Evaluate

Evaluate

Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.

• 5 UC and collaboration trends to watch in 2019

  As we close the door on 2018, look to the future of communication and collaboration trends that will influence the UC market landscape in 2019. Continue Reading

• 8x8 X Series platform wins Network Innovation Award

  The 8x8 X Series combines unified communications and contact center technologies into a single cloud-based platform. Continue Reading

• Expert insights reflect top five trends in unified communications

  UC buyers need all the advice they can get in a rapidly changing market. Our top expert tips of 2018 helped organizations make sense of the trends driving the UC market. Continue Reading

• 5 UC trends that drove headlines in 2018

  From Cisco merging Spark and Webex to Microsoft's Teams migration, take a look back at the top UC news stories of 2018 and the UC trends that drove them. Continue Reading

• 2 key use cases of blockchain in communications

  Blockchain in communications can provide additional layers of UC security by reinforcing voice identity and privacy, while also protecting companywide collaboration. Continue Reading

• Team communication apps see surge in enterprise adoption

  The adoption of team communication apps is on the rise, as enterprises focus on improving workflow and efficiency through contextualized communication.Continue Reading

• How to prepare for and manage VoIP call quality issues

  Do you know how to maintain call quality when deploying VoIP? Get the answers to your VoIP quality concerns, from predeployment assessments to troubleshooting tools.Continue Reading

• New UC vendor trends shaping enterprise communications market

  With more enterprises looking for a single vendor to meet all of their communications needs, vendors are adding to their portfolios to create more complete communications offerings.Continue Reading

• 4 UCaaS market trends driving vendor offerings

  The features users are looking for in UCaaS platforms are ever-evolving. Vendors are focusing on adding and improving features based on market demand and trying to keep up with alternative UC ...Continue Reading

• What role does SBC security play in VoIP protection?

  Knowing which SBC security features are essential is important to stave off potential attacks. Our expert gives insight into what features are necessary for robust protection.Continue Reading

• How does embedded video fit into unified communications strategies?

  Video communications have gained popularity in UC. Our expert explains how embedded video can enhance the communications experience beyond customer-facing applications.Continue Reading

• Maximize collaboration with the right huddle room design

  Huddle room design is an essential part of creating a good collaborative environment. Learn what equipment options are available for your collaboration spaces.Continue Reading

• 3 reasons Google Assistant Duplex raises security, privacy concerns

  Google Assistant Duplex introduces a new level in machine-driven conversation technology, but not without raising security and privacy concerns.Continue Reading

• The time for the omnichannel contact center is now

  Editor's note: In this opinion piece, industry analyst Zeus Kerravala shares his thoughts on the omnichannel contact center and Talkdesk's latest approach. After years of discussion but low ...Continue Reading

• Microsoft fixes flaws in Skype Meetings App

  Microsoft announced upgrades to the Skype Meetings App to ease installation and setup. The vendor plans to eliminate the Mac version of the product in favor of the desktop app.Continue Reading

• Migrating from PBX to VoIP: A hybrid VoIP approach

  A hybrid VoIP system can be the bridge from PBX to VoIP telephony strategies. Our expert helps to highlight the advantages of a hybrid approach.Continue Reading

• How do machine learning and AI fit into UC monitoring and analytics?

  With the use of machine learning and AI in the very early stages in the UC market, our expert looks at their value in UC monitoring and analytics.Continue Reading

• How to plan and manage huddle room design to increase productivity

  Get the answers to your questions on deploying video conferencing in huddle rooms -- from why the option is so attractive to what you'll need for a successful deployment.Continue Reading

• Reaping the business benefits of collaboration tools

  Does your strategy for collaboration tools encompass cost, meeting requirements and make the best use of available hardware and software?Continue Reading

• What potential chatbot security threats could AI introduce?

  New chatbot AI technology comes with potential security risks. UC expert Jon Arnold explains what to be aware of when deploying new AI-based voice technology.Continue Reading

• AI in contact centers offers agents behavioral analytics

  Contact center AI offers tools to help agents provide better customer service through behavioral analytics. But AI may also present some privacy concerns.Continue Reading

• Would businesses embrace Google+ as a corporate social network?

