UC strategy
Unified communications success relies on more than technology. End-user adoption is paramount for a successful rollout. Learn how to build a successful UC strategy that encompasses technology, training, staffing and culture.
Top Stories
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Answer
06 Dec 2024
RCS vs. SMS: What's the difference?
Compared to Short Message Service, Rich Communication Services is a newer form of messaging with advanced features and a better business messaging experience. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Nov 2024
What do huddle rooms look like in a post-pandemic workplace?
Huddle room hype has waned, but it helped promote the concept of simplifying video in the workplace. Now, organizations could consider a video everywhere strategy. Continue Reading
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Definition
23 May 2024
unified communications (UC)
Unified communications (UC) is an umbrella term for the integration of multiple enterprise communication tools -- such as voice calling, video conferencing, instant messaging (IM), presence and content sharing -- into a single, streamlined interface, with the goal of improving user experience (UX) and productivity. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 May 2024
5 tips for inclusive hybrid meetings
For successful hybrid meeting collaboration, businesses need to empower remote and on-site employees with a full suite of features and high-quality gear. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 May 2024
Fixed-mobile convergence could solve UC services gap
With fixed-mobile convergence, enterprises might finally have a way to ensure their employees have full access to UC services on their mobile devices. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Apr 2024
Enhanced 911 transitions to Next Generation 911
Next Generation 911 has improved calling features compared to Enhanced 911, especially when locating callers. But businesses face some compliance problems. Continue Reading
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Conference Coverage
26 Apr 2024
Everything Enterprise Connect 2024: News, trends and insights
Check out our news and analysis from Enterprise Connect, one of the largest enterprise communications and collaboration conferences happening in 2024. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Apr 2024
3 ways to take advantage of collaboration behavior data
Organizations can use collaboration behavior data to track meeting attentiveness, establish better meeting habits and personalize channel feeds for employees. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Apr 2024
AI drives new speech technology trends and use cases
The next generation of AI-based speech technology tools will have much broader, organization-wide impacts. No longer can these tools be viewed in a vacuum. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Apr 2024
4 common problems with hybrid meetings and how to fix them
Hybrid meetings can be hamstrung by technical and nontechnical challenges. Learn how to address common hybrid meeting problems to support attendees, no matter how they participate. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Apr 2024
Using Power over Ethernet for UC: Pros and cons
Harnessing Power over Ethernet in unified communications deployments can pay dividends. But the technology isn't suitable for every environment. Continue Reading
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News
05 Apr 2024
Recapping Enterprise Connect 2024
Enterprise Strategy Group analysts recap the top trends at Enterprise Connect 2024, including generative AI for UC and CX, the need for AI governance and the digital workplace. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Apr 2024
AI communications features key when assessing UC vendors
UC vendors are adding more AI capabilities with each software release. What's the best way to ensure vendors' capabilities align with your goals? Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Apr 2024
Creating equity for women in communications and technology
Creating a more equitable workplace starts at the top. Female IT leaders at Enterprise Connect explain how to create a culture that supports women in communications. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Mar 2024
Teams Rooms vs. Zoom Rooms: What's the difference?
