This paper provides an overview of opportunities and benefits of business communications integration and includes two "before and after" scenarios - one in financial services and one in healthcare - that demonstrate how IBM clients have benefited from integrated business communications.
IBM Global ServicesJanuary 2007
Paving the way for business
innovation with integrated business
communications solutions.Paving the way for business innovation with integrated business communications solutions.Page
IntroductionContents There are many reasons companies move to integrated business communications solutions-from the need to replace an aging PBX system to the 2 Introduction need to reduce the cost of doing business; from enhancing organizational 2 What are integrated business dynamics to streamlining the call center to boosting employee productivity. communications solutions? Whatever the reason, the number of companies making the move is grow3 The shift to converged networks ing rapidly. IBM has created converged networks for more than 100 clients. 4 Beyond cost-cutting - And since 2001, when it received the first request from one of its own offices, changing the way you IBM has provided integrated business communications capabilities to more do business than 110,000 users around the world using more than half a million commu6 Before and after: two industry nications devices of choice over one unified network. What will prompt your scenarios7 Leading the way move-and when will you do it? And most important, how can you leverage integrated business communications infrastructures to create business value?
What are integrated business communications solutions?You may have heard of IP telephony, unified communications, Voice over IP (VoIP), network convergence or any number of similar solutions. Many of these focus heavily on the replacement of existing phone systems with IP-based technology. At IBM, we see expanded possibilities using these solutions. We see the ability to create an integrated business communications infrastructure that allows you to connect, communicate and collaborate in new ways:
. Communicate with whomever you need-whether it be an individual or a group. Use whatever means you want to communicate-voice, video, text, graphics or any combination. Use your choice of platform-computer, phone, PDA, network appliance, etc.. Communicate whenever you want-in real time, or asynchronously (e.g., as with e-mail)Paving the way for business innovation with integrated business communications solutions.Page
Further, we recognize the potential for this enhanced communication enviHighlights ronment to help you increase productivity and support business growth:
. Quickly and easily share important business information and images across your organization and with key external stakeholders. Enable mobile, flexible, innovative ways for your employees to collaborate and to serve customers. Achieve innovation in your organization's business processes
The shift to converged networksThe trend toward broadly The adoption of converged networks is being driven by several factors. The distributed businesses with first is the inflexibility of most organizations' current communications infraincreasingly mobile workforces structures. These aging systems have proven to be a key inhibitor of the and the resultant demand for almost constant organizational change demanded by today's rapidly changincreased communications ing business markets. The infrastructures struggle to support the increased functionality are driving the functionality required by changing employee and customer demands.shift to integrated business communications solutions. Typically, these infrastructures were built in siloed environments, reflecting business divisions that may no longer exist, and they most likely have undergone independent modifications, customizations and upgrades. They represent a jumble of different voice, video and data technologies that were never intended to work together, but which, out of necessity, have been made to do so.
Compounding the problem are the changes that today's organizations are undergoing in their structures and compositions: Businesses are becoming increasingly distributed, with employees, customers and partners around the globe. And they have increasingly mobile workforces that are dependent on new communications devices with voice, video and data capabilities.Paving the way for business innovation with integrated business communications solutions.Page
To do business today, organizations need to be flexible and adaptable. They Highlights need to satisfy the needs of employees and customers who... [download for more]
