Next Generation Messaging (page 1 of 2)

For example the popularity of email is such that corporate email seats for all major EMEA countries are expected to grow from 56.2 million in 2003 to 72.4 million in 2005 (1). However, how do companies cope with this huge increase in information exchange?

The ability to communicate and conduct business using many diverse technologies has revolutionised the way we do business today. Yet, with the rapid growth of both the Internet and corporate intranets, companies are finding it increasingly difficult to manage communications and the increasing amounts of business critical data. This surge in information has created an increased demand for new communications methods that support a broad range of user and content types. Additionally, with fragmented infrastructures and a lack of best practices, downtime, virus outbreaks, security concerns, auditability and high costs add to the complications.

Just think about how many different processes are required to access information. How many different log-ins are required? How many different schedules need to be checked to retrieve phone calls, emails and calendars? How many interactions does it take to deliver a report over fax, email and PDAs? Taking into consideration all of these processes, companies are at a serious risk of losing customers.

For example, operating disparate file and email databases not only calls for individual management and administration, but also prohibits companies from knowing exactly what information they have. Information sits in separate data pools, often unsynchronised, with companies unable to communicate to provide a complete, accurate picture. Companies are not capitalising on, and leveraging the intellectual data they possess, which adds little value to their bottom line. An enterprise employing 1,000 knowledge workers wastes approximately$48,000 per week, or nearly $2.5 million per year (2) , due to an inability to locate and retrieve information.

In today's business climate, people no longer have time to deal with interfaces, passwords or device specific protocols. Companies need to focus on their core business, and not have to worry about how to access, process and push the information out.

Consolidating all of a company's collaboration data into one single database not only makes common sense, but also streamlines the communication process and saves huge operating and management costs. One common repository for email, calendars, file management and scheduling which delivers a single, complete view of all content allows users to re-use content instead of recreating it.

Additionally, employees are increasingly becoming more mobile. Approximately 10 million Europeans can now be classed as flexible or mobile workers. By 2004, 60 per cent of mobile workers will be compelled to carry technologies that offer instant response by voice and hourly response by email (3). Companies must also cater to the mobile worker who needs to access information anytime, anywhere, through wireless technologies.

Collaboration System Challenges
In addition to merging communications into one centralised messaging system, companies are also seeking ways to implement solutions that will better organise their information infrastructure, decrease administration costs, and rationalise the amount of hardware needed.

The key issues that challenge today's enterprises include the complexity and limitation of email and file servers that cannot scale up to more than a few hundred users.