Bailey ebook

NG BAILEY IT SERVICES | UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS, THE CLOUD AND YOU

www.ngbailey.com

THE DISCONNECTED ENTERPRISEUNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS, THE CLOUD AND YOU


CONTRIBUTORS

Biography

As IT Technical Director at NG Bailey, Indi participates and contributes to the creation of both the technical strategies and business plans for the company, whilst providing thought leadership for technology based services.

With 25 years’ experience, Indi plays an active role in sales engagement, bid qualifications, reviews and responses. He has also created a technology roadmap for the IT Services division and is responsible for the implementation of the NG Bailey technology introduction programme.

Indi also holds a wide range of technical qualifications, including Cisco Certified Network Engineer (CCNA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), Cisco Security Professional and Cisco Data Centre Architecture Specialist.

Biography

Brian Riggs is a member of Ovum’s Enterprise team, analysing emerging trends, technologies, and market dynamics in the unified communications and collaboration (UC&C) space.

In this role he looks at the market for both hosted UC&C services offered by service providers and UC&C solutions deployed on premise within the enterprise. Brian’s research spans video conferencing, VoIP, instant messaging and presence, and social networking as they are adopted by businesses to reduce costs, improve employee productivity, and streamline business processes.

Inderpall SallTechnical directorNG Bailey’s IT Services division

Brian RiggsPrincipal analyst, enterprise servicesOvum


CONTRIBUTORS

Biography

As IT Technical Director at NG Bailey, Indi participates and contributes to the creation of both the technical strategies and business plans for the company, whilst providing thought leadership for technology based services.

With 25 years’ experience, Indi plays an active role in sales engagement, bid qualifications, reviews and responses. He has also created a technology roadmap for the IT Services division and is responsible for the implementation of the NG Bailey technology introduction programme.

Indi also holds a wide range of technical qualifications, including Cisco Certified Network Engineer (CCNA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), Cisco Security Professional and Cisco Data Centre Architecture Specialist.

Biography

Brian Riggs is a member of Ovum’s Enterprise team, analysing emerging trends, technologies, and market dynamics in the unified communications and collaboration (UC&C) space.

In this role he looks at the market for both hosted UC&C services offered by service providers and UC&C solutions deployed on premise within the enterprise. Brian’s research spans video conferencing, VoIP, instant messaging and presence, and social networking as they are adopted by businesses to reduce costs, improve employee productivity, and streamline business processes.

Inderpall SallTechnical directorNG Bailey’s IT Services division



FOREWORD BY BRIAN RIGGS

The disconnected enterprise

Unified communications (UC), a key element of any company’s digital transformation, has given workers more ways of communicating with each other than ever before. Yet despite the promise of a “unified” experience, business communications is more disjointed than ever.

Sometimes the disconnect is technical. An IT department fails to deliver the mobile devices or apps that employees find most useful to do their jobs, or workers bypass their company’s security protocols to use the devices and apps of their choosing. Other times the disconnect is departmental. Management in key departments within an enterprise resist digital transformation because of the disruption it causes to existing business processes. Voice, video, and text-based communications are often built into the applications enabling digital transformation. These can streamline communications and improve business processes, but only if employees understand how best to use them. And often the disconnect is generational. Younger workers thrive as their company executes on a new workplace strategy, while older employees find it difficult to adapt to a more distributed, team-centric workflow. Whatever the cause of the disconnect, the outcome is the same: A fragmented workplace that, rather than bringing employees together, can instead isolate them and prevent them from working as part of a cohesive whole.

Connecting employees through the cloud

Unified communications is integral to any company’s digital transformation and workplace strategy. UC can put essential collaboration capabilities into the hands of employees, making individuals more productive, the workforce more agile, and the company more competitive. And cloud-based UC services can provide most, and in some cases, all of key enabling UC technologies. Cloud-based services can make UC less expensive to adopt. In part this comes from transferring CAPEX expenses associated with buying systems and software to OPEX expenses associated with service subscriptions. IT personnel don’t need to manage and maintain equipment, which drives down total cost of ownership (TCO). And in many instances cloud-based UC services can work with existing communications solutions already in place. This can take the form of interoperability, with the on-premise solution and cloud-based service providing core communications capabilities as the enterprise gradually transitions away from one and toward another. Or it can take the form of a hybrid cloud deployment, where specific workloads are permanently kept on premise while others are relegated to the cloud. In either case, existing investments in communications technology can usually be leveraged while the cloud-based UC services are deployed alongside it.

This last point, pertaining to the flexibility of cloud-based UC services, is particularly important. A services-led approach to business communications can be more flexible since it is comparatively easy to scale the service as more users are ready to be added or new use cases are ready to be tested. With cloud services a company can more easily experiment with new communications capabilities. Starting with just a handful of licenses, the company test the service to make sure it’s delivering the functionality that is required, and make sure it integrates with existing business apps or communications solutions. This way the company can more easily and cost effectively deploy those capabilities to specific groups of end users, ramping up deployment when things are working, or shut down then they’re not. Once the company is then confident that the service meets their requirements, its scale and scope can be gradually expanded. This essentially creates a “try before you buy” scenario … or at least “try before you spend a huge amount of money that you can never get back.”



THE RACE FOR ENTERPRISE MOBILITY: CLOUD ENABLED VS TRADITIONAL UC

OVUM PREDICT THE UCaaS MARKET WILL GROW TO $23.34 BILLION BY 2019

UCaaS

CLOUD BASED MODELS ENABLE COLLABORATIVE WORK PROCESSES

REDUCTION ON CAPEX

BY HARNESSING UCaaS DELIVERED VIA THE CLOUD, CIOS SUDDENLY FIND THEY HAVE THE OPERATIONAL FLEXIBILITY THEY NEED TO MANOEUVRE

CEO, CIO, CMO

UCaaS SPEND $3.07 BILLION 2015

$3.4 BILLION 2014

01

02

03

04

05

55% REDUCED TRAVEL EXPENSES

VENDOR, PARTNER, CUSTOMER

ENTERPRISE

MO

BILITY

MANY ENTERPRISES REMAIN CAUGHT IN A ‘MOBILITY MISMATCH’ THAT HAS, TO DATE, BEEN THE CAUSE OF MORE COLLISION THAN COLLABORATION.

01

UC

A FRAGMENTED IT APPROACH ISOLATES EMPLOYEES AND PREVENTS THEM FROM WORKING COHESIVELY

02CEO, CIO, CMO

03

POOR ROLL OUT AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES CAUSE COLLABORATION PROJECTS TO FAIL.

04

60% OF INFORMATION WORKERS WOULD PREFER TO CHOOSE THE SMARTPHONE OR TABLET THEY USE FOR WORK.47% WOULD PREFER TO USE A SINGLE SMARTPHONE FOR WORK AND PERSONAL PURPOSES

05

THE ISSUES THAT ARISE FROM ‘MOBILITY MISMATCH’, MUST ALSO BE ADDRESSED AND RESOLVED AS PART OF A WIDER CULTURAL EVOLUTION OF THE WORKPLACE

53% SAVINGS ON CONFERENCING SERVICES50% USER PRODUCTIVITY GAINS IN THE OFFICE

46% USER PRODUCTIVITY GAINS WHILE MOBILE

WHAT’S DRIVING GROWTH?