Both Teams Rooms and Zoom Rooms offer compelling video conferencing services, but there are important distinctions between the two. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Mar 2024
Ultimate guide on enterprise unified communications strategy
When formulating a unified communications strategy, enterprises need to consider several key elements. This step-by-step guide helps businesses plan their UC deployment. Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Mar 2024
Enterprise Connect 2024 brings AI reality check
The annual business communications conference highlights the trends that are expected to drive UC and CX buying decisions over the next few years. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Mar 2024
5 remote work communication challenges and how to fix them
Remote work communication is only as effective as the supporting technology and its users. Learn the challenges of remote work communication and how to address them. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Feb 2024
6 workplace benefits of immersive learning with AR and VR
AR and VR have the potential to enhance workplace learning programs. Learn how both employees and organizations can benefit from immersive learning with AR and VR. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Feb 2024
Compare the 10 leading UC providers in 2024
Discover the unified communications products best suited for your organization with an in-depth look at specific vendor offerings and features. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Feb 2024
Comparing Microsoft Teams Premium vs. Copilot in Teams
Explore Microsoft Teams Premium and Copilot to understand their AI productivity features and select the product license best suited for your team's needs. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Feb 2024
Mobile unified communications: Everything you need to know
Mobile unified communications is becoming an increasingly important strategy for businesses of all types and sizes. Here's everything you need to know about mobile UC. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Feb 2024
How quantum networking and UC intersect
Quantum networking and unified communications might seem a long way off, but it's not too early to see how it might reshape UC. For one thing, hacking will be a lot more challenging. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Feb 2024
How AI is transforming unified communications
AI in unified communications can take employee collaboration and productivity to the next level. But AI does carry risks that enterprises must first address to maximize adoption. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Feb 2024
Strategic benefits of managed UC services
Managed UC services offer several benefits for businesses, including improved network connections, communication software integrations and support for remote work. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Feb 2024
10 essential business benefits of unified communications
How can unified communications tools benefit your business? Explore these 10 unified communications benefits to make the best deployment decision for your needs. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Jan 2024
On-premises vs. cloud vs. hybrid UC deployment models
When deploying unified communications, organizations need to carefully consider the benefits and drawbacks of on-premises, cloud and hybrid deployment models. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Jan 2024
Top 10 must-have unified communications features in business
Unified communications systems have evolved to reflect changing business processes. As a result, enterprises need to prioritize their must-have UC features. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Jan 2024
3 top trends reshaping unified communications jobs
UC professionals looking to switch jobs need to be nimble, versatile and willing to show they can make their future employers more efficient and more productive. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Jan 2024
VoIP codecs explained: How to optimize VoIP quality
The key to a high-quality VoIP call is the right codec. Explore common codecs, their features and potential drawbacks to choose the right one for VoIP optimization. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Jan 2024
5 key video conferencing trends to watch in 2024
From personal assistants to meeting summaries, AI will redefine video conferencing over the next year. Check out the top trends driving the market in 2024. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Jan 2024
5 UC and collaboration trends reshaping the market in 2024
Generative AI is getting all the attention, but there are other key shifts, like vendor rationalization, which will reshape UC in the months to come. Continue Reading
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Answer
14 Dec 2023
How do you record Zoom meetings using OBS?
Open Broadcaster Software is becoming an essential tool for companies requiring advanced recording features for Zoom. The software also makes it easy to livestream meetings. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Dec 2023
Using collaboration behavior data to inform buying decisions
Collaboration apps do more than just let employees work together. They also generate a valuable trove of user data that can help companies become more efficient. Continue Reading
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Answer
30 Nov 2023
AI speech technology offers enterprises benefits, risks
AI offers intriguing prospects to companies looking for ways to get more value from their speech recognition systems. But be wary of expecting too much, too fast. Continue Reading
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Quiz
22 Nov 2023
Test your knowledge of E911 compliance requirements
Compliance with E911 regulations must be a core part of an organization's phone system strategy. Take this quiz to see how well you understand E911 compliance requirements. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Nov 2023
Navigating E911 in the hybrid workplace
Companies are finding it more challenging than ever to comply with E911 regulations. Learn how you can minimize risk and ensure your workforce remains safe. Continue Reading
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Opinion
01 Nov 2023
Observations from the intersection of UCC and EUC
End-user computing tends to overlap with numerous other business technologies, such as cloud computing, security and mobility. But one of the areas with the most overlap is UCC. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Oct 2023
How does Microsoft Teams track user activity?