  Google plans to shut down its consumer-oriented Google+ social networking service and focus on a corporate social network for enterprise customers. The tech giant made the announcement last week ...Continue Reading

• What cloud-based unified communications certifications are available?

  The requirements for cloud-based unified communications certifications vary by industry and network environment. UC expert Carrie Higbie Goetz explains how to choose the right certifications for a UCaaS system.Continue Reading

• What are the main types of industry acquisitions in the UCC market?

  A UC company can be acquired by an existing vendor or by a venture capital firm. Learn how these two types of acquisitions differ and UCC market factors that influence them.Continue Reading

• How do microservices work with unified communications platforms?

  While a microservices architecture for UC platforms isn't obvious to enterprises, it can improve how service providers deliver and update their services for enterprise customers.Continue Reading

• Apple Business Chat vs. WhatsApp business messaging API partners

  WhatsApp is taking a different approach than Apple when it comes to business messaging APIs. Tsahi Levent-Levi explains how WhatsApp is differentiating with vendor partnerships.Continue Reading

• UCaaS providers and market are headed in new directions

  Even in this mature market, when so many unified communications services are starting to look alike, there are still possibilities for some exciting innovations.Continue Reading

• The hidden costs of unified communications in the cloud

  Many organizations expect to lower the costs of unified communications by adopting cloud communications, but that isn't always the case. Several factors influence costs when UC migrates to the cloud.Continue Reading

• With cloud-based contact centers, one size does not fit all

  Contact center cloud services are a fast-growing part of the SaaS market, a trend Mitel is responding to with its MiCloud Engage product that fills a gap in the company's portfolio.Continue Reading

• PSTN vs. VoIP: What's best for your business?

  Unsure of where your organization stands in the PSTN vs. VoIP debate? Use this feature-by-feature comparison to decide whether VoIP or PSTN services fit your organization's needs.Continue Reading

• Google plays catch-up with cloud-based contact center AI

  Google is jumping into the cloud-based contact center market with AI services and vendor partnerships. But is it enough to help Google compete against more established providers?Continue Reading

• How are contact center vendors using APIs?

  APIs are gaining relevance, as contact centers move to a more omnichannel experience. API expert Tsahi Levent-Levi explains how contact centers work with CPaaS providers.Continue Reading

• Integrating unified communications products and other UC trends

  Communications and collaboration in the enterprise has never been more business essential. Learn how to make sense, and best use, of the latest UC products and services.Continue Reading

• How should a cloud migration plan include UC devices, endpoints?

  What an organization moves to the cloud will influence UC devices and endpoints. Networking expert Carrie Higbie Goetz explains the factors that influence endpoints in a cloud migration.Continue Reading

• Voice assistants present new challenges for call clarity

  Virtual assistant devices and applications offer ease and convenience when placing phone calls, but they could pose problems in terms of audio quality.Continue Reading

• CPaaS brings contextual communication to customer interactions

  Organizations that want to compete in an increasingly digital world and improve customer experience will find contextual communication benefits with communications platform as a service. Customers ...Continue Reading

• How do you evaluate contact center platforms from UC vendors?

  If your organization is using third-party contact center services, make sure they integrate deeply with your unified communications environment.Continue Reading

• Do you need session border controllers with an SD-WAN deployment?

  As SD-WAN grows in popularity, enterprise SBCs still have their place on the network. Learn how the two technologies can work together to support and secure VoIP.Continue Reading

• Benefits of artificial intelligence in communication

  Enterprises that want to enhance their UC strategies can see several benefits of artificial intelligence in communication, collaboration, information access and UC endpoint control.Continue Reading

• On-premises contact center technology on the decline

  On-premises contact centers are decreasing in popularity as more organizations look to cloud-based and hosted services for their contact center technology. According to a recent Gartner Magic ...Continue Reading

• Lifesize looks to make outfitting huddle rooms cheaper

  Lifesize has released a cloud-based device for wireless screen sharing. The vendor also previewed a video conferencing kit designed for outfitting huddle rooms for video conferencing.Continue Reading

• Open UC platforms improve communication workflow, but carry risks

  An API-based integration between UC and business apps can improve workflows and contextual communication. But the integrations may carry security risks.Continue Reading

• How will speech technologies integrate with UC apps?