MITEL

DISCO

NN

ECTED

ENTERPRISE


THE RACE FOR ENTERPRISE MOBILITY: CLOUD ENABLED VS TRADITIONAL UC

OVUM PREDICT THE UCaaS MARKET WILL GROW TO $23.34 BILLION BY 2019

UCaaS

CLOUD BASED MODELS ENABLE COLLABORATIVE WORK PROCESSES

REDUCTION ON CAPEX

BY HARNESSING UCaaS DELIVERED VIA THE CLOUD, CIOS SUDDENLY FIND THEY HAVE THE OPERATIONAL FLEXIBILITY THEY NEED TO MANOEUVRE

CEO, CIO, CMO

UCaaS SPEND $3.07 BILLION 2015

$3.4 BILLION 2014

01

02

03

04

05

55% REDUCED TRAVEL EXPENSES

VENDOR, PARTNER, CUSTOMER

ENTERPRISE

MO

BILITY

MANY ENTERPRISES REMAIN CAUGHT IN A ‘MOBILITY MISMATCH’ THAT HAS, TO DATE, BEEN THE CAUSE OF MORE COLLISION THAN COLLABORATION.

01

UC

A FRAGMENTED IT APPROACH ISOLATES EMPLOYEES AND PREVENTS THEM FROM WORKING COHESIVELY

02CEO, CIO, CMO

03

POOR ROLL OUT AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES CAUSE COLLABORATION PROJECTS TO FAIL.

04

60% OF INFORMATION WORKERS WOULD PREFER TO CHOOSE THE SMARTPHONE OR TABLET THEY USE FOR WORK.47% WOULD PREFER TO USE A SINGLE SMARTPHONE FOR WORK AND PERSONAL PURPOSES

05

THE ISSUES THAT ARISE FROM ‘MOBILITY MISMATCH’, MUST ALSO BE ADDRESSED AND RESOLVED AS PART OF A WIDER CULTURAL EVOLUTION OF THE WORKPLACE

53% SAVINGS ON CONFERENCING SERVICES50% USER PRODUCTIVITY GAINS IN THE OFFICE

46% USER PRODUCTIVITY GAINS WHILE MOBILE

WHAT’S DRIVING GROWTH?

MITEL

DISCO

NN

ECTED

ENTERPRISE


At the turn of the year, industry experts championed enterprise mobility as a key initiative that would improve employee collaboration and drive both innovation and growth in 2015. Since then, as welcome as these overtures were, many enterprises have remained caught in a ‘mobility mismatch’ that has, to date, been the cause of more collision than collaboration.

What’s the root of the problem?

Influencing factors vary, but the source of the trouble is at Board level, and a perception disconnect between chief executive officers (CEOs), chief information officers (CIOs) and chief marketing officers (CMOs). Invariably, each has their own idea of what collaboration should constitute, and how it should serve the business. CEOs look to mobility platforms as vehicles through which to share best practice, foster new ideas and accelerate development. CMOs yearn for market engagement, using mobility as a magnet for data that can reveal honeypots of revenue opportunity, or can help them better understand (and leverage) their relationships with customers. CIOs think more pragmatically; how can they use mobility to maximise their people, processes and tools in order to raise operational efficiency? As it has permeated through the ranks this level of inconsistency has bred confusion, incoherence and ultimately, inertia, as conflicting objectives and usage policies have slowed the rate of progress dramatically.

The dangers of bringing the outside in

Everyone with a job is both a consumer and a worker. Ironically, as the enterprise has been busy tying itself in knots, its workers have been happily getting on with their hyper-connected and richly collaborative lives outside of the office, via Skype, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and the vast array of other consumer mobile apps and services. Indeed the rise of consumer mobility has felt almost casual; device users have almost fallen into ‘this collaboration thing’ and made it seem like child’s play. Then, inevitably, the killer question is posed: ‘If I can get my head around this stuff, why can’t the IT guys at work do the same?’

Maybe it is because they are frustrated with the inflexibility of their workplace. It could be a genuine intent to modernise their working practices. Perhaps it’s a more straight-forward desire to use the latest goodies in the office. Either way, workers have been ‘filling the gap’ by introducing consumer-oriented devices, apps and services into their workplaces at a rate of knots, wreaking havoc with corporate security and burying IT staff under a mountain of helpdesk tickets.

With these demands I should be at Cern, not here!

The opposing influences of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and Board level mobility initiatives have left the enterprise IT department spinning too many plates. The net result has been a fractured, siloed and uncoordinated collection of mobility and collaboration platforms. Seeing this as a commercial opportunity, IT vendors have responded with ‘everything for everyone’ systems which, for the most part, are so broad and feature-rich that they are either too costly or too complicated (or both), to be of real value. Meanwhile, employees are starting to drown in apps and tools that were cool and fun for a few months, but have since fallen out of favour, or have been surpassed.

Audit, analyse and integrate, don’t just roll it out

The first action CIOs need to take is to understand how employees need to collaborate at work, with the business’ systems, partners and customers, to achieve the goals of the company. This has next to nothing to do with technology; it is about identifying what underpins the operations of the business. Who needs to be connected to who, what, when and how often.

Then, they must focus on assembling a mobility and collaboration platform that focuses with laser-like attention on enabling and fostering those connections. Providing access to the right tools, however, isn’t enough. A great user experience is another pre-requisite and a tipping point for workforce engagement with the new systems. Once incentivised, users find it easy to engage with new ways of working.

With everyone on-board, it’s critical that the roll out of new technologies maintains momentum. In too many cases, poor roll out and implementation strategies have caused collaboration projects to fail. To avoid this trap, CIOs must assume the role of conductor, orchestrating internal departments and partners to integrate new tools at a time when they add the most value.

There’s room to manoeuvre in the cloud

This isn’t the first time that enterprise mobility and unified communications have been touted as the route to increased employee collaboration. What’s changed? Put simply, the cloud has arrived. The impact of this simple point cannot be overemphasised. The cloud has removed the vast majority of integration, licensing and software/hardware upgrade requirements needed to maintain and interoperate multiple platforms simultaneously. By harnessing ‘Unified Communications-as-a-Service’ (UCaaS), delivered via the cloud, CIOs suddenly find they have the operational and fiscal flexibility they need to manoeuvre. They can spin-up and trial mobility and collaboration projects without committing to significant CAPEX on infrastructure. It also enables fast and effective integration and testing and enables upgrades to be made offsite, by the service provider, without tying up the in-house IT department. All of which enables the CIO to focus on what he or she is supposed to be doing; making strategic technology decisions that will make a positive impact on the short and long-term future of a business.

