Ask workers what they want most out of a unified communications system (UC), and many will give a simple answer. They want to use their own mobile device.
The reasons are wide and varied. Some don’t want to learn how to use a new device. Others want both their work and home contacts in the same place. Still others shopped carefully to choose a mobile device they loved and simply prefer it over other handheld devices.
It’s important to take this into account when looking for a new UC solution in the office. Employees’ at-home devices have become ubiquitous and feature-filled, making workers more resistant to clunky corporate alternatives.
ShoreTel, for example, offers a module called the ShoreTel Communicator. This is an intuitive interface that can be viewed on a wide range of environments including Web browsers, Windows, MacOS, Citrix, iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry and Nokia mobile phones. (ShoreTel is currently working on compatibility with Droid.) With minimal training, users can moving seamlessly between voice, video, or instant message as needed.
Will workers accept this tool added to their personal or business mobile phones? The answer is most likely yes, since it puts all their communications needs right at their fingertips. In addition to tight integration with Microsoft Outlook, it offers instant messaging functionality that gives users the power to contact people in remote locations, have sidebar conversations during calls, or to bring several people into a chat session.
By integrating communications tasks previously performed with separate tools, ShoreTel Communicator’s rich media, advanced mobility, and presence features simplify communication, enabling on-site and remote users alike to see who is available, and to choose how best to reach them. End users have more control of their communications, and they can easily share documents and access scheduled conferences.
Mobile and off-site users can make and receive calls transparently, as though they were at their desks. It also improves productivity by providing seamless remote access to voicemail, directories and address books, call history, and call-routing settings. This direct visual access from mobile devices is a faster, more intuitive alternative to traditional dial-in access to corporate voicemail.
So whether your workers love their iPads and iPhones, can’t get enough of their BlackBerries, or enjoy their Nokias, ShoreTel can integrate them right into the office – without giving up their favorite phones.
About Tom Kincannon
