Business Benefits of Unified Communications

IT professionals have long been experts at deploying messaging systems. When email was a new technology, it brought about a huge cultural shift inbusinesses; now it's a well understood concept that both IT departments and end users have become accustomed to. Although a messaging deployment can toucha wide range of systems within a business, from the directory to the desktop, such a deployment can also be carried out without having a huge effect onday-to-day operations. Unified communications (UC) is a different type of solution, with multiple components that touch all aspects of a business.

Because a true UC platform includes many components, the number of touch points with IT systems, business systems, and users is greater than with othersolutions. For example, in IT, UC affects the directory more broadly than an email project does, because of UC's reliance on a wider set of correctidentity information (e.g., manager and telephone fields). A UC solution can also combine with video endpoints, telephone lines (and carriers), faxmachines, and PBXs. From a business perspective, UC integrates with business applications and processes more widely than email does.

For end users, UC changes the way people work. Although email is now mature and widely adopted, UC brings new technology and a new mentality, providing theability to truly change the culture and working practices of a business -- which is a much more difficult task than the simple IT project that email hasbecome.

Bringing UC into your business can present many challenges. In this article, I explain how a business might benefit from UC, and I discuss the variousaspects of a UC project, including high-level technical components, the project team, different project phases, and common objections. I include resourcesthat are available to help with your rollout. Finally, I cover the concept of cultural change, which in many cases is the most difficult hurdle to overcomebut can provide the biggest benefit to your organization.

Benefits of Unified Communications

Most organizations will use several of the communication modalities listed on the left-hand side of Figure 1. Telephony, voicemail, and email areubiquitous in some form or other; audio conferencing is also quite common. Other modalities such as video conferencing, web conferencing, and IM arebecoming more widely used. The challenge for companies is that these technologies have often grown up in their business in very different ways.

Figure 1: UC Technologies 

For example, telephony and email have typically been implemented centrally, although often by different teams -- but video conferencing might be present inonly a small pocket or department. IM might be implemented through a public IM cloud such as Google Talk or Windows Live Messenger, over which a companyhas limited control. All these siloed communication technologies create overhead, such as the need to authenticate (thus remembering several usernames andpasswords), look up names and addresses, and capture and archive business communication and documents for regulatory compliance purposes.

Security is also an important consideration; using a range of products for communication requires you to understand and secure a variety of systems.Implementing a unified platform lets you move toward a standard approach in which all information in transit -- whether email or phone and video calls --is secured.

The right-hand side of Figure 1 illustrates the simplicity of bringing multiple technologies together into a single UC platform based on Microsoft LyncServer 2010, Exchange Server 2010, and SharePoint Server 2010. Implementing this type of solution gives you a single hardware platform, similaradministrative interfaces and skill sets, one source of identity used for authentication and contact information (Active Directory -- AD), and a far morestreamlined compliance platform -- even though compliance systems aren't entirely integrated for Lync, Exchange, and SharePoint out of the box. Perhapsmost important, you empower users by providing a familiar and integrated user experience across all these technologies. The presence control and contactcard lets users easily select the most suitable method for communicating with another person, no matter which device they're using or where they'relocated.

In business terms, ROI is important. For UC projects, ROI falls into two areas: hard costs, which are easy to quantify, and productivity enhancements,which aren't.

Hard cost reductions result from not having numerous maintenance contracts, not having multiple pieces of hardware and software, and not having severaltechnical team members to manage a large number of unique systems. In addition, bringing conference bridges in-house that otherwise cost money for eachminute used can greatly reduce hard costs. Finally, significant cost savings can be achieved through reduced travel expenses and the introduction of a moreflexible work environment that makes better use of available real estate. (These last two changes imply the cultural shift that's necessary for a companyto truly benefit from UC technology.)

