Skill communication

As business becomes more complex, communication processes need to follow. Four industry experts tell BM why unifying communications is vital for enterprise: Nidal Abou Ltaif, Managing Director, Avaya MENA; Benny Vogels, European Marketing Manager Fluke Networks EMEA; Sabah Salameh Corm, Information Business Group Lead, Microsoft Gulf and Harvey Klyce, Managing Director, Al-Futtaim Technologies.

BM. What is the greatest problem that enterprises in the Middle East face today in terms of communication?

Nidal Abou Ltaif. One of the main challenges for enterprises in the Middle East is to plan and implement a voice strategy for the organization that is based on an open standards architecture, is scalable, reliable and flexible. The second challenge is to meet the varied business and end user requirements that need to be addressed with communications applications

Benny Vogels. Like everywhere else, not only in the Middle East, the biggest problem for communication networks is lack of usage accounting visibility. Communication networks are there to deliver a communication service to an end customer in a quality that the user will accept or even appreciate. Performance problems on any communication technology will result in decreasing productivity or even loss of customers due to dissatisfaction. One of the main reasons for performance problems in communication networks is usage. Therefore, to enable a solid communication network usage accounting visibility is a key enabler. If you don't know exactly what is going across the network, you will never be able to pinpoint and fix a problem.

Sabah Corm. The Gulf economy is growing very quickly. With all the companies establishing hubs in this region, communications and communications technology is a major contributor to their success. Information technology innovation over the past 20 years has created numerous devices and methods of communication, yet people say they find it increasingly difficult to reach the people they want to communicate with by using an appropriate form of communication. Across companies in the region, PC and mobile phone are the primary workplace communications tool placing the email as the most important tool for business communication even more than the phone and companies can’t live without it. However, currently in the Middle East, organizations have hardware-based solutions for their communications. With the business becoming more global and more mobile, a change in the way people communicate became mandatory

Harvey Klyce. Whilst the Middle East is referred to as one region, the geography is vast and the level of IT adoption and infrastructure varies from country to country. The telecom regulatory framework in the UAE for example is not fully geared to enable IP based communication that transcends the boundaries of LAN through multiple devices.
Many businesses have multiple office locations across the region, employees are highly mobile and need a reliable and cost effective means to stay in touch. Usage of email and Internet are on the increase.

Previous years have not seen a strong focus on corporate diligence and employee productivity and whilst this is rapidly changing, the rate of adoption of the technologies that can enable this has lagged behind, specifically in the small to medium enterprise. For some companies this necessitates a re-examination of the end-to-end technology platform, especially across the region where there is often fragmentation of systems and processes between the various countries.

A further dynamic is increased focus on improving customer service across the region. This will drive adoption of technologies such as UC.

BM. Is security a danger when considering implementing unified communications into your enterprise?

BV. Yes, this is indeed a danger. UC systems open a lot of doors in and out of a corporate network. All these doors to the outside world need to be equipped to secure the network from external threats. However, portable devices, if not secured enough, are another potential security threat. It is difficult to seal the network without limiting the flexibility of the users. Your security systems should protect the network from external threats and also have the visibility to see and find any anomalies no matter where in the network and when they occur.

SC. Security is a major concern for enterprises today. In addition to increasing efficiency and reducing cost, Microsoft UC technologies help to build in protection for communications. With Microsoft UC, phone services are becoming software, managed by a server, and are delivered to desktop applications. Security is therefore based on software and is an integral part of the servers and the solution.

• A single-identity system: Microsoft UC technologies provide a seamless communication experience for end users with single logon access.
• Secure communications: Since all communications flow through servers and networks controlled by IT, universal communications security is finally possible.
• VoIP as you are: Microsoft UC technologies deliver VoIP without forcing enterprises to rip and replace their existing PBX and telecommunications infrastructure.
• Flexible and future-ready: IT administrators can manage telephony using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007.

HK. Security is always a consideration. Easy access to and real time delivery of data whether one is at the office or on the road is an imperative and can create a significant competitive advantage. When a company makes data available through multiple channels, the risk of viruses, hackers and so forth increases the opportunity for a security breach. Most UC platforms are IP based which also means they are connected to the public internet for universal access. There are a number of steps that should always be considered when implementing any new technology that enables wider access to data, a fully secured network with multiple firewalls and secured VPN connectivity are an essential part of these.

