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Unified Communications Featured Article
August 11, 2009
Mobile UC as a Cost-Saver
By The down economy, and resulting microscope on discretionary spending, have served to filter out those who are merely playing with technology from those who are more serious about turning to IP communications for cost-savings, the head of a Mountain View, Calif.-based mobile unified communications provider told TMCnet in an interview.
According to Vivek Khuller, president and CEO of DiVitas Networks, cost-conscious decision-makers are more thoughtful than ever about what they’re buying – and offerings such as those from DiVitas, products that make employees more accessible and responsive, are hot items.
“In addition to voice, DiVitas offers the newest business social networking applications – such as IM, Presence and Personal Status – on a smartphone,” Khuller told TMC (News - Alert) CEO Rich Tehrani in an interview, printed in full below. “People are more accessible, responsive, and therefore they are more productive.”
Khuller – who is leading a pair of sessions at ITEXPO (News - Alert) West 2009 from Sept. 1 to 3 in Los Angeles, “Mobile UC Market Landscape” and “Mobile UC Strategies for the Enterprise” also said that companies willing to invest in the dual-mode aspect of a DiVitas solution can see a dramatic reduction in cellular costs.
Their full exchange follows.
Rich Tehrani: What has the economic crisis taught you, and how has it changed your customers?
VK: People have become much more thoughtful about what they are buying. They are buying things they actually need, so they are reducing discretionary spending. We are getting interest from customers who are truly serious as opposed to those who are just playing with the technology.
RT: How is this down economy affecting your decisions to reinvest in your company or market, if at all? Where will you invest?
VK: We’re focusing on our customers and their needs – and they are focused on projects that have more immediate ROI.
RT: What’s the strongest segment in the communications industry?
VK: Wireless and mobile. Take Verizon (News - Alert), AT&T, Apple and RIM for example. All four have posted solid results in spite of the poor economy.
RT: With the rise of smartphones and netbooks, many wireless technologies, such as WiFi (News - Alert), appear to be poised for rapid growth. For example, we’re seeing more and more airlines add in-flight WiFi. In general, how widespread should WiFi be, in your view?
VK: It should be as widespread as possible so that people can always have an option in case there is no cellular, or if cellular is too expensive.
RT: Which nation or region of the world will present the largest opportunity for your company in 2009/10?
VK: North America followed by Western Europe.
RT: In what ways is President Barack Obama helping or hindering the technology markets? What more can he do?
VK: Obama’s stimulus package clearly seems to be working as we are seeing strong demand for our product and services from the educational and government sectors.
RT: What device or devices do you use, and what do you wish you used?
VK: Currently I have three different phones – a Nokia, Samsung and Apple (News - Alert)– that I may be using at any given moment.
RT: What has the iPhone 3G taught us? I know it’s very new, but what about the Palm Pre? What are we learning from the smartphones based on the open source Google Android platform?
VK: iPhone and Palm Pre are leading the shift in mobile platforms from native apps to web-based apps.
RT: I understand you are speaking during ITEXPO West, to be held Sept. 1 to 3 in Los Angeles. Describe your talk and tell us what companies or people should attend.
VK: At ITEXPO I’m going to be talking about mobilizing one of the most important business applications – and that is the company deskphone. Just as RIM mobilized corporate email onto a mobile handset, DiVitas is looking to mobilize the corporate deskphone onto a smartphone. Anyone who is interested in mobilizing their PBX-based deskphones to smartphones must come and listen what DiVitas has to offer.
RT: Why should customers choose your company’s solutions? How do they justify the expense to management?
VK: First and foremost the DiVitas solution increases employee accessibility and responsiveness. In addition to voice, DiVitas offers the newest business social networking applications – such as IM, Presence and Personal Status – on a smartphone. People are more accessible, responsive, and therefore they are more productive.
Furthermore, those companies that are willing to invest in the dual-mode aspect of our solution can see a dramatic reduction in cellular costs, and increase in coverage in areas where cellular signals are hard to penetrate.
Learn more about DiVitas Networks at ITEXPO West — the biggest and most comprehensive IP communications event of the year. ITEXPO West will take place in Los Angeles, Sept. 1 to 3, 2009, featuring three valuable days of exhibits, conferences, and networking opportunities you can’t afford to miss. Don’t wait. Register now.
Follow ITEXPO on Twitter: twitter.com/itexpo
Michael Dinan is a contributing editor for TMCnet, covering news in the IP communications, call center and customer relationship management industries. To read more of Michael's articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Michael Dinan
