Tips

Tips

• Microsoft Lync: The next big thing in unified communications

  Lync 2010 is the third release of Microsoft's unified communications portfolio, and this time the company got it right. Many of the shortcomings in Live Communications Server and Office Communications Server have been addressed. This article ...  Continue Reading

• The truth about five nines availability in unified communications networks

  Five nines availability is attainable with traditional telecommunications networks, but is it attainable with a unified communications network? This tip explains how to calculate availability and how it relates to unified communications software and...  Continue Reading

• Integrating video conferencing with unified communications

  Integrating video conferencing with unified communications enables users to initiate video connections through presence, much like they do with instant messaging. This tip explains how to integrate video with unified communications with examples ...  Continue Reading

• Unified communications etiquette guide: What to know, what to avoid

  As enterprises adopt unified communications, they should focus on helping users adhere to rules of unified communications etiquette to ease their transition into regular UC use, improve user experience and increase employee uptake.  Continue Reading

• Choosing video signaling infrastructure

  Determining which video signaling infrastructure is best to interconnect your endpoints is a major decision when embarking on video conferencing implementation. Learn about the options, including direct IP dialing, standalone H.323 infrastructure, ...  Continue Reading

• Video conferencing MCU location is important

  The location of video conferencing MCUs (multipoint conference units) makes a difference in your video conferencing deployment, affecting the number of users supported and ability to scale in the future. Learn why the WAN core is a good spot for the...  Continue Reading

• Unified communications boost IP contact center productivity, utility

  Many enterprises now use unified communications (UC) in the IP contact center to increase productivity and functionality. While they were once viewed as separate, UC and contact centers (especially IP-enabled ones) are closely intertwined.  Continue Reading

• Connecting contact centers with SIP trunking

  Contact center architects can take advantage of SIP trunking to both reduce telephone network costs and improve design flexibility. Learn about the benefits and challenges of SIP trunking for the contact center.  Continue Reading

• SIP contact centers foster integration

  Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) can bolster contact center capabilities, allowing integrated communications and customer service. The implementation of SIP, however, can require a special interface and protocol translation.  Continue Reading

• Open source UC solutions: Low-risk service delivery at low cost

  Enterprises looking to stretch tight IT budgets and improve collaboration are exploring open source UC solutions to deliver new services at low cost. Learn about free and commercial open source-based UC apps, open source security and more.  Continue Reading

• Cisco, Microsoft must step up unified communications interoperability

  The lack of unified communications (UC) interoperability is impeding the growth of the UC market. But while IBM and Avaya worked to ensure UC interoperability with third-party developers' applications, Cisco and Microsoft lagged.  Continue Reading

• Secure video conferencing: Traversing the firewall

  Providing secure video conferencing means overcoming the inherent design differences between video conferencing and firewalls. Discover the pros and cons of using a direct Internet connection, configuring a DMZ, or deploying traversal servers and ...  Continue Reading

• IP telephony QoS: VoIP traffic management and prioritization

  When conventional solutions don't improve IP telephony QoS issues, VoIP traffic management can help. Learn how to prioritize VoIP traffic, address voice delay and provide Class of Service-based routing.  Continue Reading

• Cloud computing security issues: Protecting your UC applications

  Cloud computing security has become a pivotal issue for enterprises exploring hosted solutions like cloud-based unified communications. Learn how to tackle the security challenges you'll face when undertaking cloud implementation.  Continue Reading

• IP telephony QoS: Capacity planning and management

  Poor or irregular IP telephony QoS levels should alert voice managers to review network traffic, capacity, and traffic management measures before problems spread to all applications on the network.  Continue Reading