Bedroom lessons for businesses

Apr 30 2008 By The Journal

COMMUNICATION tools are rapidly evolving and are now a key business component. However, many North East businesses are not taking full advantage of the technology on offer and are in danger of lagging behind their competitors. By adopting communication tools such as instant messaging, calendar, video, collaboration and presence awareness – knowing where someone is and what they are doing – businesses have increased communication efficiency and increased productivity.

What many businesses do not realise is that this technology can already be found in the bedroom of almost any teenager.

The next generation of workers will have a radically different outlook on communications, with many of their expectations stemming from how they communicate socially today.

A recent study of university and college students – the Net Generation – showed that 97% own a computer, 94% own a mobile phone, 34% use websites as their primary source of news and 76% use instant messaging (a further 15% are logged on to IM 24/7).

Unified Communications is a rapidly growing trend which tears down the barriers between telecommunications and computing. By integrating these systems businesses improve communication, work more efficiently and even reduce overheads.

Croft specialises in this area of technology and has recently become one of the only North East firms to achieve the Microsoft Specialisation in Unified Communications.

This acknowledges Croft as expert in the planning, deployment and management of Unified Communications as well as delivering a consistently high level of service and support.

Croft technology director Peter Macdonald explained: “Unified Communications give businesses a huge advantage. This can involve a combination of services including fixed and mobile voice, email, instant messaging, calendar, fax, audio, video voice calling, status indicators, IP telephony (calls using an internet connection) web conferencing and whiteboarding.

“Voice mail and faxes move over the network like email, workers on the move can dial in over any telephone to hear email messages and appointments.

Address books can be accessed and anyone in them called just by speaking his or her name.” So what are the real business benefits? Research has shown that through the combination of presence awareness tools such as instant messaging and voice/video calls, workers can save one hour per week.

By using video conferencing tools, 75% of workers also indicated that they save between one and five hours a week – saving businesses thousands of pounds each year.

Mr Macdonald said: “Unified communications can have a massive impact on your business and North East firms need to consider the implications of the technologies as an evolving working practice.

“At Croft we work in partnership with a number of leading international IT firms, including Microsoft and Mitel, to offer the best flexible business solutions and to ensure that the systems are deployed with maximum business benefit in mind.”

For further information contact Peter Macdonald at Croft.
Tel: (0191) 268-4602