The Top Four Pitfalls of Unified Communications WHITE PAPER
Contents 03 04 04 Introduction Common UC Pitfalls Giving into the Hype Surrounding Cloud Computing 05 Deploying Unified Communications on a Whim 06 IT Departments Lead the Deployment of Unified Communications 07 08 Businesses Take a One-Size-Fits-All Approach to UC Summary 02
Introduction Today s enterprise needs to be agile if decision-makers wish to remain competitive and relevant in the eyes of consumers. As more companies and customers around the world begin leveraging innovative devices like smartphones, tablets and next-generation laptops, the need to deploy unified communications grows alongside it. Neglecting to implement the technology may result in dire consequences that could spell the end of an organization. The demand for unified communications has been growing steadily over the past several years, largely driven by the advent of teleworking and the need to cut costs as the economy continues to send mixed signals. Implementing a unified communications system can help companies meet these goals, as the technology is capable of supporting remote workers on the same infrastructure as individuals working in the office. At the same time, unified communications converges multiple collaboration tools - instant messaging, presence and VoIP systems, among others - into a single platform, enabling IT departments to combine expenses and lower the total cost of ownership. 03
Unified communications converges multiple collaboration tools into a single platform, enabling IT departments to combine expenses and lower the total cost of ownership. Enterprises have recently become more aware of unified communications and, as a result, have begun deploying the technology more often than ever before. Unfortunately, many organizations jump head first into the hype and implement unified communications without proper planning. Inevitably, this leads to problems. Common UC Pitfalls 1. Giving into the hype surrounding cloud computing While the cloud has the potential to enhance a number of operations, the outcome is not always as desirable as intended. A major problem with cloud computing is that the virtual environment cannot guarantee the safety of mission-critical solutions. If decision-makers fail to implement the proper security appliances, hosted unified communications systems incorporated with video and audio conferencing applications can be corrupted, turning them into practically useless tools. Cloud computing has garnered a lot of attention over the past several years, but with that popularity has come improper deployments of the technology. A study by service 04
provider Avanade revealed that nearly 20 percent of decision-makers said it is hard to manage disparate cloud environments introduced to the corporate network. Another 60 percent said they are worried about cloud sprawl, or the unauthorized deployment of the technology. Similar to virtually every other technological innovation, consumerbased solutions will often find their way into the enterprise, regardless of whether decision-makers have established a deployment plan. 2. Deploying unified communications on a whim Unified communications holds a lot of promise for organizations, as the convergence of tools like instant messaging and presence into a single, universal platform can reduce total cost of ownership and enhance collaboration. These benefits are certainly driving the demand for unified communications. However, moving too quickly and without proper planning can result in an unnecessarily costly solution. Following the Pied Piper of unified communications will not necessarily yield significant improvements if employees already know how to effortlessly utilize existing solutions. After all, if it ain t broke, don t fix it. 05
Then again, the prospect of implementing unified communications is alluring to many IT and business managers, as they have no doubt read countless stories about how the technology can improve efficiency. Unfortunately, too many companies fall into the trap of following the blind. If IT executives don t understand the benefits of UC, how do they expect to experience improvements after deploying the technology on a whim? The short answer is, they won t. Unified communications, like all innovative technologies, requires planning. Unified communications, like all innovative technologies, requires planning. If decision-makers impulsively implement VoIP systems and video conferencing without designing how they can seamlessly work together in the virtual environment, the effort to enhance collaboration will be futile. 3. IT departments lead the deployment of unified communications It is important that knowledgeable individuals lead the migration to unified communications. Who those individuals are, however, makes all the difference. 06
Decision-makers need to ask employees what applications would benefit them the most, whether that includes audio or video conferencing, presence or other technologies. In many unified communications deployments, IT departments take the reins and implement the technology without consulting business groups. As a result, the unified communications systems may be too focused on the cost aspect of the technology and may not meet the specific demands of the part of the company that will leverage the solutions. While the IT department should have a say in the implementation of unified communications, it may not be the most appropriate group to run the show. Businesses should determine where the most applicable location for unified communications is and start there. Decision-makers need to ask employees what applications would benefit them the most, whether that includes audio or video conferencing, presence or other technologies. It would also be wise to deploy unified communications in a group where the success can easily be measured. As a result, decision-makers can quickly and easily determine the return on investment, whether the installation was successful or if it is in need of any additional tools. 4. Businesses take a one-size-fits-all approach to UC Every enterprise is different and has varying demands, whether the need is to enhance customer satisfaction, boost consumer loyalty or increase sales. This means that each decision-maker has his or her own expectations when it comes to deploying unified communications. Taking a one-size-fits-all approach will not meet these demands and can cause more headache than necessary. The communication needs of a salesperson, for example, are most likely different from a customer service representative or the supply 07
chain manager. Rather than implementing a cookie cutter unified communications system, decision-makers should ask different parts of the company what their demands are. These needs can then be transformed into user profiles - each with varying levels of access to the unified communications platform - that can be applied to different parts of the business. As a result, employees will be able to leverage the tools they need and not be overburdened by available solutions. Summary Leveraging unified communications provides the potential to substantially reduce overall IT costs and improve employee collaboration with colleagues, partners and customers. Enterprise decision-makers need to plan the implementation to ensure their organizations experience success from the solutions, rather than encounter common errors that can lead to security vulnerabilities, irrelevant tools and unnecessary frustration among administrators and end users alike. 08
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