches a WebRTC service to ease communications between support teams and customers, while Lifesize Cloud now supports 15 languages in its video conferencing service.
June 01, 2015 01 Jun'15
Polycom RealPresence endpoints, features keep the user in mind

At the Workplace of the Future event, Polycom highlighted its latest product for small-room and desktop videoconferencing. Polycom RealPresence Convene competes with the Cisco Telepresence EX Series.
May 28, 2015 28 May'15
Microsoft Skype for Business essentials: A look at the new platform

Microsoft's recent rebranding of Lync to Skype for Business (SFB) is creating some confusion for IT leaders seeking to distinguish it from the consumer Skype service as they also look to integrate voice capabilities of SFB with their existing ...
May 27, 2015 27 May'15
UC Blogs: WebRTC video conferencing impacting education

In this week's blogs, analysts discuss how WebRTC video conferencing is shaking up traditional views of video conferencing in education, while Genesys announces Skype for Business integration for the call center.
May 21, 2015 21 May'15
Comparing Cisco collaboration services: Spark vs. WebEx

With Cisco Spark now on the market, the similarities between the service and WebEx may have stirred some confusion. But the collaboration services have two very different focuses.
May 21, 2015 21 May'15
Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise gives SMB communications a boost

Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise has made several enhancements to its unified communications portfolio for SMBs. The improvements are centered on mobility.
May 18, 2015 18 May'15
UC recap: Business VoIP services fueling VoIP market

In this week's recap, business VoIP services are driving the global VoIP market, while NICE Systems announced it is leading development of a WebRTC recording standard.
May 15, 2015 15 May'15
Polycom unveils new platform, services to improve video ROI

Polycom is helping buyers lift video ROI through its latest RealAccess platform, and two new video support services.
May 13, 2015 13 May'15
Jive Chime adds to business collaboration app market

Jive Software's new, real-time messaging app focuses on simplicity, mobility and consumer-grade ease of use in the highly competitive collaboration app industry.
May 12, 2015 12 May'15
UC blogs: The evolution of video collaboration in education

In this week's blogs, analysts discuss how video collaboration has evolved in the education industry and whether video integration is a threat to WebRTC PaaS.
May 08, 2015 08 May'15
Customers can build on top of Cisco collaboration tools with Tropo acquisition

Cisco's Tropo acquisition will provide tools that customers can use to build communication apps into Cisco's collaboration software.
May 08, 2015 08 May'15
Shopping for a UC cloud services provider

Cloud UC buyers have many services and providers to consider. But a cloud services provider is also seeking the appropriate potential customers.
May 07, 2015 07 May'15
Microsoft reins in Office 365 collaboration tools

Microsoft launches tools that bring consistency to Office 365's wide-ranging collaboration portfolio.
May 07, 2015 07 May'15
Enterprises must be proactive in DDoS mitigation

DDoS attacks are more prevalent than ever and enterprises can't always rely on their service providers for protection. Learn what enterprises should do for effective DDoS mitigation.
May 05, 2015 05 May'15
UC recap: ShoreTel, HP and Ingram Micro partner on hosted UC service

In this week's recap, ShoreTel, HP and Ingram Micro have partnered to create a hosted UC service aimed at SMBs, while analysts discuss collaboration vendor relationships and Polycom's first quarter performance.
May 04, 2015 04 May'15
SDN promises real-time UC app, network dialogue

The promise of SDN for real-time communications is to give UC apps the network paths and priority they need to eliminate performance problems ---- and development is part way there.
April 30, 2015 30 Apr'15
When organizational politics dictate the Cisco vs. Microsoft decision

The Cisco vs. Microsoft decision doesn’t always come down to features and cost. Sometimes, organizational politics come into play.
April 28, 2015 28 Apr'15
YouTube influences video content management in the enterprise

Enterprises looking to deploy a video content management system should take a page out of YouTube's book. While video content management allows organizations to store videos, create content and ...
April 28, 2015 28 Apr'15
UC recap: RingCentral adds contact center software

In this week's recap, analysts blog about the changing audio conferencing market and BYOD risks, while RingCentral has partnered with inContact on cloud contact center software.
April 27, 2015 27 Apr'15
Arkadin resells Blue Jeans video services

UC provider Arkadin will resell Blue Jeans video service as part of a new partnership between the companies
April 21, 2015 21 Apr'15
UC blogs: Twilio adds WebRTC video

In this week's blogs, analysts discuss Twilio's move into WebRTC video and Avaya increasing workforce optimization support for SMBs.
April 16, 2015 16 Apr'15
Mobility sparks 'wonderful disruption' in our lives, work

The power and proliferation of mobile devices are not new concepts. But stepping back and evaluating the mobility market and its staggering numbers – and what it all means for unified ...

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