By 2010, 80% of organizations implementing communications-enabled processes may
achieve significant revenue and competitive differentiation. This is due to the fact that
Unified Communications technologies have broad implications affecting many fundamental,
people-driven business processes. During the course of this event we will cover the
following topics, including real-world examples across a variety of industries:

• Dealing with distributed workforces
• Opportunities for new partnership models
• Improving cross-boundary collaboration
• Building customer connections
• Compliance for communications
• Business continuity implications
• Improved efficiencies and reduced costs for communications infrastructure

The opening session will highlight the implications unified communications has to organizations across industries. For years, most organizations have had two separate, parallel investments in terms of communications: one around a voice network and another around a data network. This exemplifies the dilemma of modern business communications: many individual tools are considered indispensable, yet do not work well together to help people collaborate and enhance productivity. Organizations are now looking for ways to take advantage of modern technologies like VoIP to help reduce both the hard costs and productivity drain of their current communication networks. Integrating existing communications and PC networking infrastructures can help reduce complexity and total cost of ownership, while at the same time making the most of current technology investments.

With the power of a single identity, and “right time, right method” communications, enabled by presence, communication becomes a seamless and personal experience. With presence, you can find the contact you’re seeking the first time. Select contacts from a directory and see their personal availability and their optimal contact mode, whether it be phone, IM or e-mail. And because presence is integrated into the applications you use most, you can “click to communicate” without having to switch to a new application. Learn how improved communication and collaboration technologies can help make your organization more responsive and agile to customers' and partners' needs.

Some of the most important requirements of a communications system are in the areas of security, compliance and availability. Communications from e-mail to IM are constantly threatened by spam and viruses that if left unchecked can disrupt business and compromise security. As more electronic media come into mainstream use, security and compliance will continue to be primary IT concerns – as will the need for communications to always be readily available. In this session we’ll explore how a unified communications platform can help reduce risks for your organization.

Many organizations have fragmented internal communications systems that include multiple applications and hardware from many different vendors. This fragmentation is challenging and time-consuming for employees, and expensive for IT departments that must deploy, manage and update the systems. Communications modes are rarely integrated with other applications, resulting in disconnected infrastructure islands with multiple address books or user directories, and proprietary hardware and software applications that can’t talk to each other. In the final session, discover how unified communications helps prolong investments in communications infrastructure and helps reduce management costs associated with communications technologies.