I have written a few articles lately in my "Unified-View" column on the subject that end users won't really know what "unified communications" is because they will simply be using the various old and communication applications in the way they like.

That means they will use voice and text messaging facilities as senders and recipients to fit their personal situations (that will change dynamically when mobile) independently of the other parties. When it comes to real-time, synchronous contacts like voice conversations and IM, then there has to be some kind of etiquette and time scheduling between the communicating parties, and that's where the culture will start to change.

It's not that the old ways of placing a phone call will go away, but rather that the new and more effective ways will start to displace the old.

In my book, bringing in the new technologies and making people aware of the benefits will always be necessary, but don't even think about forcing new "culture" on people because you really can't control everybody that you communicate with.Just as the PC came into the enterprise by end users, so too will UC technology do the same.