Productivity enhancements are more difficult to track and more difficult to attach a dollar value to -- but they nevertheless result in noticeableimprovements. For example, the ability to communicate efficiently in a variety of ways to suit the situation means that you'll typically be able to reachsomeone who can solve your problem. Whether your problem is a direct customer issue, an internal query, or even the simple need to get your expensesapproved by a manager, taking care of tasks quickly can make a big difference in your productivity. A benefit of presence and integrated directory searchis that you don't have to spend time chasing someone who isn't available; in addition, you can quickly find another person to resolve your problem bybrowsing the directory for someone in the same group (or that person's manager). These advantages, when combined with the empowerment that results from aflexible work environment (and the inherent trust in employees that's necessary in a flexible environment), contribute to increased employee satisfaction-- which results in quicker issue resolution, leading to benefits such as a shortened sales cycle or better customer service. Another positive outcome isthat you're more likely to retain the talented people in your organization.

Technical Components

Now that I've discussed the benefits of UC, let's take a look at what's necessary to have a fully integrated UC platform. The necessary elements can bebroken down into different areas: Microsoft components, such as AD, Exchange, Lync, SharePoint, and Dynamics CRM; systems that interoperate withMicrosoft's UC technology, such as video conferencing systems and PBXs; and internal factors, such as your network team and your security and complianceteam.

Active Directory.AD is core to the success of a UC project. It provides a central point of identity, which enables authentication and helps locate users through directorysearch. AD provides the "single source of truth" that's so important in business. As such, AD should be populated with at least the following informationabout users:

Exchange Server (including unified messaging -- UM).Exchange provides a unified inbox, where all communication data is stored, including, email, voicemail, faxes, historic IMs, and even SMS messages. Thisapproach gives you one place to search for communication information.

Lync.Lync is the glue that binds a UC system together. It provides the real-time communication components and enables significant integration not only intoother Microsoft offerings such as SharePoint but also into third-party technologies such as room-based video conferencing systems and contact centersystems.

SharePoint.SharePoint is where structured data is stored. In addition, SharePoint enables social communication in the form of My Sites and wikis that let peopleopenly share information and skills, thus fostering community and tighter teamwork within an organization. SharePoint also enables the creation of customworkflows, which when tied into presence information can allow efficient routing of communication related to document submissions.

Dynamics CRM.Although often overlooked, Dynamics CRM can form an integral part of a UC system. Integration of presence information and communications modalities (bothaudio and IM) can enable efficient and knowledgeable servicing of customer queries.

Video conferencing systems.Systems from companies such as Polycom, Radvision, and LifeSize can all be integrated into Lync. Third-party video conferencing systems let Lync clients participate inmeetings hosted on room-based conference bridges (and vice versa in some cases). When a technology such as Lync is fully deployed and integrated with othervideo platforms, desktop video capabilities give users the ability to fully participate in and feel part of a conversation. In general, room-based systemshave typically been reserved for senior executives. Integration with Lync means that users can take advantage of desktop video conferencing to participatein meetings, thus saving money and increasing efficiency. In addition, as video uptake becomes ubiquitous, the use of room-based conferencing systems willlikewise increase.

PBXs.Organizations use a wide variety of PBX systems, often of varying ages and with widely different capabilities. Lync can integrate with these systems in acouple of ways: as just another PBX communicating directly via Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) or through a gateway device, or through the use of remotecall control or a similar technology. Remote call control allows Lync to be used for many capabilities and lets existing PBXs integrate with presenceinformation and maintain a hold on telephony. Although this solution isn't ideal, it does merit investigation in organizations where there's an extensiveor recent investment in PBX technology. At the very least, it allows Lync to become the centerpiece of the UC platform and to gradually take a greater roleas existing assets expire.

Network.No matter which communications modality you intend to use, the traffic that's generated will flow across your network. Networks -- and particularly theteams that run them -- are critical to the success of UC adoption. It's important to involve the network team in planning a UC project from the earlystages. Doing so can prevent arguments about bandwidth and can allay fears of "clogging up the network with so much rich media." If you can bring thenetwork team up to speed and verify the bandwidth required to implement a UC solution, you can have a discussion about Quality of Service (QoS) and CallAdmission Control (CAC) in a rational setting rather than under stress. (For information about QoS and CAC in UC, see the sidebar "QoS and CAC in UnifiedCommunications.") It's likely that additional bandwidth will be necessary to realize the full benefit of your UC solution, which might require creativebudgeting. Therefore, it's helpful to have a senior project sponsor who understands the business benefits of UC and can evangelize UC on your behalf.

