Unified messaging
Encyclopedia
Unified Messaging is the integration of different electronic messaging and communications media
(e-mail
, SMS
, Fax
, voicemail
, video messaging, etc.) technologies into a single interface, accessible from a variety of different devices.
While traditional communications systems delivered messages into several different types of stores such as voicemail
systems, e-mail servers, and stand-alone fax machines, with Unified Messaging all types of messages are stored in one system. Voicemail messages, for example, can be delivered directly into the user's inbox and played either through a headset or the computer's speaker. This simplifies the user's experience (only one place to check for messages) and can offer new options for workflow such as appending notes or documents to forwarded voicemails.
Unified Messaging was expected by many in the consumer telecommunication
s industry to be a popular product, first augmenting and eventually replacing voicemail
. However, UM was slow to gain consumer acceptance, and UM vendors such as Comverse
were badly hit when the slowdown in the telecommunications industry in 2001 made carriers wary of spending large amounts of money on technology with little proven consumer demand.
Today, UM solutions are increasingly accepted in the corporate environment. The aim of deploying UM solutions generally is to enhance and improve business productivity while decreasing communication issues. UM solutions targeting professional end-user customers integrate communications processes into the existing IT
infrastructure, i. e. into CRM
, ERP
and mail systems (e. g. CallXpress, Phoenixnet PH, Microsoft Exchange
, Lotus Notes
, SAP
, etc.)
Unified Messaging is not to be mistaken for Unified communications
, although the two share some similarities. Hosted UC services lack real-time contacts like IM and presence-based telephone connections because those features are considered “frilly features” not demanded by the majority of hosted SMB customers. So while Unified Messaging can be included in Unified communications, not all Unified communication services are related to Unified Messaging.
Electronic media
Electronic media are media that use electronics or electromechanical energy for the end-user to access the content. This is in contrast to static media , which today are most often created electronically, but don't require electronics to be accessed by the end-user in the printed form...
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
, SMS
SMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
, Fax
Fax
Fax , sometimes called telecopying, is the telephonic transmission of scanned printed material , normally to a telephone number connected to a printer or other output device...
, voicemail
Voicemail
Voicemail is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to individuals, organizations, products and services, using an ordinary telephone...
, video messaging, etc.) technologies into a single interface, accessible from a variety of different devices.
While traditional communications systems delivered messages into several different types of stores such as voicemail
Voicemail
Voicemail is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to individuals, organizations, products and services, using an ordinary telephone...
systems, e-mail servers, and stand-alone fax machines, with Unified Messaging all types of messages are stored in one system. Voicemail messages, for example, can be delivered directly into the user's inbox and played either through a headset or the computer's speaker. This simplifies the user's experience (only one place to check for messages) and can offer new options for workflow such as appending notes or documents to forwarded voicemails.
Unified Messaging was expected by many in the consumer telecommunication
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
s industry to be a popular product, first augmenting and eventually replacing voicemail
Voicemail
Voicemail is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to individuals, organizations, products and services, using an ordinary telephone...
. However, UM was slow to gain consumer acceptance, and UM vendors such as Comverse
Comverse Technology
Comverse Technology, Inc. , originally founded in Israel, is a technology company located in Woodbury, New York in the United States, that develops and markets telecommunications software. The company focuses on providing value-added services to telecommunication service providers, in particular to...
were badly hit when the slowdown in the telecommunications industry in 2001 made carriers wary of spending large amounts of money on technology with little proven consumer demand.
Today, UM solutions are increasingly accepted in the corporate environment. The aim of deploying UM solutions generally is to enhance and improve business productivity while decreasing communication issues. UM solutions targeting professional end-user customers integrate communications processes into the existing IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
infrastructure, i. e. into CRM
Customer relationship management
Customer relationship management is a widely implemented strategy for managing a company’s interactions with customers, clients and sales prospects. It involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes—principally sales activities, but also those for marketing,...
, ERP
Enterprise resource planning
Enterprise resource planning systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application...
and mail systems (e. g. CallXpress, Phoenixnet PH, Microsoft Exchange
Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft Exchange Server is the server side of a client–server, collaborative application product developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Servers line of server products and is used by enterprises using Microsoft infrastructure products...
, Lotus Notes
Lotus Notes
Lotus Notes is the client of a collaborative platform originally created by Lotus Development Corp. in 1989. In 1995 Lotus was acquired by IBM and became known as the Lotus Development division of IBM and is now part of the IBM Software Group...
, SAP
SAP R/3
SAP R/3 is the former name of the main enterprise resource planning software produced by SAP AG. It is an enterprise-wide information system designed to coordinate all the resources, information, and activities needed to complete business processes such as order fulfillment or billing.- History of...
, etc.)
Indistinct Definitions
Unified Messaging is an indistinct term that can refer to the typical definition of simple inclusion of incoming faxes and voice-mail in one's email inbox, all the way to dictating a message into a cell phone and the intelligent delivery of that message to the intended recipient in a variety of possible formats like text email, fax, or voice recording. Because of the nebulous definition of UM, it was number one on the 1998 Wired Magazine "Hype List". To bring the terminology up to date it is important now to recognize that UM incorporates voice as a key component of the offering. All these technologies need to be brought together: voice, instant messaging, email, voicemail, and web/voice/video conferencing. The aim is to make communication seamless, no matter what the method. The missing piece not mentioned that allows these technologies to be delivered together is 'presence'. If friends and colleagues are 'aware' of each other's state (e.g., available, busy, in a meeting, or offline), they can then choose the most appropriate communication method to use and therefore ensure effective communication.Unified Messaging is not to be mistaken for Unified communications
Unified communications
Unified communications is the integration of real-time communication services such as instant messaging , presence information, telephony , video conferencing, data sharing , call control and speech recognition with non-real-time communication services such as unified...
, although the two share some similarities. Hosted UC services lack real-time contacts like IM and presence-based telephone connections because those features are considered “frilly features” not demanded by the majority of hosted SMB customers. So while Unified Messaging can be included in Unified communications, not all Unified communication services are related to Unified Messaging.