Unified communications
Voice over IP (VoIP) is the hot product in the networking and telecommunications markets right now. Some channel companies are continuing to work on VoIP projects, but are pinning their hopes on unified communications (UC) -- an integration of VoIP with email, instant messaging, voicemail, conferencing and other applications.

The potential for cost savings, functional improvement and better manageability are making VoIP the leading architectural candidate for new telecom installations or significant upgrades and enhancements, according to Stuart Chandler, president and CEO of Optivor Technologies LLC in Jessup, Md.

"Currently about 5% to 7% of our [customer] base is working with unified communications, but we expect that to grow to more like 80% within five years," Chandler said. "We're just tapping the surface of that now."

Read the rest of the article.

What is unified communications?

How VoIP works

Moving further into UC

Vendors and packages

Defining business benefits

Counting cost, defining success

UC technical concerns

More information on unified communications and VoIP:

Is unified communications the answer for all my clients?

Unified communications and SMBs: It's a matter of trust

Enterprises still face UC learning curve

VoIP Implementation Services Project Guide

This was first published in January 2008

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