Does unified messaging have a place in corporate/public policy?

Unified Communications This newsletter is sponsored by Secure Computing Webinar: Securing up network access Learn how token-based, one-time password authentication systems can help enterprises reduce business risk, better comply with regulations, are easy to manage and most importantly keep networks secure. Tune in to this webinar. Network World's Unified Communications Newsletter, 09/11/07 Does unified messaging have a place in corporate/public policy? By Michael Osterman The amount of time devoted to commuting in any major city around the world is increasing. London charges motorists a significant daily fee for driving in the most congested parts of the city and New York is considering a similar charge for those driving into Midtown during the day. A study recently published by Watson Wyatt Worldwide and WorldatWork found that 18% of top performers cite the length of their commute as a leading reason for leaving their employer. While I am a firm believer in building more highway lane-miles and building smart mass-transit projects to alleviate these issues, I also believe that unified messaging holds far more promise as a much cheaper solution to these problems, both for the short and the long term, as discussed in my previous newsletter. By allowing employees to work from home, or perhaps from regional work centers located closer to their home, and provisioning them with integrated e-mail, IM, voice, fax and Web conferencing capabilities in a single, unified interface, employees could work much more productively from any location. It would be less expensive for IT to provision users with these capabilities than if they had to provide separate e-mail, voice and other tools. There are a wide range of workers who could work from home some or all of the time, thereby reducing traffic and commute time. While there are a variety of job types that would not lend themselves to remote work, a large percentage of workers could take advantage of this style of working. For example, a report published recently in the Financial Times indicated that in several European countries 40% of employers had some teleworkers, while the figure was just 20% in the United Kingdom. However, the growth of telecommuting after 9/11 appears to be slowing based on a Gartner report published in 2006. Network World Buyer's Guides Find the right products for your enterprise - fast. With seven categories - security, storage, convergence and VoIP, network infrastructure, network applications, wireless and LAN/WAN management - you can quickly pinpoint the hardware or software you need. With the side-by-side comparison tool you can evaluate product features and make the best purchase decisions for your enterprise. Click here to go to the Buyer's Guides now. I believe that some of the demand for unified messaging will be driven by telework. As a result, the ability for employers to adapt their corporate culture and supervise remote employees in new and innovative ways will be responsible for at least some of the growth we’ll see in unified messaging over the next two to three years. I’d like to get your take on this – please send me an e-mail with your thoughts.   What do you think? Post a comment on this newsletter

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Contact the author: For webinars or research on messaging, or to join the Osterman Research market research survey panel, go here. Osterman Research helps organizations understand the markets for messaging and directory related offerings. To e-mail Michael, click here. This newsletter is sponsored by Secure Computing Webinar: Securing up network access Learn how token-based, one-time password authentication systems can help enterprises reduce business risk, better comply with regulations, are easy to manage and most importantly keep networks secure. Tune in to this webinar. ARCHIVE Archive of the Unified Communications Newsletter. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007