Whether a CEO is looking to grow the business through acquisition or enter new markets, the CIO can now ensure that they are achieving real value from the collaboration tools and the employees using them. More importantly, the issues that arise from a ‘mobility mismatch’, which must also be addressed and resolved as part of a wider cultural evolution of the workplace, are no longer an immediate threat to the future of the organisation.

Indi SallTechnical directorNG Bailey IT Services

WORKERS HAVE THE GIFT OF MOBILITY, SO WHY AREN’T THEY COLLABORATING?

BY THE END OF 2015, GARTNER PREDICTS THAT 25% OF ORGANISATIONS WILL HAVE A CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER.

“THE CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER PLAYS IN THE PLACE WHERE THE ENTERPRISE MEETS THE CUSTOMER…THEY’RE IN CHARGE OF THE DIGITAL BUSINESS STRATEGY. THAT’S A LONG WAY FROM RUNNING BACK OFFICE IT, AND IT’S FULL OF OPPORTUNITY.”

David Willis, vice president and analyst at Gartner

“UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS IS INTEGRAL TO ANY COMPANY’S DIGITAL

TRANSFORMATION AND WORKPLACE STRATEGY. UC CAN PUT ESSENTIAL

COLLABORATION CAPABILITIES INTO THE HANDS OF EMPLOYEES, MAKING

INDIVIDUALS MORE PRODUCTIVE, THE WORKFORCE MORE AGILE, AND THE

COMPANY MORE COMPETITIVE.”

Brian Riggs, Principal Analyst, Ovum

“VOICE, VIDEO, AND TEXTBASED COMMUNICATIONS ARE OFTEN BUILT INTO THE APPLICATIONS ENABLING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION.”


“EMBRACING THE MEGATRENDS LIKE THE CLOUD TO CRAFT NEW BUSINESS MODELS, DEVELOP NEW REVENUE STREAMS, OR DRIVE OTHER MATERIAL CHANGES WILL LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN THE BOTTOM LINE.”

Indi Sall, NG Bailey IT Services

WHEN THE CLOUD BRINGS CLARITY: ENTERPRISE CONFUSION ON DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

“EMPLOYEES ARE THE SPARKS FOR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, BUT ENTERPRISES MUST

ENSURE THEY PUT THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGIES IN PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME. THIS WON’T

HAPPEN UNLESS THE CIO IS INVOLVED.”


“BY MOVING THEIR LEGACY UC INTO THE CLOUD, CIOS CAN REDEPLOY

CRITICAL INTERNAL RESOURCES AWAY FROM FIREFIGHTING AND TOWARD MORE STRATEGIC INITIATIVES. THIS

EVOLUTIONARY LEAP IN TECHNOLOGY WILL OPEN THE DOOR TO TRUE DIGITAL

TRANSFORMATION.”



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BY THE END OF 2015, GARTNER PREDICTS THAT 25% OF ORGANISATIONS WILL HAVE A CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER.

“THE CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER PLAYS IN THE PLACE WHERE THE ENTERPRISE MEETS THE CUSTOMER…THEY’RE IN CHARGE OF THE DIGITAL BUSINESS STRATEGY. THAT’S A LONG WAY FROM RUNNING BACK OFFICE IT, AND IT’S FULL OF OPPORTUNITY.”

David Willis, vice president and analyst at Gartner

“UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS IS INTEGRAL TO ANY COMPANY’S DIGITAL

TRANSFORMATION AND WORKPLACE STRATEGY. UC CAN PUT ESSENTIAL

COLLABORATION CAPABILITIES INTO THE HANDS OF EMPLOYEES, MAKING

INDIVIDUALS MORE PRODUCTIVE, THE WORKFORCE MORE AGILE, AND THE

COMPANY MORE COMPETITIVE.”


“VOICE, VIDEO, AND TEXTBASED COMMUNICATIONS ARE OFTEN BUILT INTO THE APPLICATIONS ENABLING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION.”


“EMBRACING THE MEGATRENDS LIKE THE CLOUD TO CRAFT NEW BUSINESS MODELS, DEVELOP NEW REVENUE STREAMS, OR DRIVE OTHER MATERIAL CHANGES WILL LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN THE BOTTOM LINE.”


WHEN THE CLOUD BRINGS CLARITY: ENTERPRISE CONFUSION ON DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

“EMPLOYEES ARE THE SPARKS FOR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, BUT ENTERPRISES MUST

ENSURE THEY PUT THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGIES IN PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME. THIS WON’T

HAPPEN UNLESS THE CIO IS INVOLVED.”


“BY MOVING THEIR LEGACY UC INTO THE CLOUD, CIOS CAN REDEPLOY

CRITICAL INTERNAL RESOURCES AWAY FROM FIREFIGHTING AND TOWARD MORE STRATEGIC INITIATIVES. THIS

EVOLUTIONARY LEAP IN TECHNOLOGY WILL OPEN THE DOOR TO TRUE DIGITAL

TRANSFORMATION.”



01010100010010011110001000101010001010100010101000101010011010101001010100000011110001101010100100101001010101010001010101000100110001111000100110101010101010101010101010100001010100101000101010101010001010010010101010010110101001000110100110010100100100101001010101010101010010101000100100111100010001010100010101000101010001010100110101010010101000000111100011010101001001010010101010100010101010001001100011110001001101010101010101010101010101000010101001010001010101010100010100100101010100101101010010001101001100101001001001010010101010101010100101010001001001111000100010101000101010001010100010101001101010100101010000001111000110101010010010100101010101000101010100010011000111100010011010101010101010101010101010000101010010100010101010101000101001001010101001011010100100011010011001010010010010100101010101010101001010100010010011110001000101010001010100010101000101010011010101001010100000011110001101010100100101001010101010001010101000100110001111000100110101010101010101010101010100001010100101000101010101010001010010010101010010110101001000110100110010100100100101001010101010101010


The idea behind ‘digital transformation’ has been bandied around the boardroom ever since the first Ethernet cables were fitted. Over the years enterprises have applied the term to their organisations in different ways; each grappling to integrate their own blend of technologies in a bid to harness their collective power to boost corporate productivity, communication and efficiency. Few, sadly, can claim to have succeeded. In this effort, the creation of a chief digital officer (CDO) has been touted as ‘the answer’ to the struggle; an executive whose raison d’être is to oversee a firm’s tech evolution. Three years ago, Gartner predicted that by 2015, as much as 25 percent of all organisations would have a CDO in their executive staff. In a press statement on the topic , its vice president, David Willis, painted a promising future: “The Chief Digital Officer plays in the place where the enterprise meets the customer…They’re in charge of the digital business strategy. That’s a long way from running back office IT, and it’s full of opportunity.”

Here’s the rub: in most organisations there remains a colossal gap between the IT systems in place and the business’s ideal mode of operation. This gap has, over time, created entrenched processes and habits that are now hampering the CDOs efforts to drive operational change. This is the reason why the CIO, not the CDO must lead the way.

