Evaluating UC Vendors On Key Applications

Organizations considering unified communications (UC) solutions often find the vendor landscape overwhelming. During an economic slowdown it's more important than ever to invest in solutions that mirror the short-term and long-term goals of your company. This means mapping your UC strategy to the goals of your business. With many vendors offering UC products, IT managers need to choose between an integrated application environment with a mix of vendor products or purchase an all-inclusive product suite from a single vendor. A major trend among vendors is to provide greater functionality within their UC solution but also continue their partnerships with collaboration and communication providers. This report evaluates UC providers on their desktop call control features, mobility support, and conferencing solutions. Part two of this report series evaluates presence, collaboration, and messaging applications, and part three examines vendors' pricing methodology. By better understanding how providers support UC solutions, IT managers can make informed decisions on developing a strategy and investing in the solutions that are right for their business needs.