Top Ten VoIP Collaboration Tools for Enterprise
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology is finally making good on its promise of voice-data integration. Early VoIP borrowed bandwidth to transmit voice signals. Today’s VoIP systems aspire to a greater goal, integrating communications with information sharing applications. The result: IP communications has become IP collaboration.
Ten VoIP Collaboration Tools and Services
Real-time communications dashboards and multimedia displays are creating new ways for workers to put their heads together and produce good work. The following ten IP communications tools can help your business foster collaboration:
- Unified Communications. UC technology allows you to move seamlessly among communications devices as the situation demands. A click can turn a voice call into a video conference or an email exchange into a webinar presentation.
- Presence Management. You get to play big brother, but so does everyone else on the network. This real-time interface offers a global picture of network users, letting each individual see who is available and how they prefer to be contacted.
- Virtual Whiteboards. Presentations and even routine conversations come to life with virtual whiteboards. Use the shared space to conduct a visual tutorial, a group brainstorming session, or to draft an early version of an idea.
- Real-Time Document Sharing. Communal document reviewing and editing allows group to collaborate and give feedback on written projects, PowerPoint presentations, and more.
- Shared Screens. Make sure you’re literally on the same page as your work partners by sharing desktop or laptop screens.
- Videoconferencing. The next best thing to face-to-face is screen-to-screen. Videoconferencing simulates in-person meetings through high-definition video screens (life size, in some cases) and clear audio.
- Social Networking. Useful for more than sharing family photos and bad jokes, social networking tools allow work groups to connect and manage shared projects. Popular enterprise collaboration applications include wikis and blogs.
- Find Me/Follow Me. A classic VoIP service, find me/follow me is essential in the age of the teleworker. The system can be programmed to route an incoming call to the communications device of your choice--desk phone, cell phone, or laptop.
- Reporting/Data Mining. All users can count on accessing real-time data through a shared database. Today’s VoIP services leverage the converged network to connect users with customizable data reporting tools.
- Wireless Remote Access. Anytime, anywhere access is another staple of IP communications. VoIP for enterprise allows you to connect securely to the company wide area netword (WAN), exchanging information and ideas with coworkers wherever you are.
Today’s VoIP for enterprise does more than keep you connected to the network. Next-generation technology is designed to help you collaborate with coworkers, business partners, and clients. Each of these resources functions as a powerful collaboration device. Together, they represent a powerful strategy for tapping into the collective brainpower of an organization.
Sources
Cisco (PDF)
Nemertes Research (PDF)