Despite being widely unrecognised, the CIO already has the required skills: a sound understanding of the business combined with a ‘warts and all’ knowledge of the firm’s systems and their evolution. The problem is that they have been excluded from the blue skies, ideal-world strategic planning (the home turf of the CDO), principally because they and their departments have been wearied and worn down by endless challenges; systems complexity, data breaches, austerity and years of firefighting just to keep their systems going. Sadly the CIO’s is not a department that has been able to demonstrate the strategic prowess needed to win the confidence of the Board. But given the support and right resources, it is the CIO that can bridge the divide and provide a sustained technology base for the CDO to focus on the digital opportunities that will drive transformation across the entire organisation.

Digital transformation starts with employees

While media hype around the role of the CDO has been intense, a huge number of column inches have also been dedicated to ‘next-gen tech’ like the Internet of Things (IoT), including how such initiatives will tip the balance and trigger the wave of digital transformation we have all been waiting for. IoT will certainly play a key enabling role here, together with enterprise mobility, the cloud, software applications and big data. But before any of this, businesses must first acknowledge the critical role that their employees have to play. For too long employees have been hamstrung by software applications that are not fit for purpose. Many are ill-fitting and unsecure consumer apps that have been adopted for the business world. Others are legacy application suites that were introduced to address a specific departmental issue that has since been resolved. This siloed, ad-hoc approach to systems integration has left enterprise workers needing to work-around applications that were deployed with little consideration of their wider, future impact.

Consequently, if the digital transformation is to succeed, the CIO must be given the ability to work with and empower passionate employees throughout the company. They need to identify pockets of energy, passion, and experience and foster them in order to champion change.

CIOs must be given control over enterprise resource planning (ERP)

Employees are the sparks, but for the fire to take hold, enterprises must also ensure they put the right technologies in place at the right time. In most instances this won’t happen unless the CIO is involved. We need to learn the lessons of past mistakes in software procurement. For too many years, and in the face of overwhelming pressure from both the Board and end-users, IT departments have been enslaved by the ‘there’s an app for that’ craze. Workers, together with their devices, workstations and the wider enterprise infrastructure have all become bogged down by unnecessary or out-dated applications. These issues have arisen because divisional heads have pushed through software investment without considering whether, if or how their chosen asset can integrate with the firm’s business systems; a job perfectly suited to the CIO.

Unified communications (UC) is a prime example. For years, UC was touted as the next big thing that would improve employee productivity and collaboration, but too few improvements have been made and too wide an array of products and solutions have been forced upon end users. As most applications have failed to hit the mark, firms have been left with disparate pockets of instant messaging applications, for example, many of which are still coupled to quirks of departmental process and none of which can be integrated with a unified whole. One of the CIO’s first actions should be to audit, assess and cull redundant software assets; or risk facing needless integration complexities and licensing costs further down the line.

A digital silver lining

While the challenge to digitally transform an organisation may not happen overnight, thanks to the cloud CIOs now have an opportunity to rebalance the scales. By moving their legacy IT into the cloud, migrating users to cloud-native applications which are integrated, upgraded and licensed on a managed service basis, they can redeploy critical internal resources away from firefighting and toward more strategic initiatives. This evolutionary leap in technology has now opened the door to true digital transformation. Unified communications should be the first coordinated step. Implemented in the cloud, as unified communications as a service (UCaaS), CIOs are able to pool their legacy knowledge of business process and software utilisation with the strategic plans of the CDO and design new working environments and experiences that transcend the legacy barriers of on-premise systems, seamlessly integrate UC with their existing infrastructures without incurring massive CAPEX, and give end-users the ability to effectively co-create and co-innovate.

More importantly the cloud offers the CIO the chance to put in place the building blocks of a sustainable and future-proofed digital enterprise which, in turn, will enable the CDO, finally, to thrive.


CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICERS CIOS HOLD THE KEY TO UNLOCKING THE DOOR TO DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION


70% OF EMPLOYEES WHO OWN A SMARTPHONE OR TABLET CHOOSE TO USE IT TO ACCESS CORPORATE DATA, ACCORDING TO DATA GATHERED BY RESEARCH FIRM OVUM

A STUDY BY OVUM HAS SHOWN THAT 7/10 EMPLOYEES USE THEIR OWN DEVICE AT WORK

“WITH UCaaS A COMPANY CAN MORE EASILY EXPERIMENT WITH NEW COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES.” Brian Riggs, Principle Analyst, Ovum

“IF EMPLOYEES ARE SOURCING THEIR OWN APPLICATIONS TO DO THEIR JOB, THEN THE ENTERPRISE IS NOT DELIVERING THE RIGHT TOOLS OR A GOOD ENOUGH USER EXPERIENCE FOR ITS EMPLOYEES.”Richard Absalom, consumer impact technology analyst, Ovum.

“58% OF UK ENTERPRISES ARE ALREADY REASSESSING SPECIFIC BUSINESS PROCESSES AND ACTIVITIES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DEVELOPMENTS IN MOBILE DEVICES.” Richard Edwards, Principal Analyst, Ovum

CIO & IT

CIO, IT & HR

CIO, IT, HR & FD

OPTIMISED WORKPLACE

“70% OF UK BUSINESSES SAY IT DECISION MAKING SHOULD BE A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS.”TalkTalk Business, Beta Business research conducted by Ovum

“FIRMS THAT ARE BRAVE ENOUGH TO TAKE THIS FIRST STEP WITH UCaaS WILL ENABLE THEIR STAFF TO CONNECT SEAMLESSLY WITH THEIR WORKING ENVIRONMENTS AND SET FORTH ON DEFINING A NEW WORKING CULTURE.”Indi Sall, NG Bailey IT Services

UCaaS

“MOST COMPANIES UNDERESTIMATE THE DEPTH OF CHANGE NEEDED TO CREATE AN OPTIMAL WORKING ENVIRONMENT, BUT THE GUYS OVER AT GOOGLE AND FACEBOOK HAVE LONG RECOGNISED THAT THE EFFORT IS MULTIFACETED; CULTURAL, PHYSICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL.”Indi Sall, NG Bailey IT Services

ARE YOUR IT CHOICES STIFLING YOUR TALENT?

UNTAPPED POTENTIAL SUPPORTIVE BUT INCOHERENT COLLABORATIVE & CLOUD ENABLED

THREE STAGES TO AN OPTIMISED WORKPLACE


70% OF EMPLOYEES WHO OWN A SMARTPHONE OR TABLET CHOOSE TO USE IT TO ACCESS CORPORATE DATA, ACCORDING TO DATA GATHERED BY RESEARCH FIRM OVUM

A STUDY BY OVUM HAS SHOWN THAT 7/10 EMPLOYEES USE THEIR OWN DEVICE AT WORK

“WITH UCaaS A COMPANY CAN MORE EASILY EXPERIMENT WITH NEW COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES.” Brian Riggs, Principle Analyst, Ovum

“IF EMPLOYEES ARE SOURCING THEIR OWN APPLICATIONS TO DO THEIR JOB, THEN THE ENTERPRISE IS NOT DELIVERING THE RIGHT TOOLS OR A GOOD ENOUGH USER EXPERIENCE FOR ITS EMPLOYEES.”Richard Absalom, consumer impact technology analyst, Ovum.

