Unified front: Technology brings systems together

If you look at the history of telecommunications, phones and phone systems have come a long way since the days of switchboards.

Computer software and high-speed Internet connections have given birth to services such as Voice-over Internet Protocol, which combines voice, data, long distance conferencing and Private Branch Exchange.

And while the days of the standard PBX systems are numbered, the day of the all-digital telecommunications office is still a long way down the road.

A PBX connects all internal phones to one external line, thus necessitating the use of extensions. But as technology evolves, more companies are considering making the switch to Unified Communications, which is the integration of disparate communications systems, media, devices and applications.

According to a report by the Aberdeen Group, the key pressures driving the need to deploy UC solutions are responsiveness to customer needs (70 percent), managing a decentralized work force (54 percent), maintaining a strong/continuous work pace (49 percent), lower costs (39 percent) and the ability to leverage specialized talent globally (27 percent).

One of the new VoIP-based UC systems for small and medium-sized businesses is Microsoft's Response Point.

Trevor Dierdorff is the owner of Amnet, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner that has been conducting beta tests on Response Point since June.

One of the main features of the system is voice-activation software. Instead of dialing an extension, you say the person's name. The system also allows users to integrate contacts from Outlook, convert voicemail to e-mail and make changes or add users with a few mouse clicks.

"It enables average computer users to set up the phone themselves," Dierdorff said.

Dierdorff said the price and voice recognition features distinguish Response Point from its competitors.

Thomas B. Cross, who started TECHtionary.com, a library of more than 3,000 free animated technology tutorials, disagrees that the Microsoft system is cheaper, but he admits it does have advantages.

"In reality, it costs more," he said. "But the integration of voicemail into e-mail is priceless. You can take your phone anywhere, plug it into a Wi-Fi or broadband connection and make/ receive calls very easily."

Dierdorff said the ideal candidate for Response Point is a business with 10 to 50 employees. The cost is expected to be about $2,500 for the base unit plus five phones. Additional phones will likely cost about $200, meaning a 20-phone office could be up and running for an investment of about $6,000.

Competitors such as Avaya, Cisco and Nortel all have similar products with many of the same features, such as eliminating long distance charges between offices by linking them through a three- digit number, reducing maintenance expenses by giving staff the capability to add and change extensions, and increasing customer satisfaction through more efficient call handling and routing.

"Cisco, along with Nortel and Avaya, focus on utilizing a network based approach to drive their vision of UC," according to the report from the Aberdeen Group. "On the other hand, companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Object World, and Bluesocket use a software-based approach to spearhead their UC initiatives."

As more product lines are launched that support Unified Communications, vendors are going to have to respond, either by learning the new technology or merging with companies that understand the technology.

Gene Sanchez, president and CEO of Zehcnas Inc., a company that provides voice, video and data integrators, predicts a metamorphosis to a unified platform, where businesses will no longer need to call a separate phone and computer vendor.

"They are going to have to get on the train," he said, "or they are going to miss out."

Copyright 2008 Dolan Media Newswires
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