Conferencing Drives Collaboration and Conflict Resolution

  

  

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Unified Communications (UC) continues to be a key focus for organizations throughout the global economy as streamlined processes are a critical focus to contain costs and improve productivity. One key element within UC technologies is that of audio and Web conferencing solutions.

Like other forms of unified communications, conferencing enables businesses to achieve a more rapid time-to-resolution and improve customer communication. To get at the heart of benefits companies can experience, Boston-based research firm, Aberdeen Group explored UC and conferencing solutions and their application within the enterprise or non-profit.

Conferencing Boosts Productivity

In its report, Unified Communications: Gaining a Competitive Advantage While on the Move, Aberdeen Group found that UC applications such as audio and Web conferencing can boost telecom spend and increase productivity, while also reducing customer churn. Such benefits lend to a strong value proposition for the implementation of conferencing applications.

According to report findings, 79 percent of the 154 companies surveyed broke even on their UC investment within the first 12 months. Savings were realized by participating companies through streamlining internal and external communications, maximizing telecom spend, boosting productivity through improved collaboration and reducing customer churn through increased customer responsiveness.

Knowledge Sharing is Increased

In addition, the implementation of conferencing solutions and other UC applications helped to increase knowledge sharing among workers by 35 percent and workplace flexibility by 35 percent. Competitive performance was improved by 25 percent and collaboration for decision making was heightened by 16 percent. Speed of conflict resolution was accelerated by 11 percent.

"Unified holds enormous promise as a coherent approach to business communications, as a way to cut through 'communications clutter,' and more directly connect a customer to a company, employee to employee, and more tightly bind business partners and suppliers," Andrew Borg, senior research analyst, Aberdeen Group, said in a company statement.

"The challenge of our connected era is that the greater the number of communications options, the more difficult it can be to connect with a specific individual when you want to. UC therefore becomes increasingly important to mend the fractured digital communications landscape."

Conferencing Drives Collaboration

The popularity of conferencing solutions has grown throughout the global competitive landscape for the cost savings as well as the ability to help companies to improve the collaboration process and boost employee productivity.

A recent survey by Insight research predicts that conferencing and collaboration will completely dominate the UC market. As it does, the opportunities for vendors and customers alike will add strength and excitement to a booming market.