“58% OF UK ENTERPRISES ARE ALREADY REASSESSING SPECIFIC BUSINESS PROCESSES AND ACTIVITIES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DEVELOPMENTS IN MOBILE DEVICES.” Richard Edwards, Principal Analyst, Ovum

CIO & IT

CIO, IT & HR

CIO, IT, HR & FD

OPTIMISED WORKPLACE

“70% OF UK BUSINESSES SAY IT DECISION MAKING SHOULD BE A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS.”TalkTalk Business, Beta Business research conducted by Ovum

“FIRMS THAT ARE BRAVE ENOUGH TO TAKE THIS FIRST STEP WITH UCaaS WILL ENABLE THEIR STAFF TO CONNECT SEAMLESSLY WITH THEIR WORKING ENVIRONMENTS AND SET FORTH ON DEFINING A NEW WORKING CULTURE.”Indi Sall, NG Bailey IT Services

UCaaS

“MOST COMPANIES UNDERESTIMATE THE DEPTH OF CHANGE NEEDED TO CREATE AN OPTIMAL WORKING ENVIRONMENT, BUT THE GUYS OVER AT GOOGLE AND FACEBOOK HAVE LONG RECOGNISED THAT THE EFFORT IS MULTIFACETED; CULTURAL, PHYSICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL.”Indi Sall, NG Bailey IT Services

ARE YOUR IT CHOICES STIFLING YOUR TALENT?

UNTAPPED POTENTIAL SUPPORTIVE BUT INCOHERENT COLLABORATIVE & CLOUD ENABLED

THREE STAGES TO AN OPTIMISED WORKPLACE


Changes in flexible working legislation and advancements in technology are changing the expectations of today’s enterprise workers. Having witnessed first-hand the benefits of personal mobility and social collaboration through their mass adoption of smartphones and tablets, today’s workers are now demanding a similar experience from their working environment, and businesses are struggling to deliver. To be fair, workers have had quite the head start; ever since the first smartphones were introduced the consumer market has been by far the main focus for device and mobile service providers. There are exceptions too, of course. Giants of the web, like Google, have created progressive working environments full of technological innovations in their bids to attract and retain the best staff. But considering that BYOD (bring your own device) has been with us for some years, and the use of laptops and tablets across all departments is now the norm, it’s not unreasonable to ask why more businesses haven’t taken greater steps to formulate a coherent strategy for their modern workplace. As with most initiatives to do with organisational change, the challenge is multifaceted. Dealing effectively with the technology, through the installation of new systems and the subsequent adjustment of business processes, is only half the battle. Equally important is bringing about attitudinal change (especially in key influential individuals within the business), and driving through a wider cultural shift toward today’s modern working practices. The Generation Game

Treating all workers as a single group is, of course, a recipe for disaster. Expectations between generations can vary hugely, as can their willingness and ability to adjust to new working parameters. Today’s enterprise frequently juggles four or even five generations, all working together in the same environment. Frequently, however, the same technical solutions can be applied to cater for these varying circumstances. It is the infrastructure’s flexibility that scores the points (and, as at least two generations will confirm, points mean prizes). Those approaching retirement may seek a reduction in hours, or the ability to work from home on a regular basis. In the same vein, the next wave of young and tech-savvy talent may be at their most productive when blending their professional and personal time, which would require the ability to connect to all the tools and systems they need to work in the evenings, or late at night. The best approach is to understand how each user is carrying out their tasks, and what changes need to be made to help them thrive. Only when the human piece of the jigsaw is in place can the enterprise begin to identify and apply enabling changes to their systems.

A Tripartisan Approach

Most companies underestimate the depth of change that is needed to create an optimal working environment, but the guys over at Google and Facebook have long recognised that the effort is multifaceted; cultural, physical and technological.

This means bringing HR, IT and Facilities departments together. Fail on one, and the other two are weakened. A superfast, remote working VPN is no use if departmental processes cannot accommodate working from home, for example. To be successful, the Board must ensure that all parties are given clear, measurable goals and objectives, which benefit both the firm and its workers. These goals can then form the foundations of a ‘social contract’ which can underpin a workplace policy, around which physical and virtual technologies can then be assembled. While such policies will allow greater technological freedom, through Bring/Choose Your Own Device initiatives, attention should also be paid to the wider working environment too; many office buildings are way behind the curve from a technology perspective. Ironically, the need for business to improve and unify their communications has resulted in the poor utilisation of office space. Consider how frequently it is the case that a video or conference call can only be conducted in a cavernous boardroom.

To date, unified communications (UC) technologies such as video conferencing have done little to improve the mobility and connectivity of employees, but thanks to the arrival of the cloud, and specifically unified communication as a service (UCaaS), businesses can not only transform the UC experience for employees, but the Facilities department can also set about redesigning the workspace. These spaces will include smaller computing devices and cloud-based file storage which will enable designers to make better use of less space and employ a flexible hot-desking approach to maximise use of the environment. Firms that are brave enough to take this first step with UCaaS will enable their staff to connect seamlessly with their working environments and set forth on defining a new working culture, one which enables people to come together and work in a more focused and more collaborative manner. More importantly, it will also enable them to attract and to retain the right talent by providing the most efficient and flexible work environment for generations to come.


KEEPING UP: CREATING A FLEXIBLE WORKPLACE WORTHY OF YOUR TALENT


UCaaS

CIO MARKETINGHR

SALES

FINANCE

TO INCREASE EMPLOYEE COLLABORATION, INNOVATION AND

PRODUCTIVITY, ENTERPRISE

DEPARTMENT HEADS HAVE INDEPENDENTLY

ADOPTED A VARIETY OF UC TECHNOLOGIES

WRESTLING BUDGET AND CONTROL AWAY FROM

THE CIO.

BY MIGRATING BUSINESS SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES

TO IP, CIOs CAN CREATE A POWERFUL TOOL FOR

THE COLLECTION OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

DATA THAT CAN BE USED STRATEGICALLY TO DRIVE

THE FIRM FORWARD.

COMMUNICATIONS ASSETS ARE THE FIRST

STEP.

CIOs TURNING TO CLOUD AND MANAGED SERVICES MODELS ARE BENEFITING FROM A MORE COLLABORATIVE, LONG-TERM AND PARTNERSHIP-LED APPROACH. WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE BOARD, CIOs CAN FINALLY USE TECHNOLOGY TO PROPEL THE ENTIRE ENTERPRISE FORWARD.

