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THE FOUR ESSENTIALS OF UC SOLUTIONS
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The feature article, Unified
Communications: A Perfect Opportunity, offers great examples of
how unified communications (UC) has helped businesses transform the
way they operate. Below is a recap of what's needed to successfully
venture into the growing UC arena.
| UC Solution |
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INFRASTRUCTURE
Routers, switches and voice gateways connect vital UC components.
Look for scalability, voice and integration capabilities. A Cisco
Integrated Services Router (ISR), for instance, acts as a tidy
all-in-one bridging device. |
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CLIENTS
As smart devices go, the Cisco 7975 IP Phone and LG-Nortel IP
Phone 8540 (pictured) offer a variety of sophisticated features.
Remote collaboration has also advanced with products that provide
a spectrum of interactive meeting experiences from Microsoft's
RoundTable device to Cisco's high-end TelePresence System 3000,
which joins meeting participants in two locations in a single,
high-resolution virtual conference room. |
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APPLICATIONS
There are hundreds of applications from manufacturers like Microsoft,
3Com, Cisco and Nortel, and from third-party providers like IPcelerate
and CyberData. Ultimately, making the choice boils down to functionality
requirements, such as voice mail, e-mail, IM, conferencing (collaboration),
call center, presence and mobility, and the project's budget. |
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CALL PROCESSING
Call processing needs will affect whether a UC solution is software-,
application-, or hardware-driven. Noteworthy are:
- 3Com. First-to-market with IP telephony and application
solutions that are proven for small and midsize businesses
and large enterprises alike. Key products The NBX IP Telephony
and Asterisk IP Communications platforms
- Nortel. A variety of portfolios of scalable, flexible
and high-quality IP telephony solutions. Key products The
Business Communications Manager (BCM) appliance and the
Meridian platform
- Cisco. Secure, scalable communications appliances
that have the capacity to serve up to 30,000 users. Key products
Unified Communications Manager, Unified Communications
Manager Express and the UC 500 Series
- Microsoft. Flexible and cost-effective, software-based
VoIP solutions that integrate with a variety of UC technologies
and optimize Office applications. Key products Office
Communications Server 2007, Office Communicator, Exchange
Server 2007 and Microsoft Outlook 2007.
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