Technology Spotlight Cloud-Based Wireless Integration Promises to Eliminate Traditional Unified Communications Challenges Sponsored by: Rogers Communications Inc. Adapted from research conducted by IDC Canada's Canadian Telecommunications Market Drivers and Strategies Continuous Information Service Lawrence Surtees October 2016 Wireless communications will continue to have a transformative effect on the way enterprises of all types communicate and conduct business. This IDC Technology Spotlight examines the challenges faced by IT decision makers to integrate wireline and wireless networks and provide truly ubiquitous communications to employees, regardless of device, anywhere. It also introduces Rogers Unison, a new offering in the emerging market of cloud-based integration and unified communications and collaboration (UC&C) services, from Rogers Communications. INTRODUCTION Wireless is increasingly used by employees and consumers alike as their preferred means of communications. The phenomenal popularity of wireless communications, the rise of mobile workers, and the proliferation of mobile devices along with the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) phenomenon are driving demand to integrate separate voice systems with UC&C services and apps to offer more benefits than possible with separate network silos. The presence of a younger, more mobile workforce has also driven interest in using mobile devices for enterprise-grade communication and collaboration, and made wireless integration in the enterprise a pressing necessity. For many enterprises, however, integrating wireless and wireline networks has proven to be very difficult. Marrying an integrated UC&C service with a service provider's cloud-based delivery can remove the complexity of provisioning and management from the IT department, bringing the benefits of these advanced services within the reach of businesses and organizations of all sizes. NEED TO CURB COSTS, REDUCE COMPLEXITY Canada's mobile worker population is forecast by IDC to increase to 14 million employees, or 75% of the labour force, in 2018 from 12.5 million in 2014 (Canadian Mobile Worker 2014 2018 Forecast, IDC #CA5MS14, December 2014). Businesses are looking to increase productivity through improved collaboration plus the availability of and support for applications on an increasing number of devices. Yet this imperative for wireless mobility increases IT infrastructure needs by an order of magnitude. Each new mobile device introduced in the enterprise has consequences on the cost, performance, integrity, and security of the IT environment. Distribution and management of mobile devices and apps requires new skills, new processes, and new platforms that many firms lack. October 2016, IDC #EMEA41692916
BYOD IMPACT The phenomenon of BYOD, driven especially by younger employees, further compounds the challenges that enterprise networks and IT managers face. BYOD has taken hold among Canadian firms more than a third (34%) of firms surveyed by IDC Canada indicate they support BYOD devices and have employees using their own wireless devices at work. Not surprisingly, small businesses (1 99 employees) are leading the way among Canadian enterprise adoption of BYOD (41%), according to IDC's 2015 Business Telecom Survey. The use of managed mobility services is also increasing among Canadian businesses and is correlated to the number of smartphones used by a firm. But the near-ubiquitous use of smartphones along with growth of BYOD has challenged IT to keep pace with users' expectations and demands. BYOD is one element of the consumerization of IT, in itself a decentralizing force that is wresting control of user devices away from the IT department. Yet BYOD smartphones necessitate increased access to corporate resources, requiring onboard data, content, and applications to be adequately managed and secured by IT staff. With both corporate and employee mobile devices proliferating in organizations, IT managers face the added burden of supporting, managing, and securing the applications that are, or will be, accessed from them. Traditional approaches to wireless integration and UC&C are inadequate to support mobility, especially as the number of apps explodes. Inconsistent management tools and policies, however, further increase complexity while driving up costs. At the same time, line-of-business (LOB) personnel are playing a greater role in selecting and financing wireless and UC&C projects and applications. A business case for UC&C has to include a mix of IT and business benefits. Business cases that focus on solving business process or collaboration challenges as part of a "mobile-first" strategy are more likely to receive support. COMPLEXITY OF TRADITIONAL UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS Enterprises have had several options for mobile unified communications (UC) clients, including mobile unified communications clients from UC infrastructure vendors that run on smartphones, third-party fixed mobile convergence products, and lightweight Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based apps that allow enterprises to take a do-it-yourself approach to mobile UC. These options vary in their features, functionality, and ease of use. Many traditional UC&C products and software solutions have been developed for fixed telecom infrastructure such as IP PBX hardware or PCs. In many cases, integration with wireless devices has seemed to be an after-thought of vendor offerings. The lack of wireless integration has impeded use of UC&C by many mobile business users beyond basic email, contact, and calendar functions, whether on their own device or on one provided by their employer, according to IDC surveys in North America and Europe (U.S. Enterprise Communications Survey, 2016: Unified Communications and Collaboration [IDC #US41087216, March 2016] and EMEA Enterprise Communications Survey, 2015 cited in Market Analysis Perspective: EMEA Unified Communications and Collaboration [IDC #CEMA23103, September 2015]). This is not because enterprises fail to grasp the sweeping benefits mobility can bring. Rather, many firms still struggle with how to mobilize in a way that is coordinated, secure, scalable, efficient, and user-friendly, and that addresses an often extraordinarily diverse set of management scenarios and hybrid networks. 2016 IDC #EMEA41692916 2