  Analyst Jon Arnold examines use cases for speech technologies in the enterprise and explains how UC vendors expect to add speech tools to their platforms.Continue Reading

• Dolby Voice Room conferencing product wins Network Innovation Award

  Dolby's new video conferencing product, Dolby Voice Room, targets the huddle room market, while touting high-end audio capabilities and ease of management.Continue Reading

• AV1 video codec carries clout with royalty-free status

  Industry giants, including Cisco and Microsoft, have backed AOMedia's new royalty-free codec. So, what does this mean for royalty-bearing video coding standards?Continue Reading

• Should you buy contact center services in a UC bundle?

  Is an integrated contact center with UC right for your organization? UC expert Jon Arnold explains how to compare stand-alone and bundled contact center services.Continue Reading

• Will social messaging apps and Apple Business Chat supplant SMS?

  The limitations of SMS are starting to emerge. Meanwhile, social messaging apps and Apple Business Chat offer richer interactions between customers and contact centers.Continue Reading

• How do Twilio Flex API-based services affect contact center software?

  Twilio Flex, a programmable contact center platform, reflects an emerging trend toward software products built on APIs, according to API expert Tsahi Levent-Levi.Continue Reading

• Cloud video services spark adoption of conferencing tools

  Video conferencing is becoming prevalent in most unified communications products. Cloud video services, in particular, have fueled the adoption of video conferencing tools.Continue Reading

• Open-office plans prompt noise-mitigation technology

  From noise-cancellation headsets to officewide acoustic management systems, organizations are looking to quell noisy chatter associated with open-office environments.Continue Reading

• New contact center services boost customer engagements

  Contextual communications within contact center services can improve customer engagement. New products from Oracle and TTEC aim to ease the exchange between customers and agents.Continue Reading

• What are the benefits of SD-WAN services vs. MPLS?

  When weighing SD-WAN vs. MPLS for unified communications architecture, SD-WAN prevails. Networking expert Carrie Higbie Goetz explains the benefits of SD-WAN services over MPLS.Continue Reading

• How to navigate a Microsoft Teams migration from Skype for Business

  A Microsoft Teams deployment seems inevitable for Skype for Business users. Learn how to prepare your organization, whether you're in the cloud or on premises.Continue Reading

• CPaaS vs. UCaaS platform: Which should you choose?

  While the CPaaS vs. UCaaS debate might focus on overlapping features, the two technologies can be complementary, according to industry analyst Michael Brandenburg.Continue Reading

• New UC products highlight unified communications market trends

  ZK Research focuses on eight UC products that emphasize strategic business value in light of unified communications market trends.Continue Reading

• Cloud contact center benefits include simplicity, integrations

  More organizations are putting their contact center in the cloud to simplify and integrate their agent communications. But other organizations are taking a hybrid approach.Continue Reading

• Vonage Business Cloud offers midmarket cloud-native UCaaS

  Adding a Vonage cloud business option for the underserved midmarket, ZK Research says new UCaaS option was built with a cloud-native approach to accommodate market changes quickly.Continue Reading

• What's driving the adoption of WebRTC services today?

  WebRTC adoption is influenced by the ecosystem around the technology, including browser support and commercial products. Emerging technologies could also affect future deployments.Continue Reading

• Communication API vendors offer serverless architecture benefits

  A serverless architecture benefits communication developers in several ways, including fewer maintenance tasks, automated scalability and quicker time to market.Continue Reading

• Which business messaging app will prevail in the contact center?

  Apple, Facebook and Google are rolling out messaging apps that connect businesses and consumers. As a result, contact centers should consider an omnichannel messaging strategy.Continue Reading

• Is the virtual SBC market poised for rapid growth?

