What does unified communications (UC) mean to you? For Jim Koniecki, UC solutions manager at Dimension Data Americas, the word “unified” conjures up idea of solutions from different vendors working together seamlessly. When I asked him to predict that is coming next in the communications technology industry, he envisioned a day when solutions from companies like Cisco, Microsoft and IBM (News - Alert) will work together in a much more unified manner.

 

Koniecki also commented on the evolving role of the iPhone in corporate environments, Google’s forays into Software-as-a-Service (SaaS (News - Alert)), and the potential of technology to enhance business processes. His colleagues Grant Sainsbury and Mark Slaga will be elaborating on these topics next week during INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference & EXPO West 2008.

 

Sainsbury will be participating in two sessions at the event: “Contact Center Security Strategies” (September. 16 at 12:45 p.m.) and “Contact Center Benchmarking Study Results” (September 18 at 8:15 a.m.).

 

Slaga will be co-presenting the “Introduction to Unified Communications” session on September 18 at 8:15 am.

 

JK: In 2008, Dimension Data launched its Integrated Collaboration solution in the Americas. This solution integrates multiple communication channels, including Cisco IP telephony, presence, e-mail, audio and Web conferencing, voice mail, unified messaging and instant messaging. With one click of the mouse, a teleworker in Florida can be on a video conference or conduct an audio call with a coworker from New York. They can also share a PowerPoint presentation at the same time. This is a powerful solution, and Dimension Data is seeing significant demand for these capabilities.

 

Also, in 2008, Dimension Data announced the availability of our Unified Communications Development Model (UCDM), which helps organizations assess their competence and capabilities in unified communications and helps them develop a roadmap for implementation. Developed by Dimension Data’s communications experts, the UCDM reflects growing demand from our clients for a model to measure their organizations against a set of operational and strategic competency areas – and to help them prioritize their investments in UC.

 

JK: During fiscal year 2009, Dimension Data will focus on delivering with excellence across our lines of business (LoBs): Converged Communications, Network Integration, Customer Interactive Solutions, Microsoft (News - Alert), Security, Data Center & Storage Solutions, and Services.

 

Within our Converged Communications LoB, we will further build out our services offerings to include more strategic consulting around our UC offerings. We will also increase the number of solutions we offer that integrate Cisco and Microsoft technologies, and we will continue to integrate new form factors as they become available.

 

JK: Right now, the market is still finding new and innovative ways to accommodate users’ constant desire to stay connected. As we move into 2009, we’ll see more market segmentation happening. And by 2010, we’ll have a much more unified environment whereby Cisco, Microsoft and IBM will be working together.

 

We also think Dimension Data will have an even more seamless offering as other players come in to the communications market. Ultimately, there will be a broader level of interoperability with larger opportunities and more players.

 

JK: This answer depends on the market segment. Cisco has had a huge impact in the networking arena, as it incorporated WebEx and Linksys (News - Alert) into its product offerings. Cisco also put the concept of TelePresence on the map in a significant way.

 

In addition, Apple has had an enormous effect on unified communications by creating an exciting, new form factor — the iPhone — that has had huge adoption among consumers, many of whom want to introduce it into the corporate environment. And Microsoft, a company that literally owns the desktop, has enabled interoperability at the desktop that is allowing people to really begin to use a unified approach to their businesses.

 

JK: Google’s influence has been significant, not only in search capabilities, but also in software as a service (SaaS). The company has also forced carriers to come to market sooner with new products and is pushing to open up “white space” in the digital TV spectrum for Web access. Google is also making strides in the mobile space with the introduction of Android. Its efforts on renewable energy will also have lasting effects.

 

JK: Obviously, Apple has had an enormous effect on the form factor and the consumer space. Today, there are more people who’ve never used a PC joining the workforce and bringing their Macs and iPhones to work. It is a matter of time before the Mac has a big presence in the corporate world. The iPhone has also raised the bar on what is considered a mobile device and has helped solidify Apple as the leader in aesthetics.

 

JK: We at Dimension Data use a variety of phones, and the goal for everyone is to have more interoperability with their corporate network. We want our mobile phones to be secure, and we ultimately want to streamline our processes and be totally connected. With improvements in RFID and GPS, there are going to be huge changes to come as people want to communicate in real time.

 

JK: We may see both, but, due to innovative technologies, clever marketing and its aesthetic appeal, Apple won’t lose.

 

JK: There will be further commoditization in certain types of features and functionality. We’ll spend a lot less time explaining, marketing and selling various communications technologies – and more time on strategy as related to the business process. We will also see strong adoption of advanced communications technologies and even more alignment of technology with business processes.

 

There will also be a greater adoption of SaaS, and we will see customers making choices between having their UC applications hosted by a service provider or deployed in their own data centers. Larger customers will definitely look at a hybrid approach of on-premise and off-premise solutions, while smaller customers may outsource their entire UC infrastructure to a SaaS provider as a move to consolidate their data centers.

 

JK: Dimension Data has more than 25 years of experience implementing solutions on five continents. In fact, we have deployed more than 1 million IP phones globally! We offer full lifecycle solutions across multiple lines of business, and the solutions we deploy are the ones that we have adopted internally.

 

For UC in particular, we offer everything from planning (UCDM, etc.) and implementation (deployment and integration with existing systems) — through to end-user adoption (employee awareness and training best practices).

 

JK: Look for ubiquitous visual communications — involving the desktop, room systems, TelePresence and HD videoconferencing — to become a reality.