Security and compliance.As with the network team, security and compliance is another area in which you might encounter pushback. It's within a security professional's nature tosay no, because it's his job to protect the organization from threats. Instead of springing changes on the security team, enlist their support early on.Again, use senior sponsorship to ensure that the security team understands the benefit that the UC project brings to the business. Although UC does lead tomore open sharing of information, that sharing isn't uncontrolled or unmonitored. In fact, when they're implemented correctly, Lync and UC as a whole areextremely secure, with all server-to-server communication and server-to-client communication encrypted by default. In addition, all communication can becentrally monitored and archived for regulatory and compliance purposes -- which is a vast improvement over the unmanaged Skype, Windows Live, and YahooMessenger implementations found in many organizations.

Planning Ahead

Now that you're familiar with the technical aspects of a UC system, you need to understand how to engage various technical teams and the business as awhole in adopting a UC solution. Marketing, training and reporting are especially important in implementing a successful UC project.

One of the principal guidelines is to bring people together early. Instead of falling into the trap of having teams work against each other, introducepeople to your UC vision and get them working together. Achieving this goal requires some forethought. You need to understand how the project will affecteach group, and you should outline the opportunities it brings them. For example, in organizations in which a dedicated team runs the telephone system, thestaff might feel threatened by a move to an IT-based system. Paint the move to UC as an opportunity: Voice skills aren't going away, they're beingaugmented with additional skills that are more relevant to today's businesses.

Because UC projects have such a significant business focus, it would be ridiculous not to include the business in the project. It's crucial that you engagewith all areas of an organization, possibly by creating project boards that consist of representatives from each area. You need to ensure that you don'tdesign the project based on what IT thinks the business needs are -- instead, you must seek feedback from a variety of sources within theorganization. Pay particular attention to the opinions of administrative assistants, receptionists, and HR staff. These people are the lifeblood of theorganization. They interact with a wide variety of people and often have senior connections. If they feel that a project is moving in the right direction,they can help foster good feelings about the project throughout the business. In addition, they can provide valuable feedback to help guide the project.

Part of the role of your chosen champions within each department is to help with internal marketing. Marketing an internal technology rollout to thebusiness as a whole is extremely important. UC has the power to change the way people work -- so the staff must be on board with that change. Creatingexcitement about upcoming improvements is definitely a marketing task.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT), or piloting, is another important part of successfully implementing UC. The IT department shouldn't undertake this task.Instead, you should use the relationships that you created through the steering groups and project boards to get users involved. Hold demonstrationsessions that users can attend to get their hands dirty with the technology. You could set up an informal demo in the lunch room, where users could come byto test the technology and provide feedback. Or you could roll out a more formal testing program, in which you deploy the technology to a particulardepartment and solicit user comments. The key is to use as broad a range of participants as possible and to carefully monitor and address feedback. Youneed to clearly outline the goals of the test and communicate how the project relates to the overall business strategy. The bigger buzz you create aboutthe project, the more helpful your users will be in testing it.

After the testing phase comes the training phase. Because training can take many forms, it's important to ensure that the correct people get theappropriate amount of support and have access to the necessary resources. Some users will simply need to make and receive phone calls, whereas some willneed to manage calls for others, create and lead conference calls, and generally work with a broad range of the modalities provided. The first group mightneed only some self-training, through walkthroughs or quick tips accessible on the corporate intranet. Power users, however, might need specialty training.Of course, if you've run the project well from the beginning, you already identified those key people early in the process, and they've been involved intraining since the testing phase.

In addition to task-based training, you need to train users on etiquette. Over the past 10 or 15 years, people have become accustomed to how email worksand have learned the customs associated with it, such as replying to all, using a signature, and creating out-of-office messages. UC in general and Lync inparticular provide entirely new ways to communicate. One concept that might be new to many users is that of presence (i.e., availability). Employees needto know how to use presence within their organization. For example, someone might be in a meeting but available to answer a quick IM. You need to let usersknow that if they're truly unavailable, they should change their presence to Do Not Disturb. In addition, it's important for users to assign their contactsto the appropriate access group level, so that only those who they want to be able to break through the Do Not Disturb state can do so. Finally, usersshould be trained to start an IM with "Do you have a moment to talk?" rather than immediately barging in with a direct question.