  Recent market developments and research indicate virtual SBC products could see a significant upswing, as companies find success with virtualized offerings.Continue Reading

• Evaluate team collaboration tools to increase productivity

  Organizations need to consider several factors when buying a team collaboration tool, including deployment options and security features.Continue Reading

• Consolidating overlapping tools for enterprise collaboration

  Tools for enterprise collaboration are most effective when users work on the same platform. Consider these best practices to consolidate overlapping features.Continue Reading

• How the top cloud collaboration tools stack up

  Team collaboration apps have saturated the UC market. See how the leading products compare on calling features, video conferencing support, pricing and other criteria.Continue Reading

• Emerging technologies to fuel collaboration industry growth

  Business communications is getting more contextual and intelligent, thanks to emerging technologies, such as AI and APIs. UCC tools are adapting to these new trends.Continue Reading

• How to navigate the enterprise collaboration market

  When evaluating enterprise collaboration services, first look inward at your company needs. Some key collaboration criteria include scalability, security and uptime.Continue Reading

• Five predictions for communication and collaboration trends in 2018

  In the new year, watch for team collaboration tools to become the primary user interface. And one UC vendor might mark the end of life for its on-premises platform.Continue Reading

• Workplace by Facebook, Amazon Chime and Walmart -- too big to ignore

  A little more than a year ago, Facebook crashed the unified communications party. The largest social network in the world launched Workplace by Facebook, a collaborative platform for business ...Continue Reading

• Does an API deployment only involve developers?

  API development requires not only programmers and developers, but the business insight of legacy IT. Learn why employees with legacy backgrounds are vital to an API strategy.Continue Reading

• Evaluating SBC vendors for cloud communications infrastructure

  As more organizations move their communications infrastructure to the cloud, session border controllers must follow suit. In 2016, nearly 40% of North American business users were using some form ...Continue Reading

• Virtual assistant apps not quite geared for businesses, yet

  While popular among consumers, virtual assistant tools are not exactly deployed in enterprises. But IT leaders are showing interest in this emerging business technology.Continue Reading

• How do APIs affect enterprise communications systems?

  Communications APIs can change how organizations use their communications infrastructure. API expert Tsahi Levent-Levi explains the two ways APIs reshape enterprise telephony.Continue Reading

• Mobile unified communications market has growing pains

  The mobile UC market needs to offer products that make access to voice, text and video platforms simple, which means enterprises will rely on native device apps in the meantime.Continue Reading

• Video conferencing usage gets new analytics to gauge ROI

  Instead of assuming video ROI success, enterprises can now see a correlation between video conferencing usage and productivity with the help of new analytics tools.Continue Reading

• Keeping cloud-based unified communications grounded

  Cloud-based unified communications brings with it a chance for networking pros to transform and innovate their networks -- and their own IT skill sets.Continue Reading

• Is a communications API SLA strong enough for enterprises?

  When downtime occurs, an API service-level agreement should pinpoint customer and vendor responsibilities. Enterprises will need to monitor their API SLA closely.Continue Reading

• Apple Business Chat looks to polish customer messaging

  Harvesting the power of the iPhone, Safari web browser and other search assets, Apple is looking to cultivate integrated chat between businesses and customers.Continue Reading

• Seeking use cases for digital collaborative whiteboards

  As a fairly new business technology, touchscreen whiteboards are trying to find their way into the enterprise market. Some companies, however, are struggling to find use cases.Continue Reading

• Disadvantages of interactive whiteboards: Cost, lack of interoperability

  Large-screen collaboration devices offer some powerful communications tools. But buyers also need to heed some of the disadvantages of interactive whiteboards.Continue Reading

• UCaaS providers reap the benefits of changing attitudes toward cloud

  Many organizations are viewing UCaaS as a more secure alternative to their on-premises technologies. Is it time for you to consider unified communications as a service?Continue Reading

• How can near-real-time communication modes offer context?

