ADVERTORIAL

UC Technologies are a High Priority

Critical priority

Very important

Moderate priority

Low priority

Not a priority

Market Pulse

13%

1%

16%

36%33%

means of supporting your organization’s business goals over the next 12 months? Source: IDG Research Services

NEW RESEARCH SHOWS THAT IT AND BUSINESS LEADERS ARE SEEING ENHANCED PRODUCTIVITY AND COST SAVINGS WITH UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS AND COLLABORATION SOLUTIONS—BUT THERE’S STILL ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

Uni�ed Communications and Collaboration: A High Priority in Government and Education

Cloud and mobile have turned IT departments on their heads, and there’s no doubt these trends have made an indelible impact on how business is conducted. As part of digital transformation, organizations must move quickly to support the “anywhere, anytime, any device” mantra pervasive in today’s workforce and business environment.

Within this context, the technology behind communica-tion and collaboration is drawing new attention. Increasingly, business leaders understand that seamless collaboration and communication across the organiza-tion is essential to effectively connect employees, customers, partners, and suppliers.

A recent study by IDG Research supports this premise: 85 percent of the surveyed senior IT leaders said that data/voice network management, uni�cation, and innovation are priorities over the next 12 months. Even more telling, 69 percent went a step further to say their organizations will implement uni�ed communications (UC) solutions or make upgrades to their existing uni�ed communications and collaboration (UC&C) technology within the next three years, including increasing adoption of Voice over IP (VoIP).

In the public sector UC&C solution deployments take even higher priority. Respondents in this area were more likely to rate data and voice network management,

uni�cation, and innovation as a critical or very important means of supporting their organization’s business goals as compared to other respondents (68% vs. 47%).

This paper examines the results of the IDG research–-exploring the challenges IT leaders face around UC&C, including any particular issues the public sector is experiencing—and lays out a path toward uni�ed success.

• Increased operational ef�ciency• Improved employee collaboration• Increased flexibility for a more mobile workforce• Cost savings • Business mobility strategy • Improved business continuity/disaster recovery

» Coming Through, Crystal Clear

The IDG survey and this paper de�ne UC&C as technolo-gies that bring about improved communications and collaboration. This can include any or all of the following: video conferencing, email, instant messaging, �le sharing, speech recognition, audio conferencing and web conferencing, and voice (including VoIP and Session Initiation Protocol [SIP] trunk). A UC&C solution seam-lessly combines these technologies and presents them consistently via one user interface, ideally across multiple device types.

IT leaders are well aware of the potential bene�ts associated with a solid UC&C implementation, and they know exactly what they want in order to achieve a successful deployment, according to the IDG survey.

Sixty-�ve percent of respondents expect enhanced productivity with UC&C solutions. Among those who have already implemented UC&C, 67 percent say it has delivered on this promise.

Respondents also expect UC&C solutions to deliver:

Market Pulse

» VoIP Leads the Pack

Running in the UC&C Background: The Rise of VoIP

Among respondents in the public sector, however, it’s not just collaboration that’s driving the deployment of UC&C solutions: 43 percent of these respondents see “improved employee engagement/empowerment” as a business goal driving UC adoption (versus 22% among all others).

The reason for this difference comes as no surprise: As large numbers of professionals retire in the public sector, new technology can help in recruiting younger hires. Indeed, governments are experiencing an increase in retirements, according to a Center for State and Local Government Excellence survey. More than half (54%) of surveyed governments reported an increase in retirements in 2015 from 2014, while just 10 percent reported a decrease. At the same time, recruiting and retaining quali�ed workers top the list of the most important workforce issues to government agencies, the survey found.

And then there’s cost savings—clearly a desired bene�t. But its counterweight—funding restrictions—comes into play as an obstacle. At the same time, organizations recognize they can save money in the long run with the right UC&C solution, according to the IDG survey; cost savings was the second most cited bene�t among organizations that have already deployed UC&C, right behind enhanced productivity. This group also reported higher user satisfaction and simpli�ed maintenance and management among the top bene�ts from their deployments.

