Unified communications (UC) is the ability for knowledge workers, customer service agents, receptionists, etc. to handle inquiries through all types of communication channels in a single multi-channel solution. This makes inquiry handling much more efficient and helps provide a superior service experience.
Unified communications integrates asynchronous and synchronous communication tools in a way that increases organizations’ communication, collaboration, and productivity.
Principles
An example of asynchronous communication is e-mail: Senders and receivers exchange information in a series of steps, one after the other. The receiver can choose to reply if, and when, they feel like it.
An example of synchronous communication is IP telephony: It happens in real time. The caller and receiver can speak all at once. Unlike the asynchronous, multi-step e-mail example, the phone communication takes place in one big step, so to speak.
In between asynchronous and synchronous communication you find chat and other types of messaging, which are near-real-time but also involve stepwise sequences reminiscent of the asynchronous e-mails. Many chat tools, however, offer escalation to fully synchronous media, like phone or video.
With its ability to handle communications channels like telephony (often referred to as voice), e-mail, chat, and sometimes also social media, it becomes clear that unified communications is not a single technology.
Instead, it combines technologies, systems, applications, and devices, and lets them be used simultaneously or one after the other, depending on the given situation and communication need.
Unified communications provides a non-siloed environment that integrates and delivers whatever communication channels and tools end users need at any given time, for any given purpose. Importantly, it also lets users blend the channels:
Users can move from one communication channel to another during the same session. This is known as channel blending. For example, a user may start to communicate via chat, but may then decide to continue the conversation in a voice call or a video conference without interruption.
Unified communications solutions also frequently offer contact center features, like queues, interactive voice response (IVR), and automated call distribution (ACD), where the latter principle can also be used for routing other types of inquiries, such as chat or e-mail inquiries.
Usage and business integrations
A unified communications user application typically covers three broad types of communication channels, whether it runs on a desktop, in a browser (WebRTC makes it possible to embed real-time communication into browsers), or as an app on a mobile device:
E-mail, chat, messaging, or other text-based technologies
IP telephony, voicemail, and other voice-based technologies
Video conferencing or other video-based technologies, which may incorporate text-based as well as voice-based technologies and collaboration tools, like virtual whiteboards
Importantly, user applications can also offer calendar integration and real-time status and presence information, which is essential for knowing who is available, when they are available, and how they are available, and consequently essential for users’ ability to work and communicate as efficiently as possible.
This is an example of communications-enabled business processes, where services like status and presence combine with telephony, chat, etc. in a unified communications solution that enhances the value of each of its components.
Business process benefits, however, need not be limited to dedicated unified communications user applications. The benefits of unified communications may as well be integrated into enterprise applications themselves.
For example, the abilities to initiate or transfer a voice call can be offered directly inside a knowledge base or a CRM system, right where users need them, so that they will not need to go in and out of multiple different tools.
Some unified communications solutions even offer automatic lookup of relevant information when an inquiry is received. That way, agents and operators can view, for example, a caller’s account information and balance, even before they answer the call.
Deployment, platforms, and important differentiators
Unified communications systems can be deployed on-premise or in a private or public cloud. When it is deployed in the cloud, unified communications is typically offered as UC as a Service (UCaaS).
A unified communications solution backend typically consists of:
One or more servers running the unified communications platform, including databases for operations and statistics purposes
An IP-based PBX (Private Branch Exchange), possibly in the cloud
Synchronization with calendar applications, Active Directory, and other systems that contribute to the unified communications overview
Gateways for communication flows, typically SBCs (Session Border Controllers)
Vendor independence
With respect to platforms, many unified communications solutions have historically been focused around a single vendor, which has traditionally been viewed as providing the highest degree of interoperability.
However, leading providers of unified communications solutions today offer open APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that make their solutions vendor-agnostic and allow organizations to switch, or mix, platform vendors when required.
This vendor-independence and freedom of movement is currently a key differentiator in the unified communications market. The overall concept of unified communications is increasingly viewed as a journey, where conditions inherently change along the way, and solutions should be able to accommodate that.
Integration-ability
With the vendor-agnostic open APIs comes an even greater ability for unified communications solutions to easily integrate and exchange data with other relevant systems, such as CRM systems, knowledge bases, helpdesk ticket systems, etc.
Statistics-based knowledge and decision making
Another important differentiator is the ability to gain knowledge about the organization’s communication efforts through the obvious communication hub itself: the unified communications solution.
It’s viewed as increasingly important for quality management and decision making that the unified communications solution provides access to advanced statistics about how communication channels are used, how organizations live up to KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), etc. in order to identify and act upon emerging trends.
Again, the journey metaphor can be used, because the ability to forecast and adapt one’s services along the way is becoming an important characteristic of successful unified communications implementations.
Data protection
Unified communication solutions typically store data in secure zones, and encrypt data when it travels across the internet, so data security is typically high.
However, even a unified communications solution that only stores data that is needed for daily operations and statistical purposes can still build up a large amount of personally identifiable data, such as e-mail addresses, phone numbers, etc.
It is therefore important that a unified communications solution has tools that allow organizations to live up to the European GDPR and other data protection regulations. In the unified communications solution itself, it should be possible to easily export, anonymize, and delete personally identifiable data on request, after a certain amount of time, etc.
Operations monitoring
Last, but not least: A unified communications solution is critical infrastructure. The best solutions allow IT Operations people to continuously monitor the solution’s performance, so that IT Operations can react proactively, before communication becomes affected, if networks or hardware show signs of slowing down.
This is often an overlooked factor, because IT Operations are traditionally not viewed as belonging among the important stakeholders of a unified communications solution. However, when assessing a unified communications solution, it is important to also assess if, and how, the provider has documented how to monitor the solution’s performance.
Glossary of abbreviations used in this article
ACD: Automatic Call Distribution, a system that receives and distributes calls and other inquiries to relevant people, typically contact center agents, in an organization. The system may use rules, for example about language skills, to route inquiries to the most suitable available agents.
API: Application Programming Interface, a set of building blocks that together provide an interface for consultants, software developers, and other technical audiences who need to access a product’s features and data, for example in order to integrate the product with other products.
IP: Internet Protocol, the principal communications protocol that facilitates the internet.
IVR: Interactive Voice Response. Example: “Press 1 for Reception, press 2 for Management.”
PBX: Private Branch Exchange, a private telephone network used within an organization.
SBC: Session Border Controller, a system that controls and secures signaling and media streams on Voice over IP networks.
UCaaS: Unified Communications as a Service, a type of Software as a Service (SaaS) where a provider delivers a cloud-based, scalable, and secure unified communications solution through the web.
WebRTC: Web Real-Time Communication, a free, open project that provides Real-Time Communications (RTC) capabilities in web browsers via simple JavaScript APIs.