The Power of Collaboration within Unified Communications

The Power of
Collaboration within
Unified Communications
Business Case Considerations for
Improving Enterprise Performance
by Enterprise Solutions Team
©2008 Polycom, Inc. All rights reserved. Polycom and the Polycom logo design are registered trademarks of Polycom, Inc. 3All other trademarks are thee property of their respective owners. Information is subject to change without notice.TABLE OF CONTENTS
Overview...................................................................................................................3
The Business Case for Collaboration....................................................................4
Reducing the Costs of Employee Overhead.........................................................5
Reducing the Need for Travel.................................................................................6
Collaboration and Training.....................................................................................7
Collaboration and Recruiting.................................................................................8
Collaboration and Project Management..............................................................11
Essentials for Ensuring Success of Collaboration............................................12
©2008 Polycom, Inc. All rights reserved. Polycom and the Polycom logo design are registered trademarks of Polycom, Inc.All other trademarks are thee property of their respective owners. Information is subject to change without notice.Overview
From Infrastructure Enablement to Business-Enhancing Applications
Historians of communications technologies will likely refer to the era from 1997 to 2007 as the Decade ofInfrastructure Readiness. Beginning with a select group of global enterprises who sought to decrease operatingcosts by merging their telephony and data infrastructures, the migration into the 21st century has seen companiesof all sizes and types embracing IP-based networks for their inherent cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and ability tosupport business-driven applications.
1In a 2007 retrospective study of enterprise technology priorities, industry research firm IntelliCom Analyticsdocumented the evolution of business leader thinking during this time. From an initial focus on deploying "future-proof" communication infrastructures, IntelliCom found a gradual shift to the adoption of productivity- andefficiency-enhancing applications able to leverage these new, "built out" network assets.
Starting with the largest global and multi-national corporations and now moving to medium- and smaller-sizeenterprises, Figure 1 highlights the stages and timelines of this shift.
LeadershipFocus Initial Focus on Shifting Focus onEnsuring Proper Improving BusinessCommunications PerformanceInfrastructure Figure 1
Hybrid NetworksTraditional (mix of Traditional Unified Communications IncreasingNetworks and IPTelephony) All IPTelephony and Collaboration Complexityand CriticalityAdoption of converged of IPTechnologySelect Enterprise-wide Applications andIPTelephony IPTelephony IPTelephony Integration intoTrials / Pilots Deployments Build-outs Business PracticesGlobal / MNC 1997 - 2007 1999 - 2005 2003 - 2009 2003 / Large 1999 - 2003 2001 - 2007 2005 - 2011 2005 / Mid-Market 2002 - 2006 2004 - 2009 2007 - 2012 2007 / SMB 2004 - 2008 2006 - 2010 2008 - 2013 2008 / 
As a global market leader in collaboration tools and solutions, Polycom has enabled thousands of organisations toachieve the full benefits of collaboration in these Unified Communications environments.
This White Paper shares practical perspectives on preparing a business case for collaboration tools within UnifiedCommunications, as well as offering best practice approaches for ensuring the successful adoption - andmaximum contribution - of collaboration applications in your enterprise.
©2008 Polycom, Inc. All rights reserved. Polycom and the Polycom logo design are registered trademarks of Polycom, Inc. 3All other trademarks are thee property of their respective owners. Information is subject to change without notice.The Business Case for Collaboration
First - a Definition
Before examining the potential business value that collaboration can bring to your enterprise, a standard definition2is in order. The description of Unified Collaborative Communic... [download for more]