1 2

3 4

CIOs WILL KEEP CONTROL OF TECHNOLOGY BUDGETS FOR THREE KEY REASONS:

• CMOs DON’T WANT TO GO IT ALONE

• MARKETING TECH SPEND IS A GROWING, BUT SMALL PART OF TECH

• SPENDING CONTROL FILTERS PUSH TECH PURCHASES BACK TO THE CIO.

TOOLING UP: THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF UNIFYING COMMUNICATIONS

GROWTH


UCaaS

CIO MARKETINGHR

SALES

FINANCE

TO INCREASE EMPLOYEE COLLABORATION, INNOVATION AND

PRODUCTIVITY, ENTERPRISE

DEPARTMENT HEADS HAVE INDEPENDENTLY

ADOPTED A VARIETY OF UC TECHNOLOGIES

WRESTLING BUDGET AND CONTROL AWAY FROM

THE CIO.

BY MIGRATING BUSINESS SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES

TO IP, CIOs CAN CREATE A POWERFUL TOOL FOR

THE COLLECTION OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

DATA THAT CAN BE USED STRATEGICALLY TO DRIVE

THE FIRM FORWARD.

COMMUNICATIONS ASSETS ARE THE FIRST

STEP.

CIOs TURNING TO CLOUD AND MANAGED SERVICES MODELS ARE BENEFITING FROM A MORE COLLABORATIVE, LONG-TERM AND PARTNERSHIP-LED APPROACH. WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE BOARD, CIOs CAN FINALLY USE TECHNOLOGY TO PROPEL THE ENTIRE ENTERPRISE FORWARD.

1 2

3 4

CIOs WILL KEEP CONTROL OF TECHNOLOGY BUDGETS FOR THREE KEY REASONS:

• CMOs DON’T WANT TO GO IT ALONE

• MARKETING TECH SPEND IS A GROWING, BUT SMALL PART OF TECH

• SPENDING CONTROL FILTERS PUSH TECH PURCHASES BACK TO THE CIO.

TOOLING UP: THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF UNIFYING COMMUNICATIONS

GROWTH


In recent years, the role of the chief information officer (CIO) has been questioned by many. In 2013, Gartner stated that it would take around four years for the CIO to lose control of a large part of their technology budget to marketers and other business units, claiming that other departmental heads were better placed to research, identify and procure solutions that would meet their needs.

Forrester doesn’t entirely agree. They believe users and departments should be more involved in buying and recommending technology, but as the complexity and cost of IT projects increases, they’re convinced that the CIO must have the final say. This, of course, would mean the CIO will control the bulk of technology spending for many years to come.

So who is right, and what does the future hold for CIOs?

Many chief executive officers (CEO) agree with neither, and have instead hedged their bets by giving elements of control to all parties, creating a decision-making vacuum in the process. This ad-hoc approach has distanced the IT team from other departments and diminished its perceived importance to that of a support function, leaving systems siloed and data stores disconnected from the long-term strategic goals of the company.

A prime example is in the failure of so-called unified communications (UC) programs. In an effort to increase employee collaboration, innovation and productivity, enterprise department heads have independently adopted a variety of UC technologies. Over time, many of these have become obsolete, either because they cannot integrate with other business critical systems or, more simply, because they no longer meet the needs of today’s agile and mobile workforce.

The advent of the cloud and technologies like unified communications as a service (UCaaS) is enabling the CIO to undo some of this damage. However, the wreckage of past UC initiatives should serve as a warning to all businesses who believe that the CIO’s skills and experience have no bearing on their long-term future success. Too many have been denied the freedom and operational flexibility needed to realise the cloud’s commercial benefits. Indeed most examples of when the Board has paid attention to the cloud relate more to tactical and operational issues such as data backup, for example, or enabling the CEO to access email on their iPad. Hardly the kind of stuff that is going to propel the strategic direction of the business.

To harness the true power of today’s technologies, CEOs need to make it easier for CIOs to use the cloud for truly transformational purposes. More importantly, the whole Board needs to acknowledge that the CIO is the best person to identify and integrate these technologies in pursuit of a competitive edge. The alternative, to continue ‘as is’, will only extend the pain, leaving the enterprise just as hamstrung with data silos and disparate working practices as they have been in recent years.

IP-convergence is the next big challenge for the CIO

The next ‘big thing‘ for the CIO, really is big: to champion IP-convergence in order to transform their firm’s operations. This is both a challenge and a huge opportunity. Done properly, IP-convergence will bring all manner of previously isolated operational systems onto the network, enabling a never-before-seen level of centralised and coordinated control capable of driving efficiencies right across the business, from energy and natural resource consumption to how the firm’s physical spaces are occupied and organised. Put another way, by migrating more business systems and processes to IP the CIO can create a powerful tool for the collection of business intelligence data that can then be used strategically to drive the company forward. Knowledge is power and in this regard, IP convergence can really deliver.

Cultural resistance will be the biggest hurdle. Moving to an IP-converged infrastructure will sound the death knell for a host of analogue systems and, as CIOs know only too well, Board directors are always reluctant to kiss past investments goodbye, favouring ‘mend and make do’, over ‘rip and replace’ almost every time.

But these challenges can be met only when the CIO has re-established their strategic value to the business. For this job, the cloud is their currency. By tapping into OPEX-based contracts for cloud applications and services, the CIO can demonstrate CAPEX savings to the Board, drive down the in-house cost of IT and redeploy internal resources. By putting the daily operational firefight in the hands of partners, the IT department can refocus on the kind of strategic initiatives that will earn the confidence of the Board. After all, helpdesk requests will be largely taken care of under the SLAs of their cloud service partners, as will software licensing issues, patch management and system updates. In short, the ‘X-as-a-Service’ model pumps oxygen into a department gasping for air.

All of this brings us back to unified communications. When enabled as a managed service in the cloud, the old ‘firefighting’ problems which have dogged UC in the past, of multiple device integration and inter-departmental systems interoperability, for example, can be consigned to the history books. All departments across the enterprise can connect, collaborate, communicate and share data in unison on software platforms managed by partners and hosted externally. In many cases, all the customer needs is a browser and an internet connection. The service provider will take care of the rest.

Don’t just blame the Board

The future is looking brighter for the CIO. The signs are positive for IP-convergence projects, and enterprise organisations are finally starting to reap the benefits of transformational cloud services, with UC as both a front runner and a proving ground for the model’s wider potential.

But the IT industry can’t lay blame for the CIO’s disintermediation solely at the feet of the Board; it too had a role to play, and must now do its bit to help the CIO bridge the gap. Vendors have been guilty of aggressively marketing proprietary systems, first to the CIO and then, in a bid to close a deal, to other internal department heads, without due consideration to interoperability and industry standardisation.

These actions have been due only in part to the economic climate; an aggressive deal and margin-driven IT sales culture has developed in recent decades which, thanks to the introduction of cloud and managed services models, is fast giving way to a more collaborative, long-term and partnership-led approach to doing business. This transition can’t happen quickly enough. Only by adopting this stance, can the industry provide the support the CIO needs to assuage the Board’s fears relating to the cloud and make it a success. Then the CIO can move on to where their value is undeniable: in using technology to propel the entire enterprise forward through IP-convergence.