NAL. Security is a key parameter that needs to be defined when implementing UC. As several means of communications are introduced such as instant messaging, unified messaging and so on, keeping all these real and non-real time communications secure within the enterprise becomes a significant requirement. Avaya provides IP communications solutions that are usually deployed over existing customer network infrastructure. Our approach is to enhance the security of the deployed solution over and above that of the infrastructure on which it is deployed - ideally guaranteeing a base level of security independent of that of the underlying network. This approach allows our solutions to perform satisfactorily in heterogeneous network environments. For lowering risk, Avaya provides a pervasive, multi-layer trusted communications framework that encompasses services, access, applications, infrastructure, and management in the design and migration of multi-vendor communications networks. The Avaya framework is based on an open standards and interoperability model that can offer an attractive starting point for organizations seeking a blueprint for their secure and continuous communications architectures. It is built on the best practices of security in depth by creating multiple layers of security that are distributed throughout the communications environment.

BM. Can unified communications improve customer experience?

SC. Certainly. This is the new level of communication that Microsoft UC is introducing.. It is an improved user experience in communications where the users will be able to collaborate via instant message, e-mail, and audio – or videoconference – from within their Office program (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook) without having to leave Office. Users will also be able to check their voice mail with drag-and-drop ease in Microsoft Office Outlook or launch a video chat from Microsoft Office Word. When they are on the road, e-mails, calendar events, and address book go with them, automatically. Therefore, adapting the new technology is very fast since the user interface is familiar and easy to use. In fact, a fully integrated presence technology appears throughout the Microsoft Office system, from document workspaces inside Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 to team sites and My Sites on Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.

HK. Absolutely, UC ensures a richer interface by integrating most forms of communication like voice, email, fax, video, through a single interface. And it’s conducted real-time which can reduce the response time dramatically. When viewed in the context of a contact center it enables the customer to communicate with a business thru different channels. The customer can use the channel that suits them best as a means of communication: phone, SMS, chat, fax. On the contact center side, the communication is stored as a data record against the customer’s name thus enabling the agent to access (in real time) a full account of all previous communications when engaging with the customer. Through collaboration tools, the agent can also see who is the best service person to deal with the customer issue and whether they are available to take the call. The service person can be conferenced into a three-way discussion and quick resolution of the customer query. The customer experience is enhanced, the employee productivity increased.

NAL. The main benefit for UC is the increased productivity of staff and employees. This provides employees with the ability to work and communicate more efficiently and contact their customers over multiple communications mediums such as voice, web, video and IM. UC provide the ability to integrate all mediums of communications together to provide an intelligent means of communications. The capabilities of formerly disparate applications are brought together into unified interfaces. The functionality is integrated. Simplifying interactions with customers is one of the key benefits of unified communications. A single “phone” number can be used to access an associate for a variety of services be it voice, fax, notification, or TTY; at any location be it at their office desk, around the office, on their mobile device, virtual or work-at-home office, or on their PC from anywhere in the world. Now you can find out quickly who’s available to answer a customer’s question or solve a vendor’s problem, and if you catch the call just coming back from lunch, the customer need never know: a call that was started on a desk phone can be transferred to a cell phone, or from cell phone to desk phone without interruption while the call is in progress. As the enterprise uses UC, the customer experience is definitely enhanced as they have the ability to reach the right people, anytime anywhere within the organization.

BV. In a controlled and well-managed environment, absolutely. The explanation to this answer is really a combination of the two above. The well-managed part is where we need to have the information available that helps us deliver a high quality service to the end user and the controlled part is the security. Without the right control and management tools in place, I would not suggest moving all communications to a single infrastructure.

BM. What benefits do your unified communications solutions provide for clients?

HK. UC encourages and enables collaboration and real time interactions. This in turn enhances amongst other business aspects, both the customer experience and employee productivity. In a region that is as geographically and technologically diverse as the Middle East, real-time access to data irrespective of where you are is critical. Mobility is a way of life and effective communication a business imperative. Al-Futtaim Technologies is one of the region’s leading system integrators. With this strong pedigree and respected leadership position, Al-Futtaim Technologies offers its customers a sense of confidence in dealing with a well-established organization where serving the needs of customers is well understood and a key driving force. Al-Futtaim Technologies offers a highly skilled and professional workforce and a portfolio of world-class solutions. Recognizing that no two companies are identical, our key focus is delivering unique value through consulting, design and deployment of infrastructure, voice and data solutions as well as business applications.

