Carl Weinschenk
Unified Views
The goal of unified communications is presence-based communications across networks, platforms and devices.
It is easy to over-simplify and make no distinction between UC activities in Europe and the United States. That would be a mistake, despite the deep similarities between businesses in the two areas -- and the fact that many companies are active in both.
IntelePeer and WorkSpace Communications used Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference 2010 to announce a unified communications and SIP trunking arrangement that the companies say will make it easier for service providers to offer Office Communications Server-based services. 
Many observers think the introduction of the Cius tablet means Cisco has Apple and its iPad in its cross hairs. It's far more likely that the company's goal is to solidify and extend its position in the rapidly expanding unified communications market. 
Unified communications and collaboration can be an extraordinarily important tool in keeping an organization up and running and accelerating service restoration in case of a problem. It is important, however, for emergency planners to understand that UCC relies on public networks.They also must avoid the single points of failure that UCC systems can make more common. 
Google has a plan. It's so freewheeling and ambitious, however, that few people know precisely what it is. A couple of things are for sure: It is deeply tied to unified communications, and the Chrome OS -- a Webified take on the traditional operating systems -- is at its core. The traditional UC sector needs to pay close attention, since the new operating system is due by the end of the year. 
An exhaustive InformationWeek survey suggests that businesses just are not getting it when it comes to unified communications. But they do understand the benefits it provides. The challenge is to sell the concept as well as the individual services and their benefits.
The increasing acceptance of unified communications as a repository of corporate communications tools suggests that the next big battle -- the creation of standards enabling interoperability between products from different vendors -- has arrived. 
IT and telecommunications staffs have their hands full with today's issues. But at least two technologies -- high-speed short-range networking and bendable displays -- will impact unified communications in the relatively near future. - 1 of 8
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Carl Weinschenk
Carl Weinschenk covers IP communications and related business issues for IT Business Edge. He is a contributing editor to Communications Technology magazine and has held staff positions at InternetWeek, tele.com, Cable World and Cable Marketing magazines. He runs The IT-Finance Connection.
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