Reviewing Deployment Scenarios of UC systems

A Unified Communication solution can be deployed either in an environment controlled by the customer, as a corporate data center, or in a third-party data center. Let’s review such deployment scenarios in more detail.

In most scenarios, a solution deployed in a cloud environment (such as Amazon AWS) offers the best overall conditions including easy redundancy, by relying on different physical data centers, and better connectivity, by providing worldwide data centers.

However, there are scenarios where an in-house UC platform can offer advantages over a cloud solution. When the UC services are accessed mostly by local users and using local PSTN trunking, a local deployment is the best solution. Another scenario might be a site with poor Internet connectivity where phone services must be provided.

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Analyzing Unified Communications Market

Market analysis
In this blog article we will analyze modern Unified Communications market trends in detail, and discuss how they actually compare with the UC solution features and the technical characteristics.

Hosted, Managed, or Cloud? Or Something Else?

Whether you are looking for a ready-to-buy UC solution or thinking about building one, the question of hosted, managed, or cloud is usually the first question that arises when a new service is added.

Let’s first review what each category means.

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SIP and XMPP standards in Unified Communications

In this blog article we will discuss the basic standards used for real-time communications — SIP and XMPP — what is the difference, how each of them works, and, which one to choose.

SIP and XMPP

The IETF has two documented standards for real-time communications that are widely implemented: SIP and XMPP.

These standards transport text information and rely on other standards for the actual media transmission.

As both support real-time communications, many question which solution is most suited to their needs.

Let’s briefly explore the history and purpose of both.

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Web-based vs Native apps: Which to Choose?

Web-based VS native administration is a long-standing dispute within this field. This topic is particularly important because it defines all of the user’s experience. Let’s examine, why web-based communication solutions are the best choice for delivering high service quality.

All new products now use web-based administration interfaces. Gone are the days of interfaces made with Java / QT. The advantages of this change include:

  • No software to install, and the interface is immediately available everywhere
  • Compatibility with all modern browsers
  • Support for mobile devices like tablets and smartphones
  • Security thanks to HTTPs
  • Web API might help when automating tasks

If the communication system you are developing or deploying does not use a web-based interface, please reconsider your choice. Web-based is really the best option. Continue reading “Web-based vs Native apps: Which to Choose?”

Vertical Solutions for Retail, Education, Hospitality, Healthcare

Vertical Solutions for Retail, Education, Hospitality, HealthcareVertical Solutions based on Unified Communications features can be successfully implemented for different industries, including Retail, Education, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Hospitality, Healthcare and Finance. In this blog article we will analyze some of these features and their ways of implementation.

Vertical Solutions for Retail / Education / Healthcare / Production Sites

Paging / Intercom

This feature allows for the delivery of audio messages, recorded or in real-time, to many users, typically using overhead speakers and other devices connected to the system.

Paging is performed over many devices. Intercom is usually performed over a single device. Continue reading “Vertical Solutions for Retail, Education, Hospitality, Healthcare”