Creating a connected workforce via a Unified Communications (UC) strategy is key to boosting productivity. This is according to a new report from communication company Daisy, in partnership with Mitel and The Manufacturer.
Digital enterprise technologies have fundamentally altered the way businesses communicate. Despite their benefits, increasingly complex networks are emerging as new and old technologies begin to unite.
As a result, companies who "fail to extend the information flow" created by new technologies are at risk. Moreover, stakeholders such as customers and service teams in the field are also in danger of missing out on the full benefits that emerging technologies have to offer.
The integration of IoT and UC
Although the report predominantly focused on manufacturing, the same theory applies elsewhere in the enterprise. With the widespread adoption of IoT, some companies are now looking to integrate their IoT strategy with their UC plan.
However, 75% of respondents indicated that they did not intend to incorporate the two strategies. Either the respondents wished to keep the plans separate, or the company had failed to fully formalise the strategies.
Among the largest organisations, however, 43% said that they were planning to integrate IoT and UC. Overall, this made up over 56% of all the respondents who responded positively to the prospect of merging their IoT and UC strategies.
Businesses thrive on communication
The report concluded that an organisation needs to adopt an "always on" infrastructure in order to become a true digital business. Companies must therefore strive towards creating a fully connected agile workforce.
UC is key to this transition, as it enables "seamless information sharing, knowledge gathering, collaboration and productivity.” Rather than a single product, UC provides a "consistent user interface and user experience across multiple devices and media types."
As the research indicates, communication is a "key driver of competitive advantage." However, the most forward-thinking organisations will make a conscious effort to unify their IT, cloud, and communication systems.
What are the communication trends that businesses should look out for? Listen to our podcast with leading UC expert Irwin Lazar to find out
