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UC&C, or unified communications and collaboration, is a big buzzword for a simple idea: workers can be more productive with an all-in-one communication system, one that bridges telephone, computer, and Internet, and that combines everything from faxes to online conferences. Verizon Business is now offering one solution with the Cisco Unified Communications Manager 6.1 platform.

Verizon is the first U.S. provider to offer the Cisco suite, which is designed to enhance productivity by integrating communication tools, including phone, e-mail, and instant messaging. Employees can access and respond to their messages from a central desktop application, and have access to the same messages whether they're in the office or working remotely.

Communication Features

Verizon manages the suite for its customers, meaning it handles the installation and the remote monitoring. The customer's IT staff doesn't need to worry, because Verizon's team watches for alarms, notifies the company if there's a problem, and initiates the repair on its own.

The desktop app offers a phone presence for your team that lets them know when other employees are available and when they're busy. Like an IM buddy list, it displays the user's current status. When workers are in the office but don't want to be disturbed, they can set the presence indicator to avoid interruptions. It becomes a secretary for the digital age, letting people know when you're available and shielding you when you're too busy to talk.

In the future, the desktop app will be able to improve collaboration by providing voice conferencing and Web conferencing. These aren't a part of the suite yet, but will eventually be added, said a Verizon representative.

The UC&C Advantage

If your staff already has the tools integrated in a UC&C solution, and they likely do, you'll wonder why you'd want to spend more for an integrated solution. Surprisingly, UC&C is a big boost to productivity. It leads to faster communications between employees, which in turn accelerates business decisions. It also reduces the likelihood of an employee getting distracted between tasks, and leads to better collaboration.

Employees working from home certain days, for example, might forget to forward their calls before leaving the office. As a result, they won't get some messages until they return. With an integrated solution, one that combines the telephone and computer networks, they can listen to those messages from home. In fact, they view their phone message with the same client as their e-mail messages, so there's no need to switch applications.

Target Companies

Verizon is looking to enterprises with at least 200 users for this solution. Ideal customers have multiple locations, since they can benefit the most from simplified communications.

The Cisco suite is available to U.S. and European customers now, and will be available in Asia in the first quarter of 2009. Installation cost is about 20 percent of the cost of your PBX, and then $5 per user per month. Volume discounts are available, and the price varies by the components installed. For more information on the service, click here.

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