The demand by businesses for safe, easy-to-use and reliable communication tools have given rise to Unified Communication (UC), a complete communication strategy that is all set to integrate multiple communication tools for improved management and to provide a complete security cover. Unified Communication needs to satisfy the demand for effective communication, improved collaboration, and adding a boost to security and implementation of regulations and compliance policies. Over the course of the last five years, the improved mobile technology and networking infrastructure have made mobility a primary channel for satisfying the communication requirements. So it might be the right time for the IT departments to make unified mobile communication (MUC) propriety for development. Using the MUC as the primary communication channel, it will give the added advantage for the enterprises to finally curb the uncontrolled, untracked mish-mash of consumer-centric, carrier and with third-party communications tools that have applied over the years for the traditional network. Communications is one of the critical requirement when it comes to growing organizations; MUC is a much easier channel to manage and scale because of its flexibility and simple usage procedures. The Mobile Unified Communication (MUC) offers users with visibility and control that is essential for enterprises IT deployments. The added advantage will assist the enterprises to become more dominant with mobile unified communication provisioning strategy and mechanism over the period of the next 5 to 10 years.
What is mobile unified communication (MUC)?
The unified part of mobile unified communication implies all the tools that are added with the organizational communications can also be associated with analytics and reporting, combined with a single management and security cover set for the enterprise. Some of the key required functionalities will include various aspects.
Messaging: Messaging should be analogous to the common carrier aspects such as testing types that include SMS, EMS, and MMS, and simpler social media messaging choices that include LinkedIn messaging, Facebook messaging, etc. and all include Instant messaging (IM) and chat services. The mobile communication offers improved security as each device is mobility driven, making even the record keeping safe option. The current unified solutions lack many of such abilities that need messaging options.
E–mail: E-mail in the most primary requirement that should come in with MUC that will let easy tracking of communications. Though email holds the primary channel when it comes to communication in many cases and still will be replaced by intra-organizational communication, that is where people can be added to communication. An e-mail has been considered as the lowest common denominator for external communication.
Voice: What made Unified Communication (UC) for business a complete tool for business is the Voice Telephony (Over IP) is one of the key constituent function within UC. MUC must include both one-to-one and conferencing capabilities to implement the voice communication solution and add the voicemail.
Files: All the required documents should be easily accessible as it will affect the employee productivity directly. Images, streaming videos, PDF files, word documents, recording of conferencing calls all must be retained in the application. They should be easily searchable and accessible for all the authorized users. Media conversion between the domains, an automatically generated transcript of voice conversation is a desirable function. Having a backup, archiving for encryption and support for any required regulatory and policy compliance will be required to satisfy.
Management: With most IT capabilities a unified mobile communication should include a front console for the applications that will include policy definition, configuration, identity management, onboarding, creation of different required tabs and applications requirement changes, usage monitoring that is restricted and including cost control for carrier communication services.
Below are some of the added consideration that could be implemented in MUC, the desktop UC often centers on purpose-built desk sets while with the MUC the challenges start with a complete change in the underlying technology that includes Android and iOS. It’s imperative to consider the organizations BYOD policy that will specify the required devices/ OS and also make a detailed review of the requirement of these apps. Mobile Unified Communication brings location independence and dynamic mobility in the UC. MUC will be based on the pure IP that gives the users the freedom to use those devices without having any demanded input requirement. The power and utility of mobile devices are now equal to most of the personal desktops that are presently being used.
Mobile Unified Communications deployment
Cloud Services: MUC products are increasingly being used through the cloud-based service. The cloud approach is set to define the deployment, scale over time, and improve the reliability of the infrastructure and device. The increase in usage has put some of the vendors providing MUC as a Service that applies the managed services strategy already in place to work with various elements that are set in for the IT and networking. Products: The unified mobile communication is agile and hardware receptive beyond the server requirements and mobile client devices. The server is often located in the organization’s premises and can also be hosted in the virtual machine that is all set to minimize the required costing. Do-it-yourself integration: Most of the enterprises have a singularized MUC functionality that is required; a variety of point-product capabilities are available. One of the strongest choices with is open-source Asterisk IP-PBX used with appropriate SIP clients with disjointed management of functionality implemented via such an approach is not desirable.
Conclusion
The key suppliers for mobile unified communications include Digium, Cisco, Mitel, and RingCentral. Cisco that offers a range of MUC products including the UC as a service and variety of the Webex capabilities, including the connective approach using the Webex teams. Microsoft offers two products that can include in the MUC capabilities product office 365 and Skype for Business. Many IT experts believe that eventually, every UC provider is all set to enter MUC space that will offer improved features. The mobile and desktop integrated function can soon become a reality with integrated one-stop shopping with enterprise mobility management innovators have begun to bring solutions back.
To know more, you can download whitepapers on Unified Communication.
