The main advantage of Unified Communications is the time it saves by reducing the delay or ‘human latency’ that exists in present messaging methods. In the context of a business workflow, these time savings can multiply exponentially. Take problem resolution for example. The inability to escalate an issue to an expert at the right time can lead to a tedious round of missed calls, emails and voicemails. And a problem that might have been resolved in minutes could take days. Presence technology and one-click connectivity can solve this predicament in a flash.
Workflow efficiency is even more pronounced when communications are integrated directly with business applications. ‘Click to call’ functions embedded within the application can direct a query to the correct people in seconds. In turn, they can see the context of the query from the call point in the application and respond more rapidly and appropriately.
Seen in the light of these extended capabilities, Unified Communications has the potential to deliver substantial productivity benefits. This is especially true for knowledge and service workers, mobile staff or where collaboration is important.