Talking together, working together

Unified communications (UC) not only unlocks voice calling over the internet, but has now taken all of its added functionality, from presence and instant messaging to collaboration, and moved to the cloud. But how can businesses use it to take control of their communications, asks Jason Walsh

Communication is the lifeblood of any business, whether it is with customers, between workgroups or even simply between staff members. And given that today internet technologies have penetrated much of our social lives, it is no surprise that similar developments are under way in the enterprise: enter unified communications (UC).

Old private branch exchange (PBX) telephone systems are being ripped out and replaced with more flexible telephony delivered via Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP). ...