In the public sector, it comes as no surprise that cost/funding is more often cited as a challenge or barrier to UC adoption (55% vs. 36% of other respondents).

VoIP adoption is another area of emphasis, according to the IDG survey—47 percent of respondents have already deployed managed VoIP, and 22 percent have deployed hosted VoIP. Among respondents without VoIP, more than one-�fth of respondents have plans to adopt it within the next three years (21% for managed, 25% for hosted).

This isn’t necessarily surprising: VoIP is nearly synony-mous with UC as it offers the same bene�ts, including signi�cant cost savings, enhanced productivity, and the ability for users to work anywhere, anytime, with any device.

As many people suspect, the public sector typically trails the private sector in adopting new technology. While the

majority (93%) of federal leaders report that digital technology, such as smartphones, tablets, mobile apps, online services, and video conferencing, have improved their productivity and helped them serve more Ameri-cans, according to a 2015 study by the National Academy of Public Administration and ICF International, only 15% of those same respondents believe the government is in step with the private sector in making new technologies available to employees.

Furthermore, in 2015, the federal government spent about three-quarters of its technology budget maintaining aging computer systems, some of which are at least 50 years old, according to a May 2016 report from the Government Accountability Of�ce.

So it will come as no surprise that IDG survey respond-ents in this sector are less likely to have already deployed instant messaging (48% vs. 73% of all others). That said, 20% plan to deploy IM within the next year, a positive step in the right direction.

The IDG survey also found that public sector respondents

As network capabilities continue to improve, VoIP is growing in acceptance across the enterprise. Using a hosted voice solution, rather than an onsite one, can increase productivity, flexibility, and cost savings.

These bene�ts are mirrored in the IDG Research results: 62 percent of the survey participants said their organi-zation is deploying, planning, or evaluating hosted VoIP solutions. Respondents cited three goals (statistically of equal importance) regarding their reasons for consider-ing a hosted VoIP solution:

• Simplified communications with a single point of contact for voice and data • Reduced IT staff requirements • Having a viable option for disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity

When the responses are split by role and function, however, these reasons change a bit. Respondents with business-related titles, for instance, are signi�cantly more likely to cite reduced staf�ng as a primary driver than those with IT-related titles (63% vs. 38%). Also, those with C-level titles are signi�cantly less likely to cite DR than those in any other job position (26% vs. 49%).

Overall, hosted VoIP offers bene�ts similar to those expected by and achieved via UC&C solutions.

(among those respondents with UC solutions in place)

Market Pulse

67%Enhanced productivity

Cost savings

Boost user satisfaction (alignment with personal technology use)

Quicker access to new features/functionality

Reliable and secure

Ability to address client needs from virtually anywhere

More secure network (staying connected is seamless)

Accelerated mobility initiatives

Other

Don’t know

42%

39%

39%

39%

35%

34%

28%

22%

1%

1%

» Understanding Deployment Obstacles

» Establishing a Path for Success

As with any other technology investment, IT leaders cite several obstacles to deployment. Regarding UC&C, the IDG research found these top challenges:

1. Cost/funding 2. End user training issues 3. Security/privacy concerns 4. Integration with existing infrastructure

In the public sector, cost/funding is more likely to be cited as a challenge or barrier to UC adoption (55% vs. 36% of others). In addition, “pay as you go” pricing is less important to those in the GED segment when evaluating UC solutions (29% vs. 15% of others)—likely pointing to this sector’s preference for “pay as you use” models.

Overall, there are three main problems with the way both private and public organizations approach UC&C solutions. First, many don’t have a strategic roadmap for deployment, so they haven’t thought through how migration will affect existing communication and collabo-ration technologies or their existing IT infrastructure.

Second, some organizations haven’t built enough flexibility into their UC&C plans, meaning they are unable to adjust when they encounter market changes or new business needs, meaning their solutions don’t satisfy their requirements. And third, organizations focus only on the UC&C component rather than the total business environment.

