Cisco Unified Communications: Helping Organizations Collaborate
March 6, 2006
Business communications has changed dramatically over the last few years. It's no longer just about the phone and email. Today's global economy and plethora of devices demand a new communications strategy. Effective business communications must support voice, video and data through a variety of devices. Cisco created its Unified Communications system to meet those needs. News@Cisco spoke with Don Proctor, senior vice president of Cisco's Voice Technology group, about Unified Communications and how it will help organizations collaborate.
What is Unified Communications?
Don Proctor: Cisco Unified Communications is Cisco's new name for our complete portfolio of Internet protocol (IP) communications products and services, which we previously called "IP Communications." But it's much more than a name change. Cisco Unified Communications is about finding the right person the first time. Our Unified Communications system integrates email, instant messaging, voice messaging, telephones, calendaring applications, Web collaboration, even video. Such capabilities lower the barriers to virtual collaboration, helping speed decision making, reducing communications bottlenecks, and boosting overall employee and organizational efficiency.
Though technology has given us a variety of ways to stay in touch, it has also made communications more complex since there are so many options. Now, for example, a "knowledge worker" might use an office phone, a cell phone, a Blackberry-type device, instant messaging and email. The challenge is figuring out which method is the best way to reach a person at a given time. We've all been through this, I think. You call someone's office. They don't answer. You leave a message. But you are in a hurry, so you call their cell phone. They don't answer. You leave another message. Research shows that half of all workers each day have to use multiple methods to reach their colleagues, which ends up causing delays and missed deadlines about a fifth of the time.
What is most noteworthy about this announcement?
Don Proctor: We've modified every part in our portfolio to provide well-integrated, applications-rich communications systems that address a wide array of common scenarios for any size organization. These communications systems do not just include new products but are also coupled with special pricing, financing, third-party software, and services. The key is that all parts work together, helping simplify the purchasing and deployment process for our customers.
Cisco Unified Communications addresses the challenges of building IP-based networks piece-by-piece. Certainly, customers can still buy individual solution elements from us, but we carefully designed and integrated various components so these products work in coherent systems that make installation and management easier and more cost-effective.
What are some of the new technologies Cisco has developed for Unified Communications?
Don Proctor: One of the key new technologies we're really excited about is the Cisco Unified Presence Server, which leverages the intelligence of the network to track where people are, what communications devices they are using, and provides information on the different ways to reach them. Previously, this information has been available in separate applications, such as availability indicators on instant messaging systems or busy signals on telephones. Cisco's Unified Presence Server brings this information together for use on Cisco and third-party applications, using industry standards. To achieve this, it uses a database engine with interfaces to various devices. This server delivers information to our new Cisco Unified Personal Communicator, a software application that sits on a desktop computer and provides users with a window into all of their communications.
Cisco has also developed new technologies to take advantage of a key industry standard known as Session Initiation Protocol, or SIP. SIP is gaining popularity as a means for facilitating communications and management of various IP-based multimedia devices. Cisco has implemented SIP natively into its Unified Communications systems, so that customers may choose SIP, Cisco's existing protocol (SCCP), or a combination of both, with no incremental hardware required. SIP enables Cisco to open up the Unified Communications system to third party applications, such as vertical or horizontal applications that allow our customers to have a solution tailored to their specific needs. And because SIP continues to be enhanced and defined by the standards bodies, Cisco Unified Communications will be able to integrate with applications that haven't even been invented yet.
To address the specialized needs for effectively running contact centers, we are also introducing the Cisco Unified Customer Interaction Analyzer. This is a unique software tool that examines calls using patented linguistics algorithms to identify words, tones and the nature of interactions between customers and call center agents as well as self-service applications, helping improve customer representative management and training, leading to higher customer satisfaction.
How is the Cisco Unified Communications system different from business communications offerings from other vendors?
Don Proctor: First, Cisco Unified Communications is integrated with Cisco family of networking products, what we call the Intelligent Information Network. Unified Communications leverages the security and resiliency of the Cisco network infrastructure, and adds presence, location and call processing intelligence. It uses that intelligence to enable rich media communications applications, such as the Unified Personal Communicator and Contact Center applications. Second, the open and extensible nature of the system also enables integration with third party applications and business processes. Third, the Cisco management tools provide control of the entire communications system, including the network infrastructure. Add to that systems-level services, a global channel partner community, and financing options from Cisco Capital, and you have a solution that not only meets today's strategic communications needs but tomorrow's as well.