Companies eager to track their remote workers' productivity are examining how UC apps like Teams track user activity. How does Teams track what users do on their devices? Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Oct 2023
6 key strategies to ensure 911 compliance
A mobile and hybrid workforce makes phone location and 911 call routing challenging. Explore ways to ensure your company is doing all it can to protect employees in an emergency. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Oct 2023
5G UC evens the mobile communications playing field
5G is improving the quality of UC services over mobile networks. Learn the advantages 5G UC offers remote workers compared to 4G LTE networks. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Oct 2023
Harnessing UC tools to address proximity bias in the workplace
Hybrid work offers employees flexibility, but they run the risk of losing out to those who are in the office full time. Unified communications tools can help close the gap. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Sep 2023
Assess unified communications pros and cons for hybrid work
Unified communications as a service is getting renewed attention as businesses oversee hybrid workforces. Learn what you should know before deploying UCaaS at your operation. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Sep 2023
How unified communications tools address accessibility
The increased use of cloud communications means the tools must be accessible for everyone. Organizations should vet how their UC providers support accessibility features. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Jul 2023
How to calculate video conferencing bandwidth requirements
Image motion, frame rates and screen resolution often dictate video conferencing bandwidth requirements. Learn four steps to address remote and office video call bandwidth needs. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Jul 2023
3 video conferencing best practices to improve meetings
Hybrid work means that video meetings are here to stay. Organizations need to plan to ensure their video conferences are as effective as possible. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Jul 2023
How IT departments structure collaboration management
Today, there are countless apps used to communicate across companies. IT departments are taking two approaches to organize the teams responsible for collaboration deployments. Continue Reading
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Definition
27 Jun 2023
What is UCaaS? Unified communications as a service guide
Unified communications as a service (UCaaS) is a cloud delivery model that offers a variety of communication and collaboration applications and services. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Jun 2023
Office hoteling pros and cons for hybrid work
As hybrid work gains traction, companies must rethink how they want to allocate their offices. Office hoteling offers some advantages, but be careful of the pitfalls. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jun 2023
Avaya prioritizes slow migration from on-prem to the cloud
The longtime contact center vendor aims to rebound from double bankruptcy by focusing on highly regulated customers' needs, such as continuity of some on-premises communications. Continue Reading
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Definition
19 Jun 2023
quality of service (QoS)
Quality of service (QOS) refers to any technology that manages data traffic to reduce packet loss, latency and jitter on a network. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Jun 2023
Explore UCaaS architecture options and when to choose them
The first step to a UCaaS migration is choosing the deployment architecture. Learn how to choose which UCaaS architecture best suits your organization's needs. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 May 2023
Top 7 UCaaS features to enhance productivity
UCaaS continues to evolve as more companies use the platform to support meetings, calls and messaging. New features, among them generative AI, could make UCaaS even more important. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 May 2023
3 best practices for a successful UCaaS migration
Migrating to UCaaS requires careful planning to make the transition as seamless as possible. IT leaders can incorporate three best practices into their deployment strategies. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 May 2023
Migrating from Slack: Inside the trend and spend
The availability of all-in-one collaboration apps, like Microsoft Teams and Google Workspace, is spurring some companies to ask if it's time to migrate from Slack. Continue Reading
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Answer
03 May 2023
Telepresence vs. video conferencing: What's the difference?
Though seemingly similar in concept, telepresence and video conferencing have different approaches to virtual meetings. Continue Reading
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Opinion
03 May 2023
Absorb, acclimate and aspire at Enterprise Connect 2023
Innovation was the highlight of Enterprise Connect 2023, with advancements in interoperability, AI and CRM. But the conference also stressed where vendors must widen their reach. Continue Reading
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News
02 May 2023
Microsoft releases Teams Payments app for small businesses
The tech giant brings transaction capabilities to its Teams platform, expanding digital commerce options for small businesses that offer online services through Teams. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Apr 2023
5 steps to achieve UC network modernization for hybrid work
The shift to hybrid work is putting new demands on the unified communications network infrastructure. Split tunneling and an enterprise CDN are two ways to meet those needs. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Apr 2023
Tap collaboration devices for employee experience data
Collaboration devices play a key role in supporting employee experience, from extracting engagement data to improving hybrid meeting parity. Continue Reading
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Podcast
11 Apr 2023
Enterprise Connect 2023 news highlights
