Unified Communications (UC) will boost the productivity of your business, delivering integrated voice, visual communications and data solutions that will provide new, efficient ways of working with your team, your clients and your suppliers.
You might have heard of Voice over IP (VoIP) technology. That's at the core of Unified Communications (UC), but UC is more than just a new way of delivering voice calls. It's part of a revolutionary change in how your communicate. If that sounds like a grand promise that's because, with expert implementation, Unified Communications will provide a fundamental shift in how you go about your business.
From Switched Networks to VoIP Traditional voice phone calls are delivered over “switched” phone networks. When you make a phone call you use a phone line that lies unused between calls. A series of switches routes your analogue call to the destination. The switches are hardware items that are expensive to install and maintain, with limited functionality.
VoIP digitises your voice call into IP “packets” which are transmitted the same way as other internet data, although we use labeling to ensure these packets are given priority and maintain quality (see Quality of Service). By sending your voice calls across a data network we ensure maximum use of your infrastructure and provide flexible new ways of routing your calls.
There are two significant advantages when delivering your voice calls
across an IP network:
- Your data and voice can be delivered across a single network, reducing the cost of infrastructure
- How your calls are treated is determined by software that controls the network, rather than hardware switches. This greatly enhances the ability to deliver tailored solutions that suit the work processes within your organisation.
From VoIP to Unified CommunicationsVoIP is just one element of a full Unified Communications (UC) solution. It is the technology used to deliver your voice calls. UC refers to the broader service, offering integration between voice and data and between your telephone and computer.
For example Unified Communications can have your phone messages and faxes sent to your email inbox. You cpuld also make a phone call by simply clicking on a name in Outlook or your corporate phone directory.
Unified Communications is all about making your working life easier. You're using the big screen advantage of your desktop computer and the flexibility of mobile devices to control your communications, so they suit the way that you work.
Managing the PABX on the Network Traditionally how business calls are treated within a business has been determined by the
capabilities of the PABX. Many thousands of dollars are invested in a system that is
preprogrammed with various call routing decisions. Changing these decisions can involve
expensive programming by the PABX vendor.
The IP Systems Unified Communications solution takes all the intelligence out of the PABX and
places it on the network. Your calls are routed according to settings in our centralised call manager software, that you can control through a web interface. Adding new stations, moving
employees or changing how calls are configured becomes far easier to manage.
Personal and Business ProductivityUnified Communications doesn't just help individuals to manage their own voice calls and messaging. It can have far greater impacts when considered as a “whole of business” solution. Work processes might have been constrained by the limitations of legacy telecommunications devices. Today, when almost anything is possible, processes can be re-engineered to offer better, faster service to your customers and to maximise the use of your workforce across multiple locations. Contact us today to see what a difference we can make to your business
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