Managers on the Fence About Unified Communications

Unified communication isn't a new concept—or a new technology. However, UC has made major inroads, and, for many organizations, it's become a strategic and cost-effective solution that delivers clear value. Despite that, a report conducted by Osterman Research on behalf of managed solutions provider ConnectSolutions, "Why The Paradigm Shift of Unified Communications Is Worth the Effort," points out that many business and IT leaders remain ambivalent, if not skeptical, about deploying UC. Among the key findings: Although executives recognize UC's benefits, many remain apprehensive, particularly about transitioning from legacy tools and technologies to a unified communications framework before they've achieved full ROI on the legacy systems. Even so, the technology will likely advance over the next few years. "Despite some valid reluctance among organizations to immediately deploy UC, the forecast is for rapid growth—especially as more businesses begin achieving the desired ROI from legacy systems and better understand how to prepare for a successful migration," noted the research firm's Michael Osterman.