Presence and Preferences: The Basics of UC

Always connected. Always on. Always available. Sound great? That depends on your point of view.

It’s impossible to open up the pages of your favorite technology magazine without being inundated by the concept of unified communications (UC). What does the term “unified communications” mean? Frankly, that depends on who offers the definition.

Simply stated, unified communications refers to the concept of consolidating phone, e-mail, fax, chat, video and collaboration into a single unified channel, either on a device or on a computer. If I receive a voice mail, it is deposited in my e-mail inbox where I can listen to the message, review the availability status of the party who left it, and respond to them via their desired communication channel at that time (chat, phone or e-mail).

The purpose of UC is to reduce communications latency, or in traditional terms, telephone tag. It aims to decrease the amount of time it takes to respond to a communication by making all available “return call” methods available at a single click, without having to look up phone numbers or type out e-mail addresses.

It strives to increase the likelihood that the other party will be available to receive a communication by sharing information about their availability and preferred method of communication. This is referred to as “presence.” And it seeks to improve the quality of those communications by adding additional PC-based communications to the mix, such as chat, video and collaboration (i.e., desktop file sharing and presentations).

UC Components

So where’s the magic device that makes this all happen? Well, therein lies the challenge. There isn’t one. UC is not a piece of software you can buy off of the shelf. It’s a concept that includes many disparate components that work in concert to give end-users the unified experience.