Network-Powered Communication and Collaboration
Cisco Unified Communications uses the pervasive reach of an intelligent network to more closely link communications with business processes.
Cisco Unified Communications creates a unified workspace by integrating IP communications with collaboration products and applications. Because it uses an intelligent, converged network as a platform for communications, it provides:
- Deep, rich product integration: Cisco builds voice and other unified communications into the network so enhanced communication and collaboration go everywhere the network goes. And because Cisco integrates intelligence throughout the network, unified communications are more secure, more reliable, and easier to manage.
- Highly scalable unified communications: According to Synergy Research, IP phone deployment is the clearest measure of true IP telephony. Cisco has customers around the world who have deployed as many as 25,000 Cisco Unified IP phones.
- Multivendor support for mobility, presence and other applications: Cisco Unified Communications is an open architecture so it integrates with other industry-leading applications and a wide variety of endpoints. The open architecture has already allowed hundreds of technology development partners to deliver thousands of integrated applications.
- Lowest total cost of ownership (TCO): According to Sage Research, "organizations that use a single, primary vendor for IP telephony have a 43 percent lower network cost of ownership than those that use multiple vendors." Cisco is unique in that it offers a unified communications platform that it can deliver on its own.
Leading Unified Communications Portfolio
Cisco Unified Communications integrates all forms of communications and collaboration systems and devices into a single, unified system that delivers more efficient and effective communications. The award-winning Cisco Unified Communications product portfolio continues to receive praise from customers, analysts, and industry experts, including:
- Economy and Management: In its Lab Testing Summary Report 2007, Miercom attests:
"Cisco Unified Communications system Release 6.0 offers enhancements across the portfolio, including a Cisco Unified Communications Manager Business Edition for medium-sized businesses, which is economical and streamlined for easy administration and maintenance".
- Collaboration: The same Miercom report says:
"Cisco has enhanced the collaboration capabilities with additional features for Cisco Unified Personal Communicator and Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0."
- Cisco has extended IP telephony by integrating with IBM Sametime 7.5.1 and Microsoft Office Communicator 2007.
- Cisco Unified Conferencing for TelePresence provides an extraordinarily realistic video conference in a multipoint screen-switched environment.
- Numerous mobility enhancements for system Release 6.0 include a new 802.11 phone, mobile phone capabilities, and dual-mode phones.
- Leading IP PBX: SearchNetworking.com awarded Cisco Unified Communications Manager and Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express the Gold Award in the IP PBX category of its 2007 Product Leadership Awards.
"Cisco received stellar marks with 94 percent of users rating voice quality and network integration and interoperability as good or excellent."
- Innovation: In March 2007, Sage Research surveyed 120 decision makers from companies with 1,000 or more employees. Cisco was not only the preferred unified communications vendor but was also judged to be the most innovative.
"Cisco is considered the most innovative conferencing and collaboration unified communications vendor."
Leading the Way in Unified Communications
"Cisco began developing IP Communications solutions in 1997 and has provided IP Communications services and applications longer than any other vendor. Today, Cisco is the number one overall voice vendor in the world and the leader in most IP telephony categories including Web and audio conferencing." -Synergy Research 4Q CY07
- More than 70 percent of Fortune 500 companies now use Cisco Unified Communications to build competitive advantage.
- More unified communications installations: There are now more than 50 thousand Cisco Unified Communications customers around the world. These companies enjoy more effective communications that have a direct impact on top and bottom lines.
- More IP phones: Cisco has deployed over 15 million IP phones, up to five times more than its nearest competitor.
- More true IP endpoints shipped: In addition to IP phones, Cisco has shipped more than 11 million Cisco Unity (unified messaging) seats, Cisco Unified Contact Center agents and Cisco Unified MeetingPlace (rich media conferencing) licenses.
Next Steps
Cisco messaging, conferencing, and customer contact applications integrate with both existing and unified communications systems to provide maximum flexibility and allow you to migrate to unified communications at your own pace. Most businesses will realize substantial savings and productivity gains by migrating to unified communications.