  While text-based communication is growing in popularity, it lacks the context of voice or video communication. UC expert Jon Arnold explains how contextual communications can fill the gap.Continue Reading

• API vendors show how to build web-calling features

  In this video, see how API vendors are providing the building blocks to support web-based communications. Browser-based calling, in particular, is a fundamental feature.Continue Reading

• Voice applications, analytics suites part of UC evolution

  In this video, Vonage and Plantronics demonstrate their latest innovations. See how a voice API and analytics suite are helping advance enterprise communications.Continue Reading

• Unified communications platforms get contextual, customizable

  UC clients often undergo evolutionary development, rather than revolutionary changes. See how two vendors in particular are looking to advance enterprise communications.Continue Reading

• Cisco Spark Board, Polycom camera refocus on video conference rooms

  While big boardroom video conferencing deployments are perhaps a thing of the past, video meetings could find a new home in small and medium-sized meeting rooms.Continue Reading

• Do communication APIs complement or challenge UC products?

  Embedded communications, like click-to-call or click-to-video, can enhance business workflows. But are these new API tools ready for enterprise use?Continue Reading

• Unified communications vendors and users continue consolidation

  In this video with analyst Irwin Lazar, explore some key market trends, including industry consolidation, UC analytics and the emergence of artificial intelligence tools.Continue Reading

• Cloud unified communications carrying more clout

  Current cloud trends in unified communications include hybrid deployments and an increase in video conferencing adoption. But is hybrid just one step toward a pure-cloud model?Continue Reading

• New software and cloud trends support enterprise collaboration evolution

  Digital transformation plans are becoming popular; and for some organizations, enterprise collaboration is at the heart of it all. The days of collaborating only in the office with a set number of ...Continue Reading

• WebRTC market expected to see more gradual changes

  In the new year, track these WebRTC market trends -- the proliferation of API platforms, the adoption of live broadcast streaming, and whatever Microsoft and Apple decide to do.Continue Reading

• Is team chat the evolution of business social software?

  As a younger generation of workers favors messaging-based communication, team chat apps have emerged to fit the changing needs for business social software.Continue Reading

• Team chat apps: Please talk amongst yourselves

  Small talk can yield a big return on investment. In an age when most workplace communication happens digitally, team messaging apps -- and their GIFs -- boost morale.Continue Reading

• Polycom video conferencing system offers widespread capabilities

  Polycom's video conferencing system provides companies of all sizes with flexible deployments for mobile devices, desktop computers and meeting rooms.Continue Reading

• Decoding the CPaaS market: A look at vendors, products and customers

  Communications platform as a service, or CPaaS, came to life in 2016. The evolving market exudes a dual nature with two kinds of customers, products and vendors emerging.Continue Reading

• Cisco Spark, Slack ignite fledgling team messaging market

  Emerging team messaging platforms have great potential. Cisco Spark, in particular, is poised to affect the UC market, but widespread enterprise adoption remains unclear.Continue Reading

• Cisco Collaboration certification technical quiz: Part 2

  This Cisco Collaboration certification quiz tests your knowledge of telephony, gateways and messaging. Take the quiz to see if you're ready for the Cisco Collaboration exams.Continue Reading

• The business case for video conference technology just got easier

  Use cases for video conference technology have transformed recently, as the software-as-a-service model provides greater flexibility, lower cost of ownership and easier deployments.Continue Reading

• Take this WebRTC architecture quiz to boost your tech skills

  The WebRTC architecture demands widespread knowledge of different computer science disciplines. Take this quiz to test your WebRTC technical expertise.Continue Reading

• This CCNP Collaboration quiz tests your Cisco UC smarts

  The Cisco Collaboration certification covers several technological components from ports to protocols. Take this quiz to test your knowledge of Cisco UC technologies.Continue Reading

• Unify OpenScape Voice: Product overview

  With support for mobility, video and scalability for up to 500,000 users, OpenScape Voice -- and the rest of the Unify UC portfolio -- is well-suited for large enterprises.Continue Reading