It's not surprising that unified communications (UC) is projected to grow in a world that relies on instant contact in a variety of forms. Employees, clients and business partners use a variety of mediums to communicate, from instant messaging to VoIP services to video conferencing to face-to-face meetings. Because of the advanced technology available to users, UC solutions that integrate a number of communication channels are expected to become more popular, according to a recent report from Forrester Research.
The report, explicated by CMSWire, revealed that one-third of companies already have a UC solution in place, while another one-third expect to implement a system soon. Forrester predicted that the market for UC will change as video becomes a more popular medium for communication. The news source reported that about 50 percent of IT leaders are working to improve video channels and solutions in their organizations.
VoIP integrated into UC
A benefit of VoIP phone services is that they can be easily integrated into UC systems. Because VoIP connects through an internet protocol rather than traditional land lines, businesses can easily pair it with other online capabilities such as video, conference calls and more. According to UC Strategies, it's not just the demand for UC that is expected to rise. The market for VoIP is expected to increase as well. The news source reported that the October 2012 ITEXPO in Austin, Texas, revealed that advanced UC and VoIP solutions are experiencing growth.
"The SIP trunking and hosted UC segments were marked by strong growth and dynamic supplier landscapes in the first half of 2012. Beyond traditional operators and service providers, we're seeing a growing number of PBX/UC vendors, enterprise agents, system integrators, and resellers expanding into hosted UC offerings," said Diane Myers, principal analyst for VoIP, UC and IMS at Infonetics Research.
BYOD also projected to grow
Bring your own device (BYOD) is yet another rising trend affecting the demand for UC. Because so many employees are using their smartphones and tablets for work purposes, IT leaders are scrambling to institute solutions that complement mobile devices. UC allows for companies to integrate multiple types of communications in one package. Customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP) and other software solutions can all become part of communication systems that can enhance relationships with customers, clients and colleagues.
VoIP phone services and other solutions are coming into vogue as companies realize the technological capabilities that UC can offer. According to Bdaily, setting up a VoiP system for a business is relatively simple and straightforward. Internet fax, call-free numbers, conferencing and unlimited plans are all reasons that companies are beginning to choose VoIP over traditional services.
With new communication technologies constantly gracing the market, IT decision-makers are advised to choose solutions to suit their needs while considering integration capabilities and VoIP services.