Avaya Unified Communications Can Reduce Cell Phone Expenses

WHITE PAPER
Avaya Unified Communications
Can Reduce Cell Phone Expenses
June 2008avaya.com
Table of Contents
Introduction.........................................................................................................................1
Section 1: Reduce Inbound Minutes.............................................................................1
Section 2: Reduce Outbound Minutes..........................................................................2
Section 3: Take Greater Advantage of Free Minutes..................................................3
Section 4: Reduce Long Distance Expense..................................................................3
Section 5: Reduce Roaming Charges............................................................................3
Section 6: Reduce Voice Mail Charges.........................................................................4
Conclusion...........................................................................................................................4avaya.com  IntroductionAvaya defines Unified Communications as orchestrated communication and collaboration across locations, time, and medium to accelerate business results. It is achieved through the convergence of real-time, near-real-time, and non-real-time business communication applications including: calling, conferencing, messaging, contacts, calendaring, collaboration, and rich presence with voice, video, text, and visual elements. Users can access these capabilities using multiple modalities including voice, data, and speech access, through telephones, PCs, and mobile devices. These communications services are increasingly designed to be embedded into structured and unstructured business processes. This takes Unified Communications to the next level in terms of IP voice and video telephony; audio, web and video conferencing; unified messaging of voicemail, email, and fax; instant messaging and more.
Among the many benefits, one of the most compelling is the potential to reduce cell phone expenses. Here's how:
1) Reduce inbound minutes2) Reduce outbound minutes3) Take greater advantage of free minutes4) Reduce long distance expense5) Reduce roaming charges6) Reduce voice mail charges
Section 1: Reduce Inbound MinutesResearch suggests that 40%-60% of cellular phone usage takes place while in the office. Even though people are available at a land line, they still receive inbound calls on their mobile devices from contacts that have learned that they can reliably reach the person by calling the mobile phone. There are also times when a person is at home or in a hotel room where a cell phone is used, even though there are alternatives present. Unified Communications helps change behavior from "calling a device to get to a person" to "calling a person and letting the network find the right device". By introducing the use of single-number access, contacts will quickly discover that the user will answer a call from wherever they are if they are available, able, and willing.
Single-number is accomplished by using a combination of services and capabilities. First, when a user is at an alternate location and away from his business phone, he can use his PC, mobile device, or schedule to tell the network where he is and where to route his calls or where he can be found. Second, simultaneous ringing allows the network to ring multiple devices at once, where the user can simply answer the call using the optimum device. Third, wireless options allow a user to manage his calls when he is at the business location but away from his Deskphone. Fourth, 'find me' services answer incoming calls with an automated personal assistant, which will place a call on hold while the system searches for the user at designated locations according to rules defined by the user.
Together, these capabilities result in the following when a single-number is used:
. When users are in the office, they can answer the call on the business phone.
. When users are at the business location but away from their desks: - They can log into an available phone and have that phone take on their identity. - If users have PC access (e.g. in a meeting room), they have the option to answer calls on the PC or an available desk phone. - Users can use a dual-mode device (i.e. Cellular + WiFi) and answer c... [download for more]