The challenges faced by IT and telecom managers with traditional UC&C solutions include: Technical complexity of wireless-wireline integration and of the array of different approaches and services from UC&C vendors Non-intuitive interfaces that are a barrier to use Coping with new software releases and applications Increased workload dealing with new devices, BYOD, and perennial moves, adds, and changes (MACs) Managing security However, cloud-based UC&C offerings have recently emerged as a viable deployment option for business and a potential solution to some of these challenges. BENEFITS OF CLOUD UC&C Transitioning to cloud UC&C solutions can help organizations reduce operating costs, improve application performance, scale users up or down quickly, and better allocate resources. Cloud environments can provide greater levels of automation, orchestration, provisioning, and deployment. The benefits of some next-generation cloud UC&C offerings include: Better experience. Native phone calls across any employee device (mobile, desk, or IP phones) at any location. Simplicity. Less complex than premise-based UC&C; managed by a service provider. Eliminating infrastructure. No upfront capital costs; reduced information and communications technology footprint. Reduced operating costs. Elimination of costly and time-consuming MACs. Improved efficiency. Reduces the need for IT support and frees up scarce resources of budget, staff, and time. Simple pricing. Flexible operational expense (opex) pricing models (e.g., per user per month) and fewer packages. Always up-to-date. Because it's offered as-a-service, no need to worry about managing new security updates, capacity updates, or any other updates. Future ready. Offers a rich set of application programming interfaces (APIs) that can be used to integrate with other services; network provider manages software upgrades and platform evolution, such as links with Big Data analytics. In IDC's experience, many IT decision makers want to manage as much as possible through a single platform and manage a single vendor relationship. IDC predicts that cloud-based UC&C will grow between 15% and 20% annually over the next five years as businesses begin to understand the benefit of these offerings (Rich Costello, Worldwide Unified Communications and Collaboration Forecast, 2015 2019, IDC #US40201615, November 2015). ROGERS UNISON OFFERS SEAMLESS UC&C ECOSYSTEM Rogers Unison is billed as the first natively mobile, cloud-based, and integrated UC&C solution in Canada. Rogers Unison allows businesses to leverage enterprise-grade phone system features and functionality seamlessly with a native voice experience across all devices wireless, wireline desktop and PC/laptop and offers small and medium-sized firms an integrated business phone service that 2016 IDC #EMEA41692916 3
works across fixed IP and wireless networks that is easier to use and less expensive than existing "legacy" systems and services. A business with a traditional PBX that migrates those lines to Rogers Unison could realize savings of up to 42%, according to Rogers. FIGURE 1 Unison Wireless Integration Through the Cloud Source: Rogers, 2016 SERVICE PROVIDER CLOUD KEY TO ROGERS UNISON Rogers Unison is built on the BroadSoft UC-One integrated UC&C platform, which resides in Rogers' world-class network datacentre. A key differentiator of this service is that wireless network integration is built in to the BroadSoft platform at the outset, eliminating many quality of service (QoS) issues inherent in other approaches. Access to Rogers Unison by an employee doesn't require a cumbersome mobility app and doesn't eat into data usage. Rather, it uses a simple function key. 2016 IDC #EMEA41692916 4
FIGURE 2 Unison Overview Source: Rogers, 2016 The utility of unified communications (voice, video, instant messaging and presence, etc.) depends on delivery of a superior user experience. This is even more critical with mobile because employees access applications and services from a broad range of devices, screen sizes, and form factors. Rogers Unison runs on all forms of device appliances desktops, laptops, smartphones, tablets, and IP conference phones. Customers with more complex hybrid networks can mix and match, from cloudbased PBX phones, SIP Trunk clients, and softphones, without having to select different packages. Rogers Unison supports ios, OS-X, Windows, Android, and Google Chrome OS, enabling it to be device-agnostic. For IT administrators, Rogers Unison is as simple to provision as an add-on to a mobile plan. For employees, it provides single-application access to all communication services. One-time option configurations and activation can be selected or changed through a simple web portal, requiring minimal IT support. This is key for millennial smartphone users, who