Communications & Collaboration
Top Stories
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Feature
14 Sep 2026
The hidden cost of AI automation: Preserving organizational expertise
Organizations are embedding AI in enterprise systems and adopting human-in-the-loop strategies to automate routine tasks while preserving workforce expertise. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Sep 2026
How AI agents transform UCaaS workflows and ROI
AI agents can boost UCaaS workflows, but IT leaders must follow best practices to identify high-value workflows, determine ROI metrics and establish governance guardrails. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Nov 2016
Integrate contact center and unified communications platforms
The lines are blurring between contact center and unified communications platforms, as team messaging capabilities help agents collaborate and resolve customer issues. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Oct 2016
Salesforce telehealth system lets channel add real-time video, audio
Salesforce's telehealth tool, built on top of its Health Cloud platform, offers partners the ability to add real-time video and audio to their healthcare vertical offerings. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Sep 2016
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
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Feature
26 Jul 2016
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
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Tip
31 May 2016
Voice gateways provide powerful connectivity options
Voice gateways connect VoIP networks to telecom providers and analog phones, while also providing backup call support. But these sensitive devices need proper security. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Jan 2016
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
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Feature
17 Dec 2015
Avaya UC product overview: Aura Communication Manager
The Avaya Aura Platform, perhaps best suited for larger enterprises, supports messaging, voice, video, presence and mobility features, as well as virtualization. Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Oct 2015
Mitel VoIP 3300 series controllers: Product overview
The Mitel VoIP platform consists of the 3300 series controllers. With support for up to 2,000 SIP trunks, the 3300 series can replace legacy telephony in small or large businesses. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Oct 2015
ShoreTel phone system: Product overview
The ShoreTel VoIP system boasts several voice switches, simplified administration and automated backup. The premises platform is ShoreTel's replacement for PBX telephony. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Oct 2015
Cisco UCM voice over IP system: Product overview
Designed for small and medium businesses, as well as large enterprises, Cisco UCM provides voice over IP technology that can replace a legacy telephone system. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Aug 2015
Comparing the leading VoIP vendors and their products
Before purchasing a VoIP system, enterprises need to carry out careful research as VoIP vendors offer intricate products with varying capabilities. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Aug 2015
Toshiba IPedge VoIP System Product Overview
The Toshiba IPedge is a secure software-based VoIP system intended to replace legacy telephony. Continue Reading
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Answer
14 May 2015
How challenging is implementing BYOD in a UC environment?
What are some challenges of implementing BYOD in a UC environment? UC expert Jon Arnold explains the three high-level challenges organizations face with BYOD. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Apr 2015
Design redundancy into VoIP communication systems
Implementing redundancy at the VoIP and network infrastructure levels is an integral part of VoIP communication, ensuring call and business continuity. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Apr 2015
Five techniques for getting a robust VoIP infrastructure
A VoIP expert stresses the importance of a separate voice VLAN setup, quality-of-service enablement and edge routers for a robust VoIP infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Oct 2014
Calculating VoIP bandwidth needs for SIP trunk services
Part three of our series, SIP Trunking Explained, looks at the amount of VoIP bandwidth you'll need to avoid latency for SIP trunk services via a dedicated line or an Internet connection. Continue Reading
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Quiz
22 Aug 2014
Network Evolution University Quiz: Deploying video in your enterprise
Test your knowledge of video collaboration with this Network Evolution University quiz. Continue Reading
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Answer
07 Feb 2014
How do media servers differ from media gateways?
Expert Carrie Higbie explains how media servers differ from media gateways and how media servers are useful in video and voice environments. Continue Reading
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Answer
09 Jan 2014
How does a volts direct current signal relate to telecom?
Expert Matt Brunk explains how a volts direct current signal is used in telecommunications. Continue Reading
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Answer
19 Dec 2013
What is the difference between H.248 and H.323 protocols?
H.248 and H.323 are protocols associated with VoIP. IP telephony expert Jon Arnold explains the difference between the two in this expert response. Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2013
Compare Cisco and Lync UC platform features while market is ripe
Are you deciding between Cisco and Lync UC platforms? This article compares features from each vendor and explains why the competition is so tough. Continue Reading
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Answer
04 Nov 2013
What is a UC client?
What do vendors mean when they refer to a UC client? Learn what a UC client is and how it is used. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Jul 2013
Google Hangouts vs. Skype: A comparative look
Google's challenging Microsoft in the video conferencing market. This chart offers a feature-by-feature comparative look at Google Hangouts vs. Skype. Continue Reading
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Answer
11 Jul 2013
What are the advantages of SIP trunks versus analog circuits?
SIP trunking is not perfect, but it has more options and features compared to what traditional phone companies offer, says UC expert Matt Brunk. Continue Reading
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27 Jun 2013
"News, tips and expert advice on unified communications" RSS feed is moving!
As of July 1, the "News, tips and expert advice on unified communications" RSS feed will be moving off of the Pheedo platform. Instead, please bookmark the following URL to make sure you continue to receive our content: http://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/rss/News-tips-and-expert-advice-on-unified-communications-and-VoIP.xml Continue Reading
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Answer
10 May 2013
What is a call park phone feature and how does it work?
UC expert, Matt Brunk, explains a call park phone feature, how it works and how it compares to a visual call park feature in this expert response. Continue Reading
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Answer
20 Mar 2013
What are the different types of private branch exchange systems?
