News

News

• December 23, 2013 23 Dec'13

  Cisco acquires Collaborate.com for cloud, mobile collaboration boost

  Cisco has acquired Collaborate.com to boost its cloud and mobile collaboration product lines.

• December 19, 2013 19 Dec'13

  UC mobility: How the market is predicted to grow in the new year

  Irwin Lazar, vice president and service director for Nemertes Research Group, shares his predictions for the UC mobility space in 2014.

• December 13, 2013 13 Dec'13

  What the digital phone service transition could mean to businesses

  Greenlining Institute reports a digital phone service transition from the PSTN could result in a lack of reliability, affordability and 9-1-1 access.

• December 11, 2013 11 Dec'13

  UC market predictions for the new year: Social enterprise tools

  Rob Arnold, industry analyst for Frost & Sullivan predicts deeper integration between social enterprise tools, UC and collaboration offerings in 2014.

• December 09, 2013 09 Dec'13

  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.

• December 09, 2013 09 Dec'13

  Communications-enabled business process basics

  Esna's Davide Petramala explains what you need to know about CEBP, the technologies involved and how it differs from UC.

• 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.

• November 27, 2013 27 Nov'13

  Ubiquitous business video calling: Are we ready for our close-up?

  Business video calls can save money for the enterprise, as well as improve work-life balance for users.

• November 25, 2013 25 Nov'13

  How Microsoft Lync capabilities measure up in the marketplace

  Learn how Microsoft Lync capabilities measure up to similar unified communications platforms in the marketplace.

• November 22, 2013 22 Nov'13

  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.

• November 15, 2013 15 Nov'13

  Social customer care can move the contact center to the next level

  Social media integration with contact center products can help enterprises upgrade their call center strategies by providing social customer care.

• November 07, 2013 07 Nov'13

  Cisco 'Mobility First': Collaboration offerings for mobile workforces

  Cisco 'Mobility First' vision unveiled, including collaboration software and connectivity services for the mobile workforce.

• October 30, 2013 30 Oct'13

  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.

• October 24, 2013 24 Oct'13

  Avaya Aura updates simplify midmarket, enterprise collaboration

  Avaya introduces its new Avaya Aura collaboration environment, allowing enterprises to embed collaboration apps into business apps.

• October 21, 2013 21 Oct'13

  Logitech capitalizes on mobile UC market trends with Mobile Speakerphone P710e

  Today, Logitech for Business introduced Logitech Mobile Speakerphone P710e to support high-quality audio and video conferencing on mobile devices. Much like Unify's (formerly Siemens Enterprise) ...

• 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.

• October 10, 2013 10 Oct'13

  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.

• October 04, 2013 04 Oct'13

  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.

• September 30, 2013 30 Sep'13

  Unified communications begs for application layer know-how

  The application layer has become a focal point for IT professionals looking to enable unified communications and collaboration at Interop NYC 2013.

• 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.

• September 12, 2013 12 Sep'13

  Cisco Show and Share expands education for Texas schools through video

  Denton Independent School District selected Cisco Show and Share for expanding student access to 'teacher's class materials for 'flipped learning.'

• September 11, 2013 11 Sep'13

  Will a Google-Vidyo partnership solve the WebRTC video codec dilemma?

  Google and Vidyo have partnered to enhance the scalable video codec in WebRTC to hasten the protocol's standardization and adoption.

• September 04, 2013 04 Sep'13

  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.

• August 22, 2013 22 Aug'13

  IntelePeer enhances SIP security options for disaster recovery

  IntelePeer offers new SIP security options for its SIP trunking services and announces a new failover protection package for disaster recovery.

• August 15, 2013 15 Aug'13

  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.

• August 08, 2013 08 Aug'13

  Cisco adds immersive video wall option to telepresence technology

  Cisco has added a video wall option to its telepresence technology, giving enterprises a more immersive telepresence room.

• 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.

• July 17, 2013 17 Jul'13

  Siemens unifies communications, unveils real-time collaboration tool

  Siemens unveils Project Ansible, its real-time collaboration aggregator of business and social apps, voice, video and IM and presence tools.

• July 10, 2013 10 Jul'13

  Vidyo telehealth services spread specialty care across California

  California Telehealth Network and Telemed2U have adopted a Vidyo/Arkadin video conferencing service to enable Telehealth services across California.