rank having mobilefriendly websites and apps as their number-1 priority. ROGERS UNISON FEATURES Rogers Unison supports Dual Persona, making it possible for an employee to place and receive calls with their work number on their mobile device while keeping their personal number separate. All incoming calls ring natively and users can select which number to display for outbound calls on a percall basis, critical for separating the business and personal identity. Rogers Unison includes a Call Move feature that integrates an employee's work phone number across all devices, enabling a conversation to start on a desktop at work, then move seamlessly to a mobile device, and then wrap up at home without dropping the call. Rogers Unison has launched in multiple phases: the first phase was to small businesses with primarily mobile workers, such as construction firms; the second phase targets larger enterprises and includes a broad range of hardware options, including desk phones, IP phones, and PCs/laptops; the final phase will add a suite of advanced collaboration services. 2016 IDC #EMEA41692916 5
Rogers Unison promises to enable social collaboration, including chat, content sharing, and web conferencing, beyond the firewall regardless of device or location. Other features of this cloud-based UC&C service include: Making and receiving four-digit extension calls directly through a mobile device without using a mobile app; users can be reached on their mobile by calling their four-digit extension as well Line monitoring, intercepting, and interrupting mobile calls by a receptionist or executive assistant Receiving and listening to voicemail through email Receptionist support of mobile phone Hunt Groups (where incoming calls are routed to the next available line in a group) Simultaneous Ring on mobile, deskphone, and computer Future collaboration features will include: Use of a single tool for instant messaging, presence, calling, video chat, and file sharing Ability to host meetings from connected workspaces and use smart TVs with the same collaboration tools Integration with Skype for Business Click-to-call (click on an email address to call a person), video chat from a soft phone, drag and drop to invite people to meeting Click-to-video chat and "drag and drop" to invite people to a meeting Screen share Cost/Benefit The benefits of Rogers Unison transcend simple pricing and include mobile integration, which enables organizations to leverage mobile investments and reduce wireline costs by eliminating IP phones, replacing SIP trunk sessions, legacy PRIs, and LAN cabling, and reducing network management, licensing, and administration costs. ROGERS' CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Rogers Unison is a viable UC&C solution but it is not without limitations, and Rogers faces a number of challenges in this highly competitive arena. The market for UC&C includes a variety of different services offered by a multiplicity of providers, such as other rival communication providers, hardware vendors including traditional PBX makers, software vendors, and other managed service and cloud providers. All providers will be challenged to position UC&C solutions and overcome resistance to a next-gen UC&C offering given the poor customer experiences with previous solutions that failed to deliver the promised productivity gains and service benefits. Finally, there is limited awareness and perception of Rogers in the enterprise market. Rogers is less known for enterprise-grade communication and technology business services a perception it hopes to change through a new portfolio of business collaboration services and tools, of which Rogers Unison is a part, introduced by the Enterprise Business Unit. 2016 IDC #EMEA41692916 6
IDC ESSENTIAL GUIDANCE The mobility imperative won't wait for IT. BYOD and workplace consumerization remind us that access to IT is decentralizing. IDC believes the role of IT should logically evolve toward a service enablement disposition and away from rigid central control over technology deployment. Enterprises should evaluate both the pros and cons of integrated wireless and UC&C tools when looking to refresh, upgrade, or improve their communication networks. Well-designed mobile UC&C technology allows businesses to leverage the value of their existing IT investments. A successful network integration with UC&C, particularly through cloud-based delivery, can provide numerous opportunities to the enterprise and IT, including: Accelerated business innovation and growth. Enterprises that take advantage of the benefits of integrated networking can achieve improved business agility, scale, faster service rollout, and better change management. Greater IT efficiencies. The advantages of simplicity can drive greater business efficiencies through the ability to implement converged infrastructures, provide greater consistency of access to and performance of applications, improve data analytics, and provide open and programmable interfaces, and smarter network design and operations. IT's expertise moves out of the silos, improving organizational learning and agility. More significantly, from an IT perspective, integrated network access solutions such as Unison enable standardization of security and access policies independent of user access method, context, and device. Improved management of increased mobility use and ability to adopt, including BYOD. Future-proofing the enterprise network. A strong communications network provider will update its cloud-based service and platform as well as evolve to integrating more complex 3rd