Jun 30 2008 2:57PM GMT
Posted by: Tony Bradley
IM,
malware,
exploit,
hacking,
VoIP,
Security,
UC,
Unified Communications
Corporate networks and computer systems are faced with a variety of threats. Unauthorized access, malware compromise, data leakage, and other threats are fairly common and administrators are used to protecting against them. However, the phone system traditionally has been a separate issue, exposed to soe threats of its own, but a horse of an entirely different color. Even the various attack vectors in the computer system and network infrastructure have typically had a degree of separation. Michael Osterman discusses some of the emerging (or merging as the case may be) threats to corporate networks posed by the implementation of unified communications in this NetworkWorld article.
May 10 2008 1:27PM GMT
Posted by: Tony Bradley
web browser,
fax,
voicemail,
email,
Telephony Office-LinX,
Esnatech,
Gmail,
Google
The Gmail web-based email client from Google is one of the most popular email clients currently in use. Using a web-based email solution means that a user is never farther from their email than the nearest web browser. That could be at home, at work, at a public library, or even on a mobile phone. Now, the speed and availability of Gmail can also be leveraged as part of a unified communications solution using Esnatech’s Telephony Office-LinX. Office-LinX allows companies to tie their PBX-based and mobile phones in with Google’s applications, including GMail. That same search functionality that lets users find a keyword in an email from 7 months ago will also be able to help users locate voicemails and faxes.
May 8 2008 3:27AM GMT
Posted by: Tony Bradley
Avaya One-X Communicator,
Microsoft Communicator,
policy,
risk,
Security,
instant messaging,
IM
One of the key building blocks of unified communications is instant messaging. Instant messaging (IM) client software acts as the focal point and primary interface for a variety of unified communications solutions including Microsoft Communicator, and Avaya One-X Communicator. IM has come a long way from its early days as an unauthorized rogue application installed by tech-savvy users. Many organizations have adopted IM as a business tool, but most were reluctant and slow to climb onto the bandwagon. Now, IM is the keystone of next-generation communications. IM still poses a risk though. It can threaten productivity. It can represent an attack vector for malware. It can be a compliance issue. Companies can gain many benefits from the effective use of IM, but they need to provide guidelines for its use in defined, and written policies. Check out Instant Messaging Policies Reduce Risk for more details about the issues and what should be included in a corporate IM policy.
Apr 18 2008 3:01AM GMT
Posted by: Tony Bradley
email,
conferencing,
VoIP,
Skype,
presence,
instant messaging,
Unified Communications,
UC,
Fuze,
Callwave
TMCNet’s Rich Tehrani recently wrote about a UC offering from Callwave called Fuze. Unified communications can level the playing field for smaller companies that want to compete with the big boys. In this instance, Callwave is leveraging their approach to unified communications to produce a unified communications solutions aimed at small and medium businesses, and, in the process, squaring off with the big boys in their own arena like Microsoft, Cisco, and Avaya. Fuze appears to provide a fairly comprehensive approach to unified communications, including email integration, Skype-based audio and video conferencing, media sharing, follow-me functionality, and more. What is most unique about Fuze though is that it is a web-based solution, with no software to install and no special equipment to deploy. That could be a tremendous advantage, and it could be an achilles heel. The product is in Beta now, projected for a summer 2008 release. Fuze may be worth taking a look at if you are evaluating UC solutions for a small or medium business.
Apr 15 2008 1:01PM GMT
Posted by: Tony Bradley
click-to-dial,
Outlook,
VoIP,
UC,
Unified Communications,
XO Anywhere,
XO Communications
XO Communications has unveiled a new service which enables a company to incorporate existing phones and communications technologies into a unified communications solution. XO Anywhere can ring up to 10 numbers simultaneously, allowing a call to be delivered no matter which phone a user happens to be at. XO Anywhere also provides functionality that enables a user to make calls through the office phone system remotely, and integration with Microsoft Outlook that lets users dial a number by simply clicking on it. For more information about the new XO Anywhere service, read this InformationWeek article, or visit the XO Communications web site.
Apr 11 2008 3:49PM GMT
Posted by: Tony Bradley
VoIP,
instant messaging,
streaming video,
Qik,
Twitter,
Skype,
SearchUnifiedCommunications
Companies are typically slow and cautious to adopt new technologies. That is partially a function of due diligence and testing to ensure that any new technology or application will function properly and provide value before committing to adopting it. The larger the enterprise, the slower the process of migrating to new technologies or updating applications. Almost every organization has their share of power users though who push the technology envelope and start using bleeding edge technologies as soon as they hit the streets. These users tend to be the “better to ask for forgiveness than permission” crowd and simply attach their rogue devices and install their rogue applications and figure out how to make them work from within the enterprise. In general, this behavior should be discouraged. It can cause problems with the user desktop and the network. It can introduce unknown risks and make the enterprise network open to threats that the network and security administrators are not even aware of. With some technologies though, they reach a sort of “Hundredth Monkey” critical mass and resistance becomes futile. In those cases, organizations are better off trying to figure out the business benefits of the technology and how to incorporate it in a logical and secure way, rather than wasting resources trying to fight it. This article on SearchUnifiedCommunications addresses three consumer unified communications products which have gained in popularity and could serve as a pseudo test environment for organizations looking to define the business value of unified communications.