Antone Gonsalves, news director for networking and security, and Katherine Finnell, senior site editor, discuss Enterprise Connect 2023 highlights in "Tech News This Week." Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Apr 2023
3 common video conferencing problems and how to solve them
Employees have grown more skilled with video over the last few years. But video problems still plague meetings today. Learn how to address the most common challenges. Continue Reading
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Video
10 Apr 2023
Recap Enterprise Connect hybrid work trends, generative AI
Analysts discuss the top trends from Enterprise Connect 2023, including generative AI and how to make hybrid work more inclusive. Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2023
IT pros face hybrid work technology challenges
Enterprises need specialized video conferencing equipment for office spaces that are usually empty to accommodate both in-office and remote participants during meetings. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Mar 2023
Successful hybrid working mixes tech, policy and culture
IT leaders at Enterprise Connect discuss their strategies for successful hybrid working, from transparent team agreements to parity between home and office setups. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Mar 2023
Collaboration tools help and hinder workplace accessibility
Cloud-based collaboration tools have improved workplace accessibility for people with disabilities. But IT leaders must examine where collaboration tools still fall short. Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2023
Amazon Chime SDK gets new tools for call analytics insights
The communications service's new call analytics tool set enables users to conduct voice tone analysis to track customer sentiment and send the data to their preferred data lake. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Mar 2023
Enterprise Connect 2023 highlights Microsoft Teams, ChatGPT
The annual unified communications conference once again spotlights current and future industry trends as IT leaders weigh their business and technology investments. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Mar 2023
Workplace transformation: 8 steps to build a successful plan
The pandemic might have changed the workplace for good. Here's how to ensure that your organization's physical spaces, business processes and technology suit employees' workstyles. Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2023
Microsoft unveils AI-backed Copilot for Teams, Word and more
Microsoft 365 Copilot integrates AI-supported tools into Microsoft's productivity apps to help users write and organize emails, garner insights, and corral disparate data. Continue Reading
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Answer
14 Mar 2023
What is a jitter buffer used for?
Jitter buffers play a key role in supporting audio quality and mitigating network anomalies. Learn how jitter buffers work and their potential drawbacks. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Mar 2023
How the UC market is addressing corporate ESG initiatives
More organizations are adopting ESG initiatives, and UC vendors have begun to offer new programs and capabilities in response. But how much of a priority is ESG in the UC market? Continue Reading
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News
28 Feb 2023
ClickUp 3.0 built for scalability with AI, universal search
The new platform moves to the modern cloud infrastructure and offers a streamlined inbox, an AI-supported writing tool and universal search to access files across many apps. Continue Reading
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Answer
28 Feb 2023
How do you build a CPaaS business case?
No matter how big or small the deployment, building a business case for CPaaS is essential to creating a more flexible and controlled communications environment. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Jan 2023
Evernote and Notion take aim at enterprise collaboration market
Notion and Evernote -- best known as personal note-taking apps -- are pivoting to serve as enterprise collaboration tools. Are they viable options yet? Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Jan 2023
Top UC and collaboration news of 2022 highlights 4 key trends
Review the 2022 UC and collaboration news highlights to learn about the trends that drove the market, and discover how these trends will influence the market in 2023. Continue Reading
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Tip
04 Jan 2023
Weighing the pros and cons of asynchronous collaboration
UCaaS vendors are developing tools that let remote workers collaborate on their own time. That flexibility can reap benefits, but what does it do to the value of teamwork? Continue Reading
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News
03 Jan 2023
Companies focus on UCaaS consolidation
Replacing redundant collaboration tools with a UCaaS platform is the focus of many companies looking to cut unified communications costs as the possibility of a recession looms. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Dec 2022
Understanding hot desking pros and cons for the hybrid office
Hot desking is one way to manage workspaces in a hybrid office. Learn some hot desking pros and cons to decide if it's the right approach for your company. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Dec 2022
Cisco collaboration study guide for 350-801 CLCOR exam
Learn the basics of Cisco collaboration products and how to deploy collaboration tools in this excerpt from 'CCNP and CCIE Collaboration Core CLCOR 350-801 Official Cert Guide.' Continue Reading
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Quiz
19 Dec 2022
Cisco collaboration 350-801 CLCOR practice test questions
This 350-801 CLCOR practice test for the CCNP and CCIE certifications quizzes readers on Cisco collaboration technologies, from endpoints to applications. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Dec 2022
Comparing Microsoft Teams free vs. paid plans
While Teams is bundled with some Microsoft 365 licenses, it does offer a free plan. Learn the difference between Teams free vs. paid plans and which is right for your organization. Continue Reading
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Answer
21 Nov 2022
Hot desking vs. hoteling: What's the difference?
