Start Simple, Add Later

In one of the previous blog articles (Introducing Lean Communications), I explained how lean communication can improve the way organizations work. This approach must also be applied to the deployment phase by making it as incremental and simple as possible.

The adoption of a new UC system must be supported and required by one or more key users, usually managers of departments inside a company. These key users must support the adoption by understanding the advantages.

The role of key users is very important, and they must be involved in all steps of the platform introduction. Key users, before and after the deployment, must collect important feedback from other users and create requirements for the UC solution.

Continue reading “Start Simple, Add Later”

Skype is not secure, Microsoft: “use a VPN to access”

Insicurezza informatica

That’s not true, of course.
I just applied to Skype the idea of security that manages to create an “Open Source Genius.”

Let’s leave Skype aside and see what really happened.
Giacomo Brusciati of Comunica.Meta srl, an installer of telephone systems in the Marche region, has installed about 2,200 systems. First ISDN and then VoIP. Continue reading “Skype is not secure, Microsoft: “use a VPN to access””

How To Manage Accounts Creation

When installing a new system, it is hard to escape the paradigm of creating yet another user database and new passwords for each one of these users.

How does this happen? The engineer who configures the system usually starts by adding a few accounts manually to perform the first test calls and then more and more, until all users are created. This approach has clear drawbacks, since it is:

  • Error-prone: it is easy to make mistakes
  • Time-consuming
  • Not secure: users are not removed, even when they leave the organization.

The best way to manage accounts creation is to let somebody or something else do it for us. The ideas described below also apply to customer contact creation in the UC server.

Continue reading “How To Manage Accounts Creation”

Reviewing Service Continuity Scenarios

Depending on how critical the UC service is for the organization, it might be necessary to put service continuity scenarios in place, including:

  • Failover: a secondary server is used in case the primary server fails.
  • Load Sharing: both systems work at the same time, but if one goes down, the other can manage the whole load.

Let’s start analyzing the simplest scenario: one UC Server and X users / devices connected to it. Failover is perfectly fine in this first scenario.

Continue reading “Reviewing Service Continuity Scenarios”

Is Wildix a good vendor?

How can someone compare software vendors and their effectiveness?

Are they a good vendor? If so, how do they “become” good?  I could ramble on about SDLC (software development life cycles), Agile methodology, blah blah blah, but the truth is…partners don’t care about this.

What does a partner care about?  Partners care that a vendor helps them drive more revenue and more profit for the long term health of their business.  Or at least that is what they should care about.

So, what a partner wants is simple!  A system that can be sold for a lot, installed and maintained with no effort, allows them to maintain control of their customer base and is FREE!  Ah, such a blissful world! Continue reading “Is Wildix a good vendor?”