• July 08, 2013 08 Jul'13

  Polycom announces deeper integration with Microsoft Lync

  Polycom has introduced a series of new additions to its Microsoft Lync-optimized video and audio collaboration offerings at the Microsoft 2013 Worldwide Partner Conference in Houston. Microsoft ...

• June 19, 2013 19 Jun'13

  CCIE Voice killed, revived as CCIE Collaboration

  The CCIE Voice certification has been retired, with CCIE Collaboration taking its place, advancing IT expertise to include real-time UC capabilities.

• June 13, 2013 13 Jun'13

  Startup Pexip introduces software-based video conferencing bridge

  Pexip Infinity is a subscription-based, virtualized video conferencing bridge from the founders of Tandberg.

• June 06, 2013 06 Jun'13

  Juniper-Sonus Networks partnership fixes UC availability woes with SDN

  The recent Juniper-Sonus partnership reveals how service provider and enterprise networks can use SDN to fix bandwidth and UC availability woes.

• 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.

• May 30, 2013 30 May'13

  Actiance Vantage: Keeping UC in line with compliance regulations

  Actiance's Vantage includes call monitoring and recording for Lync, to help enterprise UC and collaboration stay in line with compliance requirements.

• May 23, 2013 23 May'13

  New Sonus SBC technology: Modular scalability, branch survivability

  Sonus announces two new modular session border controllers and branch survivability for enterprise Lync users.

• May 20, 2013 20 May'13

  Communications outsourcing: North American vs. European market

  Communications outsourcing is a more popular practice overseas. As IT models change and companies expand globally, U.S. enterprises will see value.

• May 14, 2013 14 May'13

  All You Can Meet video bridge prices meet more users' needs

  Blue Jeans Network, which provides hosted video bridges, is delivering All You Can Meet video conference pricing plans to enterprises.

• May 07, 2013 07 May'13

  ShoreTel Mobility app and BYOD dock: Not your ordinary desk phone

  ShoreTel's new docking station and Mobility client can transform smartphones and tablets into desk phones.

• May 01, 2013 01 May'13

  Orange offers UC as a Service for global enterprises

  Enterprises are turning to their telecoms for reliable UC as a Service. Orange Business Services announced its global UCaaS offering.

• April 25, 2013 25 Apr'13

  Polycom CloudAXIS: Extending video outside of the enterprise

  Polycom CloudAXIS gives enterprises the ability to video conference with external users, regardless of underlying platform or device.

• April 17, 2013 17 Apr'13

  Polycom RealPresence video conferencing: One size doesn't fit all

  Polycom's RealPresence Group 700 offering targets large environments with side-by-side video and streaming content capabilities.

• April 12, 2013 12 Apr'13

  IBM Domino social edition combines email, social networking

  IBM Notes and Domino Social Edition rolls social tools into the familiar email experience, helping to boost enterprise social adoption.

• 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 27, 2013 27 Mar'13

  WebRTC: Bringing real-time communications to the next level

  The emergence of Web real-time communications promises voice- and video-enabled Web browsers. What should enterprises do to prepare?

• March 25, 2013 25 Mar'13

  Enterprises need to rethink mobility strategy to support anytime, anywhere communications

  Vendors made significant announcements last week at Enterprise Connect around new features and delivery options for their unified communications and collaboration offerings. As enterprises continue ...

• March 22, 2013 22 Mar'13

  Tely Labs' new Skype appliance addresses underserved SMB market

  Skype is free, but it suffers from quality and interoperability issues. Video conferencing startup Tely Labs offers a solution for the SMB market.

• March 20, 2013 20 Mar'13

  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.

• March 20, 2013 20 Mar'13

  Cisco wants to breathe new life into the desk phone

  Cisco is trying to do for the enterprise desktop phone what smartphones did for the mobile phone, according to Roberto De La Mora, Cisco's senior director of worldwide collaboration solutions ...

• 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

  Enterprise Connect keynote: Cisco retail collaboration experience

  During his keynote at Enterprise Connect, Cisco's Rob Lloyd demoed an enhanced shopping experience through collaboration technology.

• 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.

• March 18, 2013 18 Mar'13

  Can WebRTC applications and mobility invigorate a stagnant UC market?