More and more companies are adopting hybrid workforce models, but as physical office spaces shrink, what are some options to support employees who do come into the office? Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Nov 2022
Carrier UCaaS services extend cloud communication benefits
UCaaS is becoming more popular as carriers roll out more sophisticated and integrated packages to users. Learn why it might make sense to consolidate your vendors. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Oct 2022
Balancing remote work privacy vs. productivity monitoring
Weighing employee productivity monitoring against remote workers' privacy is a serious issue that requires protecting personal and corporate data and setting the right policies. Continue Reading
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Definition
19 Oct 2022
direct inward dialing (DID)
Direct inward dialing (DID) is a method organizations use to route incoming calls to specific private branch exchange (PBX) systems without an operator. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Oct 2022
Desktop video conferencing hardware now built for hybrid work
Desktop video hardware offers organizations hybrid work benefits, including high-quality video for home workers and simplified IT management. But getting buy-in can be a challenge. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Sep 2022
Asynchronous work best practices require strong policies
Hybrid work is becoming the norm, but it challenges distributed teams collaborating to complete projects. A new generation of asynchronous collaboration apps may be the answer. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Sep 2022
How to approach enterprise social software for hybrid work
Enterprise social software can help organizations build communities to support employee engagement in the hybrid workplace. But IT leaders need to weigh how to manage communities. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Sep 2022
5 steps to manage desktop phone systems for hybrid work
Even as hybrid work gains traction and video communications grows, some employees still prefer using desktop phones. Supporting these devices means making sure they're up to date. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Sep 2022
3 UC user scenarios influence hybrid work budgets
As IT decision-makers evaluate their hybrid workplace budgets, three end-user scenarios lay the foundation for UC and collaboration technology investments. Continue Reading
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Answer
26 Aug 2022
UC hybrid models reap benefits but require good planning
Hybrid unified communications is getting more attention as remote working becomes standard at many organizations. But be sure to understand how applications are being delivered. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Aug 2022
Why organizations need to revisit end-user device policies
Now that WFH collaboration is established at many organizations, companies need to review and revise their end-user device policies to manage security and IT support. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Aug 2022
5 steps to address hybrid meeting equity
Meeting equity is more than how you appear on camera. Follow these five steps to ensure hybrid meetings are engaging, productive and equitable for all employees. Continue Reading
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Feature
15 Aug 2022
How to approach learning technologies in the workplace
Author Ria O'Donnell discusses the importance of continuing professional development and how to approach digital learning technologies in the workplace, including VR and AI. Continue Reading
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Answer
08 Aug 2022
Virtual whiteboard vs. ideation system: Which is best for you?
Digital whiteboards are useful when tackling short-term needs, but a full-featured ideation system might be the best option for more sophisticated and mission-critical projects. Continue Reading
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Answer
29 Jul 2022
How do you measure ROI for virtual events?
Businesses and industries are using virtual events to reach customers. Determining ROI of these events isn't as easy as it was for physical conferences, but it can be done. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Jul 2022
How to plan a hybrid conference room setup
Conference rooms need to evolve as employees demand the same rich virtual meeting experience they have on desktop. Learn how to approach a hybrid conference room setup. Continue Reading
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Answer
19 Jul 2022
The difference between a traditional and hybrid meeting room
Hybrid meeting rooms differ from traditional rooms that focused on in-person attendees. Learn the challenges facing large and small rooms in supporting hybrid meetings. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Jul 2022
Room video conferencing interoperability critical for hybrid work
Vendors are beginning to take solid steps to make sure their video conferencing apps are interoperable with whatever meeting apps employees want to use. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Jun 2022
3 use cases highlight AI and speech recognition evolution
The combination of AI and speech recognition has driven innovation for more advanced capabilities. Explore three applications that highlight the future of speech technology. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Jun 2022
Hybrid meeting best practices emphasize engagement
In this book excerpt from 'Suddenly Hybrid,' learn about some hybrid meeting best practices that support engagement, regardless of where attendees are located. Continue Reading