Unified Communications: Features

For years, IT and business have heard the sexy promise of "IP convergence," which would allow all sorts of voice- and video-enabled applications to appear in business. However, for most organizations, this Jetsons-like vision has yet to occur.

When we tested the DiVitas Mobile Convergence Appliance in May 2007, the value proposition was straightforward. By leveraging VoIP, wireless LAN connections, and dual-mode Windows Mobile phones, the DiVitas solution allowed mobile users to save precious minutes on their voice plans and even turn long distance into local calls. It was all about the mobile phone bill.

IP contact centers are proliferating, but they still pose a set of potential gotchas that businesses need to beware of as they consider upgrading from the TDM world, experts say.

Innovation is not just about cool new products. In technology, the best ideas require a) really smart people and b) lots of funding. For the past 33 years, Microsoft has had both in spades.

The iPhone started it, but everyone and his brother now seem to have a fancy smartphone on offer. If it's time to join the "mobile 2.0" generation, we can help you make the right choice. We've reviewed the new generation of mobile devices and sussed out their strengths and weaknesses.

A mock-up of a smartphone with a flexible display developed by Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute.

Although the ramifications of the dour economic climate have yet to be fully felt, networking market observers are already forecasting significant changes in 2009. Many predict organisations will look to reduce travel expenses and implement cost-effective mechanisms such as unified communications and video conferencing, increasing demand on the network. Meanwhile, virtualisation, which has had a strong hold in the storage and server space, will gain prominence as a network trend.

Using teleconferencing technology has lately become an obvious and financially practical choice to offset rising business travel expenses. Yet sometimes simple chatting doesn't cut it. There has been growing interest in the notion of online conferencing with a "virtual presence" emphasis, which enables people to share information and their very selves with one another with a stronger sense of near-tangible "face time."

When Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) first grabbed the public’s fickle attention a few years ago, the focus was often on how you could save on your telephone bill. Not wanting to add to the kitty of the big telecommunication corporations, it seemed, was a commonly held aspiration.

Buyers of IP PBXs need to look beyond simple voice capabilities to unified communications and make sure the gear they buy will be compatible with applications they will want in the future, experts say.