  UC vendors say WebRTC applications and mobility will help enterprise keep up with sophisticated user demands

• March 18, 2013 18 Mar'13

  Thrupoint kicks off WebRTC buzz at Enterprise Connect

  Heading into Enterprise Connect 2013, there has been significant buzz around Web Real-Time Communications (WebRTC). While the open source project -- which is said to provide the framework for high ...

• March 15, 2013 15 Mar'13

  Can remote collaboration tools push back against teleworking bans?

  Yahoo's recent telecommuting ban sparks questions around whether good remote collaboration tools can increase employee productivity.

• March 13, 2013 13 Mar'13

  A call to rename the unified communications market

  COMMfusion President Blair Pleasant gave CoLab 2013 attendees a pop quiz: Unified communications is _____. a. An oxymoron b. A new viral dance craze c. A great name for a band d. A way for ...

• March 06, 2013 06 Mar'13

  Microsoft collaboration tools: Is Lync ready for business?

  Enterprises like Microsoft collaboration tools for their feature-rich UC, but they wonder if Lync's voice and video reliability is enterprise-grade.

• 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.

• February 20, 2013 20 Feb'13

  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.

• February 14, 2013 14 Feb'13

  Video conferencing software and hardware: Hybrid approach needed

  Mobility spurs video conferencing software need; users want software- and cloud-based offerings to interoperate with their legacy video hardware.

• February 11, 2013 11 Feb'13

  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.

• February 05, 2013 05 Feb'13

  Oracle's Acme Packet acquisition could spur IP migration

  Oracle announces intent to acquire Acme Packet to accelerate IP migration.

• February 01, 2013 01 Feb'13

  Fluke Networks Visual finds a 'TruView' of Voice over IP

  The success of unified communications (UC) hinges on your users' happiness. That "happiness" is otherwise measured by what the IT industry calls Quality of Experience (QoE) -- a metric not easily ...

• January 31, 2013 31 Jan'13

  VoIP vs. PSTN: VoIP heats up as the PSTN moves into retirement

  As service providers kill the public switched telephone network in favor of IP phone services, users ponder how VoIP vs. PTSN issue affects business.

• January 23, 2013 23 Jan'13

  Hardware vs. software: Logitech offers Cisco accessories for Jabber

  Logitech releases Cisco accessories to complement Jabber software, as businesses make the transition from hardware to software unified communications.

• January 23, 2013 23 Jan'13

  The life of the webcam is up to the enterprise

  Until built-in webcameras become higher quality or enterprises decide they care less about high video resolution, the life of the USB webcam market may be left to the health of enterprises. "It's ...

• 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.

• January 17, 2013 17 Jan'13

  Mobile collaboration: Small screens present big challenges

  Mobile collaboration on small interfaces challenges users who are dependent on mobile devices for document collaboration.

• January 09, 2013 09 Jan'13

  UC milestones in 2012: UCaaS

  In 2012 larger enterprises began investing in Unified Communications as a Service, or UCaaS, by way of flexible hybrid cloud deployments.

• January 09, 2013 09 Jan'13

  Providing secure collaboration on public social networking sites

  Enterprises secure collaboration on public social-networking and file-sharing sites with new authentication and encryption technologies.

• January 07, 2013 07 Jan'13

  UC milestones in 2012: Enterprise collaboration tools

  Mobility played a large role in the enterprise collaboration tools market in 2012, as vendors offered flexibility and better use cases.

• December 21, 2012 21 Dec'12

  Another look at Cisco's collaboration strategy -- its side of the story

  After Cisco’s quarterly earnings call in November revealed soft numbers for the company's collaboration business, I wrote a story about how Cisco was planning to bolster its collaboration strategy ...

• December 20, 2012 20 Dec'12

  UC milestones in 2012: Desktop video conferencing

  In this review of 2012 desktop video conferencing trends, we look at cloud-based video and Avaya's efforts to compete with Microsoft and Cisco.

• December 20, 2012 20 Dec'12

  UC milestones in 2012: Enterprise social media tools

  The 2012 UC milestones series turns to the evolution of the social media market and the year's milestones for enterprise social media tools.

• December 13, 2012 13 Dec'12

  2012 PBX market: Why aren't enterprises dumping their desk phones?

  The 2012 PBX market struggled as enterprises kept their legacy equipment. UC integration with new phone systems may help enterprises justify upgrades.

