What is Unified Communications?

In the Western world we rely heavily upon a vast array of technical devices in order to be able to communicate. These devices include PCs, laptops, telephones, mobiles, VoIP systems, PDAs and fax machines. These types of appliances enable us to communicate using the web, email, chat, instant messaging, text, video and voice. Replicate this across all or most of those devices and managing all of the functionality can become an issue.

Unified communications (also known as UC) is designed to enable users to manage all of these devices and applications through one single environment. This will simplify the whole process and users can then for example make and take all calls from a mobile phone, PDA or from a desk phone regardless where they are located and from the device that is the most accessible.

Unified Communications is one of the most competitive of technologies and as such is serviced by a plethora of vendors. Vendors like Cisco, Mitel, ShoreTel, Toshiba Business Communications, Aastra, BT, LG-Ericsson, Microsoft, Avaya, AVST with their CallXpress Platform and Plantronics for their innovative and superb headset technology. Traditional mobile network operators such as O2 have fantastic business VoIP services as the market joins up its communications.