Unified Messaging

What Is Unified Messaging?

By Ricardo Trinidad Platinum Quality Author

As technology becomes more advanced, a number of services which were once considered to be separate have started to combine into single services that cover a wider range of needs. Unified messaging is one such service, combining input from several different messaging sources and allowing it all to be accessed from a single point such as a cellular phone or an internet-ready PC. The number of services which are combined in unified messaging may vary from one service provider to the next, so it's important that you compare the options that are available to you carefully if you decide that you want this technology for yourself or for your business. In order to assist you in making the right decision, here is some additional information on what unified messaging is and how it can help you.

A Number of Services

Unified messaging does just what its name implies: it takes a variety of different messaging services from a number of different sources and combines them into a single messaging service which with the intention of providing better communication options to the end user. Though these services may vary from one provider to the next, the most common services included in unified messaging and which are found in most unified messaging plans are voice messaging, fax messages, and often text messages from sources such as a cellular phone or e-mail account. Other types of messages, including video messages, may also be received by some unified messaging systems as well.

A Single Access Point

Just as unified messaging allows for a number of different message types to be received by the same messaging service, it also allows for the convenience of the end user being able to check the status of their messages from a single access point. Often users will be able to receive all of their messages from their cellular phone or their home or work computer, or even in their e-mail wherever they might access it from. They will usually be able to check their voice messages from a standard telephone as well, and be informed if they have any additional messages which cannot be conveyed through the means that they are using at the time. Some systems may even feature text-to-voice technology which will allow text messages such as e-mails and faxes to be checked over the telephone as well.

Advantages of Unified Messaging

There are a number of advantages which make unified messaging desirable, especially for businessmen or those who are constantly on the go. In addition to being able to receive a number of different types of messages in a single account and being able to access that account in a variety of different ways, many unified messaging systems allow users to respond instantly to the messages that they receive in the manner that is most appropriate to the message format. Users may also take advantage of a feature commonly known as "smart messaging", in which the unified messaging service will attempt to contact them at a variety of different points such as their e-mail, cellular phone, and home or business phone so that they will be aware of their incoming messages no matter where they might be.

Ricardo Trinidad, President of Telcom & Data, is a telecommunications professional. Established in 1997, he has molded his company into a top-notch telecommunications provider. Telcom-Data offers telecommunications solutions to those business professionals in search of quality products and superior services. To view his whole line of products you can visit http://www.polycom-products.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ricardo_Trinidad

Why Should Your Company Use Unified Messaging?

Unified messaging is rapidly growing in popularity among businesses and private individuals alike, and for good reason: by using a unified messaging system, it's possible to receive a number of different types of messages through a single access point instead of needing a different type of access for each message. This can be especially advantageous for businesses, as it allows them to reduce the amount of equipment that they need while making their communications systems much more efficient. If you have been considering switching your company to unified messaging but are wanting to make sure that it's right for your business needs, then consider the following in order to see whether this is the messaging solution that you've been looking for.

An All-in-One Solution

By choosing unified messaging for your company, you will be getting an all-in-one solution for all of your messaging needs. Unified messaging allows your employees to receive voice messages, faxes, e-mail, text messages, and even video messages all through their computer, cellular phone, or other access points. E-mail, faxes, and other text messages can even be received as audio through standard telephones, with text-to-phone technology that is available with many unified messaging services; even if the service that you choose does not offer this feature, your employees will still be able to receive alerts telling them what types of messages they have when using a phone, and will be able to access all of their messages via their cellular phone or over the internet.

Less Equipment to Maintain

Because unified messaging doesn't require separate machines for each type of message your employees might receive, there is much less equipment which must be bought and maintained. Additionally, the unified messaging system won't require paper, ink, or other resources the way that fax machines and some other messaging systems might; any faxes or text-based messages can be read and printed out as needed from an employee's computer, or simply listened to via telephone with a text-to-voice enabled unified messaging system.

Productivity and Cost Effectiveness

There are other advantages to using a unified messaging system, as well. Employees can spend more time focusing on their work instead of having to wait by the fax machine or visit another part of the office every time they need to send certain items off. Though the time spent doing these sorts of tasks may seem trivial, over the course of the day this can add up into a significant amount of time. This can give your employees a little extra time to get their work done, and they will be instantly alerted when the fax or message that they were waiting for arrives.

If your employees travel a lot or are often out of the office, unified messaging can be even more useful. Many unified messaging systems have features which enable messages to be sent to a variety of different access points, trying each in order so that your employee can receive their message alert regardless of whether they're in the office or away on a job. This can save valuable time as well as trips back and forth from the job site and office to check messages or receive faxes that may be vital to the work that they are doing.

Ricardo Trinidad, President of Telcom & Data, is a telecommunications professional. Established in 1997, he has molded his company into a top-notch telecommunications provider. Telcom-Data offers telecommunications solutions to those business professionals in search of quality products and superior services. To view his whole line of products you can visit http://www.polycom-products.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ricardo_Trinidad