Going for the Gold with Unified Communications
Julie April 10th, 2012
With only a few months until the 2012 Summer Olympics, one UK based company has already begun their Olympic training by allowing 3,000 of its headquarters staff to work from home. The idea was to prep for issues that might arise during the Olympic games, or any other event that might affect business continuity. According the Computer World UK, following the daylong experiment, 88% of staff members reported being just as productive working from home while 36% more said they were actually more productive.
Working remotely has been around for years. However, the growth and advancement of Unified Communications (UC) has assisted in the increase and acceptance of working remotely for business of all sizes. Gone are the difficult days of keeping in touch with remote workers and having to call them simply to relay messages from customers and coworkers. UC now allows remote and mobile workers to have the same experience from their home office or from the road as they would if they were physically in the corporate office. For example, through integrated presence, users can now quickly identify whether coworkers are available, away, or on the phone. With one click, they can then launch a voice call or send an IM for quick questions and information exchange – or even toggle from one to the other, with a simple click of the mouse.
Digium’s Switchvox UC system is a great example of a Unified Communications solution that combines many products into one – including conference bridge, chat/instant messaging, fax, presence, and mobility. All of the features are even included in the solution, without the typical expense of “add-on” features. And, one of the unique features of Switchvox is the Switchboard. An intuitive dashboard, the Switchboard consists of modular panels that puts users in control of their communications, where ever they happen to be working. The Switchboard is completely customizable for each extension, which allows both remote and in-office workers to do their job better and faster.
With UC solutions like Switchvox, there’s no doubt that they are helping remote workers achieve gold medals in productivity and mobility by allowing them to access all of their office communications tools no matter where they are located…in the company headquarters, in their home, or on the road. Are you ready to go for the gold? Take a tour of the award-winning Switchvox and see the Switchboard in action… and then imagine how you can put a better phone system to work for you.
