28 Nov 2008

Unified communications technology 'in demand'

Almost three-quarters of UK workers believe unified communications technology would improve their company's business operations, a study has found.

Introducing communications technology that combines email, voice and video conferencing tools would be welcomed by 73 per cent of staff, according to a survey by Techworld.

The findings might be welcomed by IT firms which provide hosted business services through the cloud via software-as-a-service applications.

A popular service would be software that could enable companies to improve their meeting room booking systems, the reserach showed.

Technology firm Mitel commented that investment in unified communications could be beneficial for firms during the current economic climate, because of the potential savings on travel costs and its ability to improve workplace productivity.

"Clever organisations that use technology appropriately can get a real advantage over their competitors," said Lisa Dolphin, business communications specialist at Mitel.

According to Benn Camm-Jones, news editor of Web-User magazine, many UK workers are neglecting face-to-face and voice communication methods because they are becoming too reliant on using email.