Unified communications can help address the challenge today's organisations face, dealing with increasingly complex environments and the use by mobile workers of a range of communications methods from various locations.

Unified Communications Benefits
Unified communications solutions can save time and help control costs, while improving productivity and competitiveness:

• In a 2005 Sage Research study, 86% of companies using unified communications reported that productivity benefits have grown.
• More than 60% reported savings of three or more hours per week for each mobile worker.

Business Communications Benefits Add Up
Organisations using unified communications clients saved an average of 32 minutes daily per employee because presence technology enabled staff to reach one another on the first try.  Use of soft phones resulted in an average savings of $1,727 per month in cell phone and long distance charges. Mobile workers also saved 40 minutes each day, enjoyed greater business communications convenience, and generated annual productivity gains of 3.5 days per year through business continuity impact.

Organisations using unified messaging reported that employees saved 43 minutes per day from more efficient message management while mobile workers saved 55 minutes per day.  Companies using integrated voice and Web conferencing reported a 30 percent reduction in conferencing expenses (by making integrated conferencing capabilities available in-house and on-network) and an average savings of $1,700 per month in travel costs.

For others, the savings may simply come from having reduced hardware requirements and operating expenses.  And in today's dynamic business environment, perhaps the most important benefit comes from having a communications system that can change and grow at a moment's notice.