Following training, it's useful to have some type of accreditation. Many companies give users credit for completing training, and UC training should be nodifferent. You could have users complete an online quiz on a company portal, or you could administer a specific test after training. The method ofaccreditation you choose will depend on the culture of your company, but it's worthwhile to measure users' capabilities after training and to reward neweducation.

Regardless of how much marketing, communication, testing, and training you do, some people are simply averse to change and won't embrace it. Propermonitoring can help track general usage to determine areas of the business that aren't fully utilizing the new technology. This knowledge can help youdirect another round of communication and training if necessary. In addition, monitoring is helpful to ensure that your solution is performing adequatelyand to help prove ROI.

If you convince users of the new functionality's relevance to their jobs, you'll have higher acceptance and utilization, which can in turn positivelyaffect the culture of your business. UC training might cost more per employee than a typical IT project's training, but the rewards can also be that muchgreater.

Culture

For a UC rollout to truly be successful, adoption must occur naturally. You need to create a buzz through marketing and communication that spreads virallythroughout the business. The key is to highlight the technology's relevance to all roles within the organization. A simple way to do this is to explain theflexibility of being able to communicate from anywhere that you have an Internet connection. In some cases, explaining the UC solution's importance to theorganization requires more insight into the business's goals and processes. More complex examples might include enabling rapid signoff of projectdocumentation through intelligent routing to available managers or integration of Lync to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems for Help deskagents to let them quickly see who is calling, view the outstanding customer history, and seek backup from available experts while still on the customercall.

These scenarios illustrate the UC technology's benefit to the business, including cost savings that result from travel reduction and increased use ofconferencing. Of course that doesn't mean that you shouldn't continue to meet with people personally; however, after your initial face-to-face interaction,you might follow up with an audio or video conference.

Another example of a situation in which UC would be extremely helpful is if certain meeting participants play only a minor role in the discussion and candial in to the meeting rather than attend in person. This scenario will be familiar to technical folks -- although the salespeople need to buildface-to-face relationships with clients, technical staff can dial in to calls, thereby saving travel costs and allowing them to attend other meetings thesame day. Keeping your highly trained technical resources in-house as much as possible helps increase your organization's efficiency.

One of the biggest changes that UC brings about is that it can provide a flexible work environment. Although many businesses are reluctant to trustemployees, empowering your staff in this way is beneficial to worker morale. UC technology allows employees to work from anywhere, anytime. Workers areempowered when they're trusted to carry out their roles no matter where they are. Some people might argue that this "flexibility" actually results inconstant work. I prefer to look at the benefits -- UC can provide flexibility when it's needed, and employees are more in control of their schedules. Ofcourse, giving users this level of trust requires HR support -- and not all roles within an organization are flexible. Performance reviews, regularcheck-ins with managers, and career development continue to be important.

Understanding the cultural change that UC brings is important in fighting a common misconception that can arise in Lync telephony projects. Although Lynccan replace a telephony system or conferencing platform, Lync isn't simply a replacement for whatever was previously in place. Lync can take over manyfunctions previously provided by other communication platforms; however, Lync is much more. It's a unified platform that allows not only communication inits own right but also communication as part of the business process.

It's essential that the highest-level executives in a company have the correct mindset regarding Lync. If your senior personnel think of Lync as "justanother phone system" (or IM client), your ability to effectively implement Lync throughout the company will be limited. Use all the resources availablefrom Microsoft and the partner community to demonstrate the wider benefits and uses of Lync. (For information about the resources that are available, seethe sidebar "Microsoft Resources for Lync Adoption and Training.")

Embrace Change

Deploying a UC solution is a major undertaking if you do it correctly. You could roll out UC just like any other IT project -- however, you'll get far morefrom the technology if you fully integrate it into your business. True UC integration requires a cultural shift within the organization. You need toempower users to take advantage of the flexibility that UC offers. The technology gives you the tools; all you (and your employees) need to do is embraceit. And if you change the culture of your business, you just might change your business as well.