NAL. Among the benefits that Avaya’s UC has is that it increases the number of communication touch points a client can have with an organization as well as providing simplification and flexibility to the whole communication process. There is greater responsiveness with real-time and non-real-time communications from anywhere in the organization. Avaya’s solutions help enterprises become more customer focused, increase business agility, address productivity at the enterprise and task level, improve operational efficiency, lower communication expenses and reduce business risks. Audio conference bridge participation can be managed from the web conferencing interface, or from the same client used to manage your regular phone calls. In addition, the use of rules-based handling of messages and calls within specific Avaya solutions can help your employees prioritize and rapidly respond to truly important communications. Our solutions make use of existing, established technologies like SIP, H.323 VoIP, WiFi, GPRS, and IMAP4 to name a few, and work well in a multi-vendor environment. We provide tight integration with several open standard desktop applications and collaboration solutions and we support a variety of mobile devices from companies like Nokia and RIM. Additionally, our extensive partner ecosystem provides a variety of communications software and hardware, which add additional value to Avaya’s solutions for our customers.

BV. UC enables more efficient collaborations between employees, partners, suppliers and end customers by enabling all the infrastructure devices (desktops, laptops, mobile devices, etc.) as well as the software running on them to work together as an integrated system. That is, if the environment is secure, stable and controlled.

SC. Software brings more rapid innovation and Microsoft software-powered communications and collaborations tools ignite productivity, reduce costs and ultimately create competitive advantage.

As per a recent Forrester study, as a direct business benefit outcome, Microsoft UC will:

• Improve people productivity
• Reduces business travel cost
• Reduces time to complete projects
• Shortens sales cycle
• Reduces calling & conferencing cost

From an IT perspective, management of IM and voice communication is similar to email management for compliance and archiving purpose. On another hand, as IP-based voice communication it provides the ability to control all communications (calls, numbers, replies...) by simple usage of the same identity infrastructure to store information.

From a productivity perspective, deploying Microsoft UC technologies gives people new ways to communicate that can increase collaboration and drive productivity. In fact, studies shows that errors occur when interruption happens due to non ability to communicate, where Microsoft software based communications provide availability and click-to-call functionality embedded throughout the computing experience, so workers can connect whenever work demands it. Communication can switch from an instant message to a phone call or videoconference on the fly with drag-and-drop ease.
Microsoft UC technologies bridge the divide between computers and telephones with two integrated servers: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007. It does not require rip and replace of existing communications systems and can be integrated with existing PBX equipment or video conferencing systems, as well as with business applications and a variety of communications devices.

About Sabah Salameh Corm – Information Business Group Lead, Microsoft Gulf

Sabah Corm leads the information worker business group in the Gulf. With over ten years of experience in enterprise sales and marketing at large Microsoft partners in Lebanon and France, Sabah was previously Director of Marketing at the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Beirut where she developed the chamber e-projects.

Nidal Abou Ltaif – Managing Director, Avaya Middle East North Africa and Turkey

Nidal Abou Ltaif, Managing Director, Avaya Middle East and North Africa and Turkey, is based in Dubai, U.A.E. Nidal joined Avaya from NCR Corporation where his last position was director of sales and services for Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe. In his two decades tenure with NCR and AT&T, he played an instrumental role in migrating very large enterprises in the Middle East from their legacy platforms towards open architectures.

Harvey Klyce – Managing Director, Al-Futtaim Technologies

Harvey Klyce was recently appointed as the Managing Director of Al-Futtaim Technologies, one of the region’s leading systems integrators and a member of the Al-Futtaim Group. As Managing Director, Harvey will spearhead the new direction for Al-Futtaim Technologies and focus on the development of the ICT business. He will also oversee the expansion of the business into new geographies including East Africa, Egypt, Bahrain and Qatar amongst others.

Benny Vogels – European Marketing Manager EMEA, Fluke Networks

Benny Vogels is the European Marketing Manager for the Performance Management solutions at Fluke Networks EMEA. Benny has been with Fluke Networks since 1997. Prior to joining Fluke Networks, he worked in software development and network management. Benny has more than 15 years of experience in the IT industry. He holds a degree in Marketing and is based in Egelsbach, Germany.