Unified Communications is a term being hyped by Cisco and Microsoft to get companies to spend hundreds of thousands (millions?) of dollars on their solutions. For Cisco, Unified Communications means adding features onto their IP PBX phone system to enable you to have voice, video, instant messaging (IM), Web conferencing, call management, directories, and presence information in one software application. The Microsoft solution enables you to do similar computer collaboration but in order to do voice communication you need to hook it to a PBX that supports SIP. Both of these are robust internal enterprise solutions that are reliable and well supported. However, Microsoft and Cisco are fighting trends that are moving users away from their standard business model.
The Consumerisation of Enterprise IT
Enterprise solutions are getting more and more expensive while inexpensive consumer solutions with similar or greater functionality are getting increasingly robust. At some point the cost gap becomes so substantial that it cannot be ignored. This is happening in several areas of IT but nowhere is it more prevalent than in Unified Communications.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
The rise of cloud computing means that there are more applications moving to the SaaS model which enables lower cost and increased scalability. There is no need to buy servers and have expensive system administrators onsite.
What if there was a solution used by tens of millions of consumers that would enable their ability to make unlimited calls to phones from a computer (or a special phone) for minimal cost, do 1:1 High Quality Video conferencing for free, and have integrated instant messaging with presence information for free. What if this solution did not require the enterprise to make any infrastructure investment such as installing high powered servers, hiring high priced consultants, or adding expensive IT support to their personnel. In fact this solution does exist. The ROI is almost infinite.
Why it will take time
Surely cost conscious IT Departments must be rushing to adopt these solutions, especially with the declining economy? No, they are not. In fact they are banning these types of solutions, many times in the name of “security.” They do it primarily for two reasons:
1) IT departments are notorious for resistance to new technology that they can’t fully control. This is why a lot of IT departments have a reputation as the “Department of NO.” If a solution isn’t expensive, complex, and “enterprise ready” it is considered a toy.
2) A lot of IT departments have invested a lot of money in IP PBX solutions in the last several years and they have a lot of staff in place to support those solutions.
The transition will happen because the economics are too favourable, but it will take several years to occur.