Platform technologies, including Big Data analytics. Demonstration of IT value-add to the enterprise. IT has the opportunity to "look good" by implementing more intelligent and intuitive enterprise network services that provide additional value to the organization and its employees while showing that it is taking the long view of the enterprise network. Potential challenges include the following: Evaluating the ROI of a new service. As with any new solution, implementing a unified network involves time and equipment costs that affect the operating and capital budgets. IT decision makers should conduct a careful cost/benefit analysis before undergoing an upgrade, especially where a new vendor and/or solution is being introduced that will bring about a learning curve for the enterprise and its employees. Impact on security and compliance. Security and compliance are, and will remain, a top concern of enterprise organizations and increasingly consumers. Organizations may have varying preferences and policies related to public/private/hybrid cloud and on-premise IT assets. Cultural change. When moving from separate wireless and wired networks, IT staff may have to learn new network skills. Wireline managers may need to learn the nuances of wireless and vice versa. They may need to overcome resistance from users who have had poor experiences with UC&C services in the past. The complexity of in-house integration. Determine whether your organization has the requisite capabilities to manage integrated wireless-wireline devices and UC&C service and provide support to employees. 2016 IDC #EMEA41692916 7
IT decision makers in Canadian enterprises should ask: What are the risks to our organization of not moving quickly enough to mobilize business processes and applications? What are the risks to our organization of not deploying next-generation UC&C to take advantage of advanced mobile business applications? What are the risks of the enterprise managing integrated wireless, mobile UC&C applications and marrying them with new technologies such as mobile analytics? While much of the buzz around mobile devices tends to focus on applications, the seamless integration of wireless and wireline networks is what really opens the door to a more personal level of communications that will unleash employee productivity. To lay the foundation for enterprise mobility and truly integrated, unified communications, IT decision makers should: Consider adopting a cloud-based, wireless-first integration service such as Unison and determine whether a cloud-based UC&C offering is a preferable and easier path than procuring and managing on-premise, add-on services. Recognize that moving to the cloud does not release the enterprise from having to plan for effective adoption. Cloud, while easing many burdens, does not halt the continuing journey toward attaining the ultimate promise of UC&C. Communications and IT technology, UC&C features and services, and employee needs will all continue to change and evolve and cloud-delivered services must keep step. Develop a wireless strategy action plan that assesses enterprise wireless requirements, including a census of the types of mobile workers in the firm, as part of UC&C planning and migration. A wireless strategy helps to mitigate the risk that enterprise mobility initiatives will become uncoordinated at a time when holistic enterprise mobility strategies are essential to business agility. FIGURE 3 The Unified Communications Journey Source: IDC, 2016 Insist on the joint involvement of the firm's LOB leaders with IT and/or telecom managers to develop the enterprise mobility plan and manage UC&C adoption throughout the enterprise. Conduct careful stakeholder analysis to ensure the enterprise network meets the entire enterprise's needs wired and wireless and design the network from a unified view that is shared by both LOBs and IT. 2016 IDC #EMEA41692916 8
Engage with each business unit early to ensure its niche needs are met various business units within an organization may have different needs. Understand enterprise mobility's potential. While considering and planning for wireless integration and UC&C, at the same time determine which enterprise apps and business processes have the potential to be mobilized across customer, partner, and supplier ecosystems. Consider organizational dynamics. If an enterprise's wired and wireless networks have long been managed and orchestrated separately, it is worth considering what efforts will be needed to bring them together from an organizational perspective. Ensure an integrated UC&C solution can bridge the old with the new. In other words, provide tools that can be used seamlessly across legacy wired and wireless network platforms. Deliver adequate training to all employees. Recognize the ongoing central role to be played by enterprise mobility in digital transformation. CONCLUSION Networks, both public and private, are evolving from a fixed, data-centric, client-server topology to application-driven, multimedia, and mobile virtual platforms that are more closely aligned with employee and business needs. Although the dependency on IP networks and wireless presents IT and business leaders with new challenges, it also gives rise to next-generation UC&C services and cloudbased delivery mechanisms such as Rogers Unison that bring enterprise IT closer to realizing the elusive and decades-long goal of "any information, anywhere, anytime any way." Rogers and Rogers Unison are trademarks of Rogers Communications. 2016 IDC #EMEA41692916 9
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