EXODUS! WHY CLOUD SERVICES ARE A CRUCIAL WEAPON IN THE CIO’S BATTLE FOR CONTROL


MILLENNIALSBORN BETWEEN THE EARLY 1980s AND EARLY 2000s

AS THE LARGEST GENERATION IN HISTORY, MILLENNIALS HOLD MORE POWER TO EFFECT CHANGE IN THE WORKPLACE THAN ANY OTHER GENERATION BEFORE THEM

MILLENNIALS HAVE GROWN UP PLUGGED INTO THE DIGITAL WORLD OF INSTANT SHARING VIA MOBILE DEVICES

ENTERPRISE BOARD DIRECTORS MUST RECOGNISE THAT THEIR FIRMS ARE MADE UP FROM FOUR GENERATIONS; MILLENNIALS, GENERATIONS X AND Y, AS WELL AS THE BABY BOOMER

FOR AGE DIVERSE ENTERPRISES EMULATING FIRMS LIKE GOOGLE AND FACEBOOK, THAT ‘MOVE FAST AND BREAK THINGS’, IS NOT ONLY UNREALISTIC, IT’S INAPPROPRIATE

MANY COMPANIES SET ABOUT BUYING IN THE LATEST UC TECHNOLOGIES AND CHANGING THEIR WORKING POLICIES TO SUIT THE NEEDS OF MILLENNIALS. MOST IMPLEMENTATIONS NEVER CAME TO FRUITION

SINCE THE ADVENT OF UCaaS, THE ENTERPRISE LOOKS VASTLY DIFFERENT, NOW CIO’S CAN TRIGGER THE KIND OF COLLABORATION THAT TODAY’S ENTERPRISES DESPERATLEY NEED

FACE OFF: BLENDING GENERATIONS TO SHAPE THE FUTURE ENTERPRISE

PAST & FUTURE GENERATIONSGENERATION X BORN BETWEEN THE EARLY 1960S AND THE

EARLY 1980S.. GENERATION Z BORN JUST BEFORE THE START OF THE MILLENNIUM.

ENTERPRISES SHOULD ENABLE NOT INHIBIT MILLENNIALS

COMPANIES NEED A PLACE WHERE THE ENERGIES AND DYNAMISM OF MILLENNIALS CAN CO-EXIST WITH THE WIDER ENTERPRISE

WHAT’S CHANGED? THE CLOUD HAS SIMPLIFIED DEPLOYMENT & INTEGRATION, BRINGING DEPARTMENTS CLOSER TOGETHER ON ONE SYSTEM

UCaaS


MILLENNIALSBORN BETWEEN THE EARLY 1980s AND EARLY 2000s

AS THE LARGEST GENERATION IN HISTORY, MILLENNIALS HOLD MORE POWER TO EFFECT CHANGE IN THE WORKPLACE THAN ANY OTHER GENERATION BEFORE THEM

MILLENNIALS HAVE GROWN UP PLUGGED INTO THE DIGITAL WORLD OF INSTANT SHARING VIA MOBILE DEVICES

ENTERPRISE BOARD DIRECTORS MUST RECOGNISE THAT THEIR FIRMS ARE MADE UP FROM FOUR GENERATIONS; MILLENNIALS, GENERATIONS X AND Y, AS WELL AS THE BABY BOOMER

FOR AGE DIVERSE ENTERPRISES EMULATING FIRMS LIKE GOOGLE AND FACEBOOK, THAT ‘MOVE FAST AND BREAK THINGS’, IS NOT ONLY UNREALISTIC, IT’S INAPPROPRIATE

MANY COMPANIES SET ABOUT BUYING IN THE LATEST UC TECHNOLOGIES AND CHANGING THEIR WORKING POLICIES TO SUIT THE NEEDS OF MILLENNIALS. MOST IMPLEMENTATIONS NEVER CAME TO FRUITION

SINCE THE ADVENT OF UCaaS, THE ENTERPRISE LOOKS VASTLY DIFFERENT, NOW CIO’S CAN TRIGGER THE KIND OF COLLABORATION THAT TODAY’S ENTERPRISES DESPERATLEY NEED

FACE OFF: BLENDING GENERATIONS TO SHAPE THE FUTURE ENTERPRISE

PAST & FUTURE GENERATIONSGENERATION X BORN BETWEEN THE EARLY 1960S AND THE

EARLY 1980S.. GENERATION Z BORN JUST BEFORE THE START OF THE MILLENNIUM.

ENTERPRISES SHOULD ENABLE NOT INHIBIT MILLENNIALS

COMPANIES NEED A PLACE WHERE THE ENERGIES AND DYNAMISM OF MILLENNIALS CAN CO-EXIST WITH THE WIDER ENTERPRISE

WHAT’S CHANGED? THE CLOUD HAS SIMPLIFIED DEPLOYMENT & INTEGRATION, BRINGING DEPARTMENTS CLOSER TOGETHER ON ONE SYSTEM

UCaaS


Millennials have been a real talking point of late, particularly relative to their impact, both positive and negative, on the future of businesses across the globe. The Millennial generation, born between the early 1980s and early 2000s, has a different attitude to work, adopting a more fluid, project-oriented approach compared to their seniors, for whom adherence to a nine to five structure has long reigned.

For employers, this shift in behaviour must not go unaddressed. As the largest generation in history, Millennials hold more power to effect change in the workplace than any other previous generation before them. How much emphasis, then, should the enterprise place on this group when seeking to shape its workplace culture? How an enterprise utilises technology, in particular communications technologies, is inextricably linked to this discussion. Millennials have grown up plugged into a digital world of instant sharing via mobile devices. Not unreasonably, their expectation is that this mode of operation will be carried through into the office. Young, bleeding-edge organisations like Google and Facebook, that already elicit these trends, are held on a pedestal as to how we should all aspire to work. This is an unachievable expectation, of course, not least because the vast majority of enterprise workforces are not comprised of twenty-somethings. Even if Millennials are now the largest group in the workplace, enterprise Board directors must also recognise that their firms are made up from four generations, Millennials, Generations X and Y, as well as the Baby Boomers in senior management. With that in mind, emulating firms like Google and Facebook, that ‘move fast and break things’ is not only unrealistic, it’s inappropriate. What’s more, digital services organisations like Facebook and Google are knowledge businesses. They don’t run manufacturing outlets, manage the movement of goods through a supply chain, run a chain of high street retail outlets, or have fleets of construction workers continuously deployed in the field. Their growth and influence online has cast them in a glowing light of aspiration that has overshadowed the truth: they’re not really reflective of a ‘modern enterprise’ at all. Where does that leave us? Should Millennials scale back their ambitions and accept the status quo with the rest of us? Well, it’s true that adapting to a firm’s social, historic and economic context is a key part of settling into any new role, no matter which generation you belong to. But no, to dampen the spirits of the group that is maximising its use of prevailing communications technologies would be folly. A middle ground is what is required; one that bridges between those that are comfortable brainstorming in the office and those mobile workers that prefer to thrash it out via a Google hangout from any place they choose. The digital space is the place where this collaboration can be accomplished. Open plan, free flowing offices without formal workspaces may suit a universally youthful enterprise, but when trialled across an age-diverse organisation, this style of office is more commonly associated with higher levels of stress and elevated blood pressure. The creation of open-plan spaces proved counterproductive as it alienated older staff who yearned for a room of their own.

Past history is no indicator of future success. Take unified communications (UC) as an example. In the last decade, we’ve seen UC championed as the next big thing, capable of solving most enterprise collaboration and mobility challenges. During that time many companies set about buying in the latest UC technologies and changing their working policies to suit the needs of new, flexible workforce demographics. Most implementations never came to fruition, due in large part to the complexities inherent in their integration with the host organisation’s networked infrastructure and IT assets.

Since the advent of the cloud, however, and unified communications as a service (UCaaS), the future of UC is looking vastly different. With the headaches of managing machine-by-machine and network-by-network installations removed from the equation, UC now offers a truly powerful proposition. It has the potential to deliver a consolidated working environment where a range of collaboration and communication tools, both old and new, can comfortably coexist, serving the generational variances in working culture that most modern enterprises display. Such environments are starting to take shape, bringing the full range of skills and experience from across the enterprise together and making a tangible impact on workforce productivity and innovation.

One thing that UC does have in common with the millennial business generation is that, to coin a Facebook phrase, it has had the ‘freedom to fail’. Ironically, it has taken the cloud to bring clarity to the world of UC. Now we will discover if it can also trigger the kind of collaboration that today’s modern enterprises so desperately need.


ONE IN A MILLENNIAL: RECONCILING CULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE MODERN ENTERPRISE


Unified Communication (UC) enables end-users to access real-time voice and collaboration tools, including the use of traditional desktop telephones, instant messaging and real-time file sharing facilities. It also enables the seamless integration of mobile devices with the business’ core communications infrastructure.

Whether a client needs to increase its operational agility, respond faster to changing needs of the business, or simply heighten productivity in pursuit of a competitive edge, our team of consultants and systems architects can design and implement a solution that meets their requirements.

NG Bailey delivers industry leading UC platforms to enable our clients’ staff to benefit from flexible and immediate connectivity with their colleagues and clients, regardless of their geographic location.Our UC solutions can be delivered either as new standalone platforms or as upgrades to existing assets. With a vast client base, NG Bailey has the experience and in-house expertise to provide the latest cutting edge technologies from all vendors.

Our clients rely on our specialist skills and experience to provide support and guidance on current and future requirements.

The benefits of Unified Communication include:

• Immediate access to colleagues and customers• Mobile, remote and flexible working• Improved customer service due to seamless connections• Visibility and control over all fixed and mobile resources• Reductions in network management costs resulting from migration to an all-IP environment• Reductions in travel costs and emissions thanks to enhanced collaboration and conferencing capabilities.

Why NG Bailey?

NG Bailey partners and holds accreditations with some of the world’s leading UC vendors, including Cisco and Mitel, which means our solutions use the latest technologies available. NG Bailey has a suite of tailored communications solutions, both on-premise and hosted UC, which simplify clients’ systems and deliver real business benefits.

UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS MAKING COLLABORATION SIMPLE

Mitel – MiCloud Enterprise UCaaS

MiCloud Enterprise UCaaS is focused on enabling business agility through a comprehensive communications suite that combines IP telephony, unified communications and collaboration into one managed service.

This scalable IP communications service allows organizations to dramatically reduce the capital investment, complexity and support normally associated with an on premise solution. Transform your business

Fully featured voice communications combined with a wide range of IP telephones enables MiCloud Enterprise UCaaS to be tailored to almost any business. Mobile devices can be incorporated to streamline communications and reduce call costs. Staff are able to make better communication decisions using a corporate directory with presence information. Distributed teams are able to work together more effectively using audio, video and web collaboration.

Click here for more info

Click here for more info


Unified Communication (UC) enables end-users to access real-time voice and collaboration tools, including the use of traditional desktop telephones, instant messaging and real-time file sharing facilities. It also enables the seamless integration of mobile devices with the business’ core communications infrastructure.

Whether a client needs to increase its operational agility, respond faster to changing needs of the business, or simply heighten productivity in pursuit of a competitive edge, our team of consultants and systems architects can design and implement a solution that meets their requirements.

NG Bailey delivers industry leading UC platforms to enable our clients’ staff to benefit from flexible and immediate connectivity with their colleagues and clients, regardless of their geographic location.Our UC solutions can be delivered either as new standalone platforms or as upgrades to existing assets. With a vast client base, NG Bailey has the experience and in-house expertise to provide the latest cutting edge technologies from all vendors.

Our clients rely on our specialist skills and experience to provide support and guidance on current and future requirements.

The benefits of Unified Communication include:

• Immediate access to colleagues and customers• Mobile, remote and flexible working• Improved customer service due to seamless connections• Visibility and control over all fixed and mobile resources• Reductions in network management costs resulting from migration to an all-IP environment• Reductions in travel costs and emissions thanks to enhanced collaboration and conferencing capabilities.

Why NG Bailey?

NG Bailey partners and holds accreditations with some of the world’s leading UC vendors, including Cisco and Mitel, which means our solutions use the latest technologies available. NG Bailey has a suite of tailored communications solutions, both on-premise and hosted UC, which simplify clients’ systems and deliver real business benefits.

UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS MAKING COLLABORATION SIMPLE

Mitel – MiCloud Enterprise UCaaS

MiCloud Enterprise UCaaS is focused on enabling business agility through a comprehensive communications suite that combines IP telephony, unified communications and collaboration into one managed service.

This scalable IP communications service allows organizations to dramatically reduce the capital investment, complexity and support normally associated with an on premise solution. Transform your business

Fully featured voice communications combined with a wide range of IP telephones enables MiCloud Enterprise UCaaS to be tailored to almost any business. Mobile devices can be incorporated to streamline communications and reduce call costs. Staff are able to make better communication decisions using a corporate directory with presence information. Distributed teams are able to work together more effectively using audio, video and web collaboration.


IT-as-a- Service

UNIFIEDCOMMUNICATION

PROFESSIONALSERVICES

CARRIERSERVICES

HOSTING C OCATION

NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

ELECTRONIC SECURITY

INTELLIGENT BUILDING

MANAGEMENT

STRUCTURED CABLING


www.ngbailey.com

CONTACT

Inderpall SallTechnical director

T: 01293 605438M: 07795 561763E: [email protected]

PASSION | INTEGRITY | EXCELLENCE

Bailey ebook

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Transcript of Bailey ebook