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By: Steven Long

Lately there has been a lot of buzz around the subject of unified communications in the business world. With leading companies such as Microsoft® and InterCall® offering unified communications software and solutions, the integration of various technologies and devices is becoming more and more widespread in every industry. As this occurs, the multitude of benefits that comes with communicating through a single, comprehensive system is becoming increasingly obvious and increasingly attractive. As more companies and corporations become aware of these benefits and advantages, the popularity of streamlined communications environments will only continue to grow. In fact, it is widely anticipated throughout the business and technology worlds that unified communications will be standard within large companies in the future.

Unified communications is a term which refers to an advanced technology architecture that integrates various communications devices, systems and applications to create a unified and automated communications environment. For example, communications systems and methods that can be streamlined into a unified architecture include e-mail, instant messaging, voice mail, telephone, whiteboarding and audio, video and web conferencing. While all such systems and applications previously operated apart from each other and in a disconnected fashion, unified communications allows them to operate in a single, easy-to-use environment.

In recent decades, technological advancements have led to a proliferation of communications devices and choices. However, while these advancements were supposed to make personal and business lives easier, they have instead made life more difficult and complicated in many respects. With so many available devices operating separately from each other and with so many different ways of contacting other people, communicating and establishing connections can often be quite frustrating. This is why a consolidated communications environment can make connecting with others so much easier and more efficient. In fact, designed to reduce human latency and to optimize business operations, unified communications allows for streamlined information delivery, reduced delays, improved collaboration, increased productivity and reduced costs.

These benefits are the reason why unified communications is increasing in popularity each year and will soon become standard within large companies and corporations. When information is delivered in a direct, streamlined fashion, communicating with co-workers and clients becomes far more simplified and effective. Inconveniences such as telephone tag and multiple contact numbers become things of the past, leading to a reduction in the time it takes to connect with others and to make decisions. In turn, this allows businesses to take action sooner, reducing the likelihood of missed opportunities. Naturally, reduced delays and improved information delivery result in increased productivity and greater overall success.

By switching from multiple, disparate devices to unified communications, large companies can also benefit from improved collaboration between co-workers and team members, even when separated by significant geographical distances. Through the elimination of the boundaries and obstacles between various modes of communication, collaborators can share information quickly and easily. Unified communications also allows collaborators to move seamlessly from one mode of communication to another, without ever interrupting the conversation. So, for example, a collaboration can be moved from instant messaging to video conferencing while all the time maintaining the flow of the discussion or exchange. Understandably, this allows meetings and collaborations to run more smoothly and to be more productive.

In addition to reducing delays and providing improved collaboration, unified communications also allows large companies to benefit from significant cost savings. As might be expected, the time saved through using integrated technology architectures leads to savings of money. However, it can also help companies reduce costs in another major way. Namely, streamlined communications environments allow for significant reductions in business travel without sacrificing the quality of relationships and connections between associates and clients.

Since unified communications allows people to communicate and collaborate in a direct and productive manner without being in the same location, face-to-face meetings become less of a frequent requirement. When co-workers and employees are able to remain in their offices rather than traveling across the city, across the country or across the globe, the savings with respect to travel and accommodation costs can be impressive. Indeed, several major corporations have already integrated unified communications into their business operations and are reportedly saving millions of dollars as a result. Such examples of success further increase the appeal of unified communications for other large companies, many of which are already considering investing in such technology architectures in the near future.

Since unified communications offers so many significant advantages in addition to simplification and ease-of-use, it's really not surprising that more and more large companies are turning to integrated technology architectures to take care of their communication needs. In fact, just as e-mail became a necessity in the business world not too long ago, it's expected that unified communications will continue to become more and more widespread, until streamlined communications environments are the norm for large companies in every industry.

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Steven Long is small business owner who frequently uses www.intercall.com”>unified communications and www.intercall.com”>web conferencing to streamline communicating with both employees and clients. Using unified communications, Steven was able to integrate multiple tools to help make interactions less complicated and more efficient.

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