Beyond Dial-Tone
Unified Communications Benchmark Report
In the converged world of Unified Communications, there is no separate data and voice network, only the Ethernet network is required. Connectivity to the digital telephone network is provided through gateway devices, such as in the IP PBX world. Unified Communications systems are the next generation of IP PBX, extending many of architectural elements of the network.
Unified Communications, as referenced in this Benchmark Report, is the sum of the parts, the constituent applications - IP Telephony, voicemail, instant messaging and presence, mobility, telecommuting, soft phones and conferencing. Aberdeen's research showed an amazing appetite for Unified Communications applications.