Unified communications is here to stay

Poll findings show implementation continues despite weak economy, and for good reason

CDW's recent unified communications tracking poll found that 53% of businesses, government agencies and healthcare and educational institutions are either actively implementing or planning to implement UC solutions. In addition, of the organizations in the UC planning and implementation phases, 70% expect to complete their adoption within two years, despite the weak economy.

This makes sense because UC is one of the most fruitful investments an organization can make, even during a recession.

Customers say UC solutions increase productivity and reduce operating costs -- significantly and quickly. UC also provides more reliable communication, improves cross-functional communication and enhances sense of belonging and affinity for remote and mobile workers. But getting UC right takes careful thought and preparation.

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CDW's recent unified communications tracking poll found that 53% of businesses, government agencies and healthcare and educational institutions are either actively implementing or planning to implement UC solutions. In addition, of the organizations in the UC planning and implementation phases, 70% expect to complete their adoption within two years, despite the weak economy.

This makes sense because UC is one of the most fruitful investments an organization can make, even during a recession.

Customers say UC solutions increase productivity and reduce operating costs -- significantly and quickly. UC also provides more reliable communication, improves cross-functional communication and enhances sense of belonging and affinity for remote and mobile workers. But getting UC right takes careful thought and preparation.

Unified communications is an outcome

There are almost as many definitions of UC as there are companies that provide the component technologies -- and there's no such thing as "one size fits all." However, there are several broad approaches to unifying communications on a single platform.

CDW's UC tracking poll found that most organizations are using either rich media or telephony-centric approaches to implementation, while others choose e-mail- or instant messaging-centric approaches, and presence strategies are gaining momentum. The array of available technologies and the companywide implications makes the selection a challenge. What's right for your company depends in large part upon the nature of your organization's work.

Weighing the options and making the right choice can take a while, but that time is a wise investment. Most of the challenges arise from one or more of the following:

* Rushed discovery phase -- this phase should carefully assess all potential applications and systems that link to the communications platform or may be affected by the change in traffic. It's easier to identify and address challenges prior to implementation than having to adjust mid-course.

* Assumption that all equipment and applications can be transferred "as is" from existing systems. Perhaps they can, but be sure before you invest.

* Lack of business/operational stakeholder involvement in discovery, planning or implementation. Unifying communications is not an IT-only decision, and you'll only capture the maximum benefit if you secure the users' input along the way.

* Failure to establish a determined goal and adhere to it. This is where UC solutions can become needlessly complicated, leading to unanticipated costs.

* Failure to understand the contract and procurement process. At the very least, this can cost you time during implementation

* Choosing to "clean things up" after the migration rather than before. This is a sure way to breed dissatisfaction among your users, so it's better to be sure that the platform and applications work right from Day One of your implementation.

Many businesses contain the cost associated with a UC implementation by planning it in conjunction with other organizational changes involving facilities or the network. The CDW poll found that almost all of the organizations planning and executing UC solutions are also doing at least one of the following: