Single Umbrella View

In the age of converging technologies and globalization of businesses, the increasing need for enterprises to have seamless integration of all communication platforms sounds like an ideal situation.

As communication gets defined more on the lines of staying connected 24x7 and being 'on the move, always', there seems to be a clear case for an absolute alignment of all communication platforms with business processes in order to facilitate faster and better decision making.

In the given backdrop of converging platforms, unified messaging is one such technology, certainly not a new entry into the Indian tech landscape, undergoing a transformation of sorts.

Re-strategizing

Unified messaging has traditionally been seen as a platform bringing together all messaging media such as voice messaging, SMS and other mobile text messaging, email, and facsimile into a combined communications platform.

The technology provides the ability to retrieve and send voice, fax, email messages from a single interface whether it is on mobile phone, fixed network phone or a PC.

Industry analysts and solution vendors increasingly believe this to be the next logical step towards unified communications, which promises to offer enterprises a 'single umbrella view of all their communication'.

The growth of unified messaging, so far, has been driven by the market need of enterprises with a vast global customer base, who need more control over communications or by users wanting to stay in touch anytime, anywhere, or those who want more protection or privacy, and their personal time.

Integrating Platforms

Cisco India and SAARC's Mihnaj Dia, manager Business Development, Unified Communications explains, "There is an increased need to integrate unified messaging with the overall package of unified communications." Unified messaging is the next step after IP telephony and the next logical step towards unified communications. "It is just not about messaging anymore, it's more about getting a single view of all your communications," adds Dia.

As on March 2007, Cisco did business close to $7.4 mn From selling unified messaging solutions globally. Cisco offers unified messaging as a part and parcel of the total package under its unified communication suite. Under UC box, it offers voicemail and unified messaging, which includes Cisco's fax server, personal assistant, unity, unity connection, unity express, Cisco unified presence; voice applications and voice network management.

Dia explains that with this overall package offering, Cisco is looking at combining unified messaging with mobility solutions. Not only is integration with desktops required, but also with mobile phones, or any platform in question.

Global Presence

Unified messaging has not gone great guns in India. "The reasons are more of cultural than anything else," says Vivek Porwal, head, Unified Communications Business Unit, Avaya.

Globally, with technology savvy companies it has been adopted quite well, making it about 30-40%. In India, vendors feel there is a certain behavioral pattern, which, if cracked, will offer tremendous growth and make a difference even if it is very small to begin with. In India voice messages is not a popular option.

Globally, unified messaging is being widely used by the BSFI vertical, whose operations extend beyond global boundaries, and research and development centers, says Porwal.

Essentially, the mail platform should be integrated with various other platforms and that's where the network becomes an integral part of unified messaging.

"So what we are looking at is voice mail integration with the email platform," says Porwal. "I see it moving ahead only if it is completely transformed, and unified messaging shows tremendous impact on RoI. The market has not been able to completely show the benefits."

"The only progression of unified messaging is integration into the unified communications kind of platform where it is a key component of the latter. Our ultimate strategy for unified messaging is of integrating it with the business processes." Porwal also adds that the impact has to be directly felt on reduction of human 'latency'. "This is what will drive the adoption of the technology."

The Software Perspective

However, software giant Microsoft feels bullish about the market and feels there is huge scope for adoption. "Unified messaging helps an enterprise to focus on management of its core infrastructure," says Pankaj Ukey, Office System, Product Lead, Microsoft India.

Ukey makes an attempt to explain the reasons for the technology's slow adoption in India. He says, "The adoption has been very slow, primarily because unified messaging so far has been seen from the hardware standpoint."

He stresses that because of Microsoft's focus on desktops, it can really be taken forward.

Microsoft had launched its Exchange Server 2007 as the next version for e-mail, calendaring, and unified messaging. The Exchange Server is a key technology in Microsoft's unified communications suite, launched with the idea of putting people at the center of communications.

The Exchange Server 2007 has been designed specifically to meet the challenges and address the messaging needs of today's businesses," says Ukey. "For most businesses today, email is the mission-critical communications tool that allows their people to produce the best results."

He adds, "It is one of the key components of our strategies under unified communications. The Exchange Server 2007 offers employees a single universal inbox from which to access all their important communications, including voice mail, fax, and email, while avoiding the cost and effort of maintaining separate systems."

Till now, ITeS, telecommunications and manufacturing are among the verticals that have seen fastest growth in adoption of unified messaging in India.

Ingredients for Success

Industry insiders point out that technology has not been used effectively in India. Wherever it has been deployed; it has not been utilised to its optimum use. Mihnaj Dia agrees saying that even where the technology has been deployed, it has not been put to its best use.

"For the companies, who are deploying unified messaging, it is very important to know the level of integration required between the messaging solution and the backend email infrastructure," points out Kiran Kumar, of Wipro Infotech. Accordingly, a proper design has to be prepared as a part of best practices, says Kumar. Pankaj Ukey sees generating awareness and implementation skills as the two biggest challenges.

Integration with various PBX systems, IP telephony, proper design, integration with other applications and notification are going to be key indicators as to where unified messaging is headed, he adds.

With the big networking giants bundling in their unified messaging solutions with the overall package of looks like technology unified communications is all set for another fresh start.

Urvashi Kaul

Source:Dataquest

Analysts feel that the key to success lies in integrating the existing PBXs and VoIP systems with unified messaging applications, which in literal terms means integrating speech and telephone infrastructure with the mail server.In India, it is only 15-20% of the larger enterprises that have gone in for deployment of unified messaging solutions. With overall adoption at less than 2%, the numbers are disappointing.As unified messaging becomes one of the key components of unified communication for Cisco, global networking giant Avaya too is talking about integrating unified messaging solutions with unified communications to enhance its business processes.When we talk about integration, there are four major components which include the customer email infrastructure, the unified messaging applications, text speech and speech recognition, and the fax server that need to be combined together with the overall unified communication applications, explains Kiran Kumar, practice manager, Wipro Infotech.Going by its rate of adoption by India Inc, solution vendors are re-strategizing their positioning on unified messaging as they make a pitch for treating the technology as one of the key components of unified communications.