17 Jun 2010

Unified communications 'help firms save'

Businesses could save by embracing unified communications systems, it has been stated.

Hugo Harber, director of convergence and network strategy at Star, said the integration of and collaboration between different areas of business communication can help companies to reduce their overheads, as well as improving productivity and data dissemination within an enterprise.

"Better management of resources, reduced consumption and optimisation are all good for a business's health, as well as the planet's," he commented.

Mr Harber added that unified communications should form part of overall plans to reduce expenditure and can be integral in achieving this.

According to the Green IT report by Frost & Sullivan, web conferencing services marketing in Europe grew by 19.3 per cent in 2009 - marking a significant increase in demand for unified communications by firms.

Indeed, the report concluded that running communications primarily through software, thanks to a converged network, hardware costs can be cut.