The rapidly changing scene of telecoms operations , brings to light many challenges faced by an telcos and service providers as they cater to the end users , with swift and innovative services , while at the same time keeping surcharge operational costs at bay .
Today a client expects converged orchestrated harmonized applications bringing call control and customizing features, all under one roof .
What is Unified Communication ?
Unified Communications solutions bring together voice, messaging, video, and desktop applications to enable companies to quickly adapt to market changes, increase productivity, improve competitive advantage and deliver a rich-media experience across any work space.
Components of Unified Communications.
The latest UCC solutions are based on open standards such as SIMPLE/XMPP protocols or socket.io and REST webservices
- Communications: Voice, data, and video
- Messaging: Voice, email, video, and IM
- Conferencing: Online, audio, and video
- Application integration: Microsoft Office and CRM
- Presence: IP phone, desktop clients, and call connectors
- Common user experience: Desktop, phone, and mobility
- Cloud / Virtualization Network Provisioning , Virtualized Applications
Video feature of UCC further has many aspects
- Codecs : H323,H264,vp8/vp9 for video
- Scalable Video Coding (SVC)
- USecase : Call , conference , Broadcasting , Livestreaming
Audio aspects
- Codecs like OPUS, AAC
- Service like : voice Mail , IVR , auto attendant with Voice XML
What is the need of Unified communication ?
Currently the mode of communication across various users differs such as emails , SMS, VOIP call , GSM call , message on other platform etc .
These random forms of communication cannot be tracked and hamper fast decision making .
Challenges with Unified Communications
- Adds complexity in to already complex infrastructure
- Lack of standardization
- Organization Infrastructure and Bandwidth Limitations
- Integration of services from different application platforms like emails
- migrating existing communication infrastructure like desk phones
- Interfacing of telephony applications with Business Applications such as CRMs
Types of UCC solutions
There exists broadly two types of UC&C solution – On-premise and cloud based . The fundamental difference is the location of the backend infrastructure supporting the communication system . Some more differences are outlined in table below:
| On -premise | Cloud Based |
| Mostly in SaaS nature ( software as a service )
Hosted by the consumer / business unit itself |
Service provider offers his infrastructure to the consumer as a service bills monthly / yearly etc quick setup lower upfront payment billing is either per user basis or on consumption . data is synced to cloud servers for storage and can be fetched from there when required such as cloud synced Call-logs or contact-book |
Device / Platform Agnostic
The UCC clients are designed keeping mobility in mind . Thus UC Solutions are made compatible with online provisioning / portal system , native mobile apps like android /ios , Desktop app for linux, mac, windows etc .
UC&C + CRM
UC&C models integrates with Enterprise and Customer Relation Management Systems (CRM). Therefore provides unified messaging across teamspace/workspace/workflow management systems . It is trackable and can be used for realtime notification and analytics .
This directly ensures boost in sales and profitability by quick communication between customers / partners / eco-system / sales-rep / developers / field agents and others part of the communication system.
SME adopt UCC solutions
SME ( Small and Medium Enterprises) are first to adopt UC&C due to absence of already setup traditional communication infrastructure like PSTN lines , desktop phones , special handsets etc .
Factors like :
- quick setup
- low budget of UC&C solutions
- BYOD ( Bring your Own Device ) to work
enable SMEs to adopt UC&C solution much faster and readily.
It has multiple advantages like:
- All information is stored in one place therefore easier to retrieve
- Increased Productivity
- Greater flexibility
- Faster Response and Information delivery
Future of UCC
- Context Driven + Real Time Analytics
- Monitization by cross vertical integration
- Integration with IOT
- Automation for Billing and Operation – OSS/BSS
- Machine Learning
- Big Data Management
In conclusion UC&C is aimed at providing inter operable communications with ubiquitous coverage for applications and devices such as desktops , IP phones , smartphones, smart watches , kisosk etc . It means web , native apps and IP phones having the ability to create, share and participate in integrated multimedia ( like audio, video , desktop, files ) collaboration.
Unified Communication has taken a altoget5her different pitch now , with merging up of all services legacy or IP . I see you have made the diagrams yourself , since simmilar pictures are not to be found anywhere on internet . Good work
Thank you . Yes the diagrams are mine .
I read your blog post . I am still confused about Unified Communication … 😦
Hello Stan , I am terribly sorry for my late reply . Unified Communications is very easy subject . Think of all the services like messaging , calling , conferencing scattered over various applications , so if you are on call and you decide to share a file you may have to goto a separate email client and then mail your file or goto a messaging service and type in the contents etc . However in case of UC ( Unified Communications ) everything you need to communicate effectively are under one application itself . So you can call , conference , do messaging , send files without having to change your application..