The types of PBX systems available shifted after the advent of Internet Protocol, according to IP telephony expert Jon Arnold. Continue Reading
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Answer
05 Mar 2013
Are there advantages to using the public switched telephone network?
You may have to sacrifice some advantages of the public switched telephone network if you switch to VoIP, says telephony expert Jon Arnold. Continue Reading
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Answer
05 Mar 2013
How can I easily switch between an external webcam and a built-in one?
Video expert Steve Campbell answers a question about built-in and external webcams. Certain factors affect the quality of your experience, he says. Continue Reading
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18 Feb 2013
Top cloud-based telephony and UC providers
If you are thinking of hosted PBX solutions or outsourcing your companies' communications, consider these top cloud-based telephony and UC providers. Continue Reading
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Answer
31 Jan 2013
When does it make sense to employ an external webcam?
The decision of whether to use an external webcam depends on what you intend to use video conferencing for, says video expert Steve Campbell. Continue Reading
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26 Nov 2012
Top three unified communications trends of 2012
As the year winds to a close, the top unified communications trends of 2012 have emerged as collaboration, mobility, BYOD and UC cloud offerings. Continue Reading
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Answer
19 Nov 2012
How does VoIP performance differ over LAN, WAN and other networks?
Environment affects VoIP performance, so it's important to consider how VoIP best fits in your environment is important, our UC strategies expert explains. Continue Reading
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Answer
31 Oct 2012
What is the SVC Codec and how is it used?
The SVC codec is an extension to the H.264 standard for video encoding used by many equipment manufacturers, explains our video conferencing expert. Continue Reading
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News
07 Sep 2012
Cloud, UC forces network architects to redesign WANs
Enterprises must consider redesigning their wide area networks (WANs) to support cloud computing and unified communications (UC). Continue Reading
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News
15 Feb 2012
Video conferencing essential to disaster recovery communications
Video conferencing and telepresence have become essential parts of a disaster recovery communications plan for both government agencies and enterprises. Continue Reading
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News
03 Mar 2011
Business tablet hype at Enterprise Connect: Mobile UC pros skeptical
IT pros attending Enterprise Connect this week are enthusiastic about business tablets but not for mobile UC. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Nov 2010
The truth about five nines availability in unified communications networks
Five nines availability is attainable with traditional telecommunications networks, but is it attainable with a unified communications network? This tip explains how to calculate availability and how it relates to unified communications software and hardware. Learn what is required to achieve five nines availability and how it translates to downtime. Continue Reading
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Answer
03 Aug 2010
The value of toll bypass in the enterprise
IP telephony expert Jon Arnold explains the value of toll bypass in an IP telephony setup, detailing why enterprises should consider it as an option while tempering cost-savings expectations. Continue Reading
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News
06 May 2010
Will 4G make mobile video conferencing good enough for enterprises?
Wireless operators promise higher bandwidth and lower latency with 4G networks, but it remains unclear whether the benefits of mobile video conferencing for enterprises will compensate for its limitations. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Oct 2008
Identifying issues in a multi-site Cisco UC deployment
Deploying Cisco Unified Communications Manager between multiple sites requires an appropriate dial plan, appropriate bandwidth, a quality of service (QoS) implementation and a design that can survive IP WAN failures. This chapter will explain the issues that can arise in a multisite Cisco UC Manager deployment, and recommend specific solutions. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Oct 2008
Channel Explained: Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
VoIP has emerged as a convenient, reliable and cost-effective network option for businesses of all sizes. In this Channel Explained you'll learn how VoIP works, what to consider before deploying it in a company, and how to take advantage of the multitude of channel opportunities available for this technology. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Jun 2008
Cisco Unified Communications Manager licensing
This section of the chapter excerpt focuses on the certification and licensing opportunities of Cisco Unified Communications Manager. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Jun 2008
Cisco Unified Communications Manager - Hardware, Software and Clustering
This chapter excerpt covers the compatible hardware and software for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, as well as its clustering capabilities. Continue Reading
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Definition
07 Mar 2008
hairpinning
In general telecommunication, hairpinning is returning a message from an origin endpoint back in the direction it came from as a way to get it to its destination endpoint. Continue Reading
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Answer
22 Feb 2008
What's the difference between collaboration and web conferencing?
Although the terms "collaboration" and "web conferencing" are similar, there are subtle differences in their meanings that can better help you understand what they are and what they do. Continue Reading
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Answer
22 Jul 2007
What can a VoIP phone do that a landline phone cannot?
This expert response outlines the basic differences between a VoIP phone and a POTS phone. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Mar 2007
How silence suppression saves WAN bandwidth
Silence suppression, or voice activation detection (VAD), technology is used to save WAN bandwidth used by VoIP traffic, while comfort noise generation (CNG) counteracts negative affects on VoIP speech quality. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Feb 2007
VoIP bandwidth: Calculate consumption
The bandwidth needed for VoIP transmission depends on compression technology, packet overhead and the network protocol used. In this tip, learn how to calculate how much bandwidth your VoIP implementation will need. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Jan 2007
How voice compression saves bandwidth
Compression of voice traffic can save bandwidth on your IP network, but can cost quality or cause delays. Learn more about the CODECs or standards for voice compression -- and their effect on call quality -- in this tip. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Jul 2005
Turning analog phones into VoIP phones
How an ATA or broadband phone works and what kind of features and performance you can expect from them. Continue Reading