“Without looking beyond the UC&C solution, you run the risk of overloading your data network with the additional traf�c migrating off your voice network,” explains Matthew Marion, VoIP product manager with CenturyLink. “Juggling multiple providers also shifts the end-to-end management more to the customer than the service provider. If you take the time to look at the full IT ecosystem and work with your provider to develop a solid plan, moving to UC&C will not only reduce your expenses and management but will also improve productivity and increase ef�ciency for your employees.”

To have a successful UC&C deployment, it’s critical to design a plan that will facilitate a successful deployment

are least likely to cite “following the trend of other IT applications” as a reason for deploying a hosted VoIP solution (13% vs. 40% of other respondents). The reason for this �nding will also come as no surprise: Voice-related technologies and network technologies are likely function-ing and being managed separately from one another.

Instead of “following the trend of other IT applications,” the public sector tends to focus on the following reasons for deploying a VoIP solution:

• One simplified communications/single point of contact for voice and data • Reduced IT staff requirements • Boosting mobility

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Market Pulse

» The Bottom Line

and ultimately ensure its long-continued use across the enterprise.

Step 1: Assess user needs. Involve the user base (and multiple user groups). IT must thoroughly understand which aspects of the existing communications and collaboration technologies are working well and which components fail to meet user expectations. Brace yourself: This often means listening to frustrations. But it will yield helpful insights.

“It’s important to have a detailed project plan for transitioning to UC&C and a solid assessment of your current solutions,” says Marion, who recommends taking the time to thoroughly understand what use cases are fueling the end user community’s reliance on uni�ed communications. This is crucial if IT hopes to establish a clear strategic vision that aligns with future needs while also addressing ongoing concerns.

Step 2: Establish and deploy a strategic roadmap. Once IT has a clear picture of organizational UC&C needs, building out a workable roadmap is signi�cantly easier. The overarching goal here is to establish a clear picture of what the solution should look like in order to place the appropriate priorities on individual components of the overall UC&C solution.

Remember that just because you may deploy a multidisci-plinary UC&C solution, it doesn’t mean it will tick all your users’ boxes. Pay close attention to solution strengths and weaknesses. It’s also important to ensure that the organization has the existing infrastructure—from software to hardware to networking—to properly support the investment.

Step 3: Find value in assistance. As the survey results demonstrate, integration with other IT investments plays a key role in determining whether a deployment will yield anticipated results. Identifying solution providers that will help with the transition process is essential.

Make sure the provider has a whole picture of your company, and will address your entire stack and vision—not just the UC&C portion—so that you’re not stuck juggling multiple providers and unconnected technologies. Any provider should work alongside your existing IT resources, vs. overburdening your IT staff with the sole implementation of a large new solution.

Step 4: Embrace education. Even the best-sourced and properly integrated solution will result in failure if the intended user base is uncomfortable with leveraging its various features. Paying close attention to user statistics

can quickly bring issues or problems to the surface.

For instance, it’s important to note whether the business units that requested enhanced mobile capabilities are making use of the solution’s features. If not, this may signal a need for more in-depth training. Embrace a comprehensive training program, preferably one conducted by your vendor, which can then tailor it for multiple uses and disciplines.

Step 5: Nurture and re-evaluate. Keep communica-tion lines open—this helps ensure that the UC&C invest-ment stays in alignment with your strategy and needs.

Be proactive, on an ongoing basis, about how users are getting along with the UC&C technologies. And be up-front with your vendor about issues that arise, including business changes that may dictate a need for upgrades or different features and functionalities. Organizations are constantly evolving, and your core investment needs to remain fluid.

The IDG Research illustrates not just the expected bene�ts of UC&C, but also the reality of these solutions: They can enhance productivity, save costs, and increase user satisfaction, among other bene�ts. Although there will always be obstacles to overcome, deploying a UC&C solution will be much easier if you follow a clear strategy that addresses business and user needs.

To learn more about how to find the right UC&C solution for your organization, visit

www.centurylink.com/GES

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