• December 11, 2012 11 Dec'12

  SayWhat? Know what the call is about before it's received

  SayWhat -- a 5-employee start-up -- released a product today that actually makes our smartphones smarter. How you ask? By giving phone call recipients the ability to know what a call is about ...

• December 06, 2012 06 Dec'12

  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.

• December 03, 2012 03 Dec'12

  Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets, or cloud-based vs. premise phone systems?

  It was a rivalry of ShoreTel's premise-based and cloud- based offerings last Wednesday at the TD Garden in Boston...sort of. The Boston Celtics, a customer of ShoreTel's premise-based phone system ...

• November 30, 2012 30 Nov'12

  How Microsoft Lync disrupts the unified communications market

  Microsoft Lync doesn't own the UC market yet, but it has enterprise mindshare and the features in place, including Skype, to be the disruptive force.

• November 30, 2012 30 Nov'12

  UC survey results: Cisco and Microsoft Lync duke it out

  TechTarget UC survey results show Microsoft Lync's increasing mindshare will shake up the status quo and compete against Cisco for the top vendor title.

• November 28, 2012 28 Nov'12

  Don’t hog the network: Monitoring UC for a smooth user experience

  Upgrading to unified communications is similar to making the switch from a standard cell phone that just makes calls and sends texts  (the horror), to a smartphone with all the bells and whistles ...

• November 14, 2012 14 Nov'12

  WebEx Social: Tweaking collaboration for higher education

  Cisco introduces WebEx Social for Higher Education as unified communications and collaboration vendors tailor products for vertical markets.

• 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.

• October 25, 2012 25 Oct'12

  Exploring vertical and niche corporate social networking vendors

  Enterprises can get more out of corporate social networking by working with vertically focused and functionally specific vendors.

• October 18, 2012 18 Oct'12

  Enterprise social software Magic Quadrant: Pure play vs. IT vendors

  Social software Magic Quadrant highlights traditional IT vendors entering the market, how pure play social software vendors can remain competitive.

• October 11, 2012 11 Oct'12

  ShoreTel phone system eases heavy call volumes for Boston Celtics

  The Boston Celtics NBA team has moved to a software-based ShoreTel phone system to better accommodate heavier call volumes, connect two offices.

• October 08, 2012 08 Oct'12

  Polycom breaks down video conferencing adoption barriers

  Polycom announces a RealPresence CloudAXIS suite that allows users to video conference across multiple consumer platforms and devices at a price accessible to SMBs.

• 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.

• September 19, 2012 19 Sep'12

  What's trending inside the firewall? IBM Connections adds internal social analytics

  IBM updates IBM Connections with internal social analytics capabilities, allowing enterprises to monitor trends in staff communication, collaboration.

• September 13, 2012 13 Sep'12

  Cisco UC licensing clears app-based UC visibility for the enterprise

  Enterprises want flexible, yet simplified unified communications licensing options, and Cisco UC licensing now includes software-only UC models.

• September 05, 2012 05 Sep'12

  Global enterprise taps AppNeta's PathView Cloud for VoIP monitoring

  Herman Miller, an interior furnishings company, selected PathView Cloud from AppNeta for VoIP monitoring across its 100 global locations.

• 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.

• August 16, 2012 16 Aug'12

  Social listening: Enterprises heed the call of Twitter

  Social listening has become as crucial as social collaboration. Collaboration tool MindLink integrates UC with social monitoring capabilities.

• August 08, 2012 08 Aug'12

  Multilingual applications aim to keep social context in translation

  Igloo announced multilingual application support in its social software, boosting social collaboration for global enterprises.

• August 02, 2012 02 Aug'12

  Video as a Service: Users want video conferencing freedom

  Enterprises want greater video flexibility, and Video as a Service allows users to conduct ad hoc video conferencing, regardless of the endpoint.

• July 25, 2012 25 Jul'12

  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.

• July 19, 2012 19 Jul'12

  Cloud UC: SMBs love it, enterprises remain leery

  Analysts discuss how cloud UC can appeal to the enterprise as well as SMBs. Avaya Inc. offers AvayaLive Connect as a UCaaS option for the SMB market.

• July 12, 2012 12 Jul'12

  Medical video technology becomes vital to health care organizations

  Medical video technology is gaining adoption in health care as more organizations use video conferencing and streaming video to improve patient care.