Logicalis US Unveils Tool to Help CIOs Gauge Communication and Collaboration Readiness

NEW YORK, July 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Of all the technologies that can drive positive change in an organization, none touches as many people as directly as Unified Communications. These technologies connect your employees, customers and partners seamlessly regardless of location, time of day or endpoint device. The ability to provide this immersive level of connectivity can provide productivity enhancements not seen by any other technology investment. Mobility, single-number reach, presence, unified messaging, wireless, call centers (virtual and on premise) and virtual private networks – these unified communications features have become the tools of nearly every trade.  Likewise, video and TelePresence solutions are helping to create face-to-face, immersive experiences regardless of location. The goal of any communication and collaboration strategy must be to empower employees to work together from anywhere, at any time, to increase productivity.  But, according to Logicalis US, an international IT solutions and managed services provider (www.us.logicalis.com), there are several stages along the way to a fully functional unified communications infrastructure, and it's important to have a clear roadmap leading the way. To help, Logicalis US has created a tool to aid IT pros in determining where they are in their journey toward a truly collaborative enterprise.

"Today's wide variety of advanced collaboration tools make communicating electronically as comfortable and natural as gathering around the proverbial office water cooler," says Ron Temske, Vice President, Communications and Collaboration, Logicalis US.  "As CIOs build their corporate communication infrastructures, it's important that they implement a collaborative roadmap that allows for flexibility; they must consider the needs of all their users from executives to mobile workers, call center agents to business partners. The ideal design will fit easily into the company's existing IT framework. Adding components like IM, portals and web conferencing to existing voice and email systems as well as integrated collaboration tools like mobility and video will meet the most demanding communications needs effortlessly and in the format that works best for the end user."

Four Steps to Better Communication

1. Build the Foundation: The goal is secure, real-time collaboration capabilities delivered to any device, anywhere, at any time. To make that possible, the supporting network infrastructure has to be up to par. Examine networking, mobility, security and management capabilities to provide a stable and secure foundation for the collaborative enterprise.
2. Introduce Communication Components: IM, portals, web conferencing, UC voice communications and email – these communication technologies and others give a company's employees, partners and customers the ability to communicate with each other in the way that best suits their requirements and preferences. Identifying the right components is only half the battle, though; the other half is choosing integration solutions that can help the CIO maximize return on investment while simultaneously simplifying management and boosting productivity.
3. Embrace Integrated Collaboration: Once the key communication and collaboration components have been identified and integrated into a solid foundation, it's time to enable true video collaboration and extend that to mobile platforms taking care not to sacrifice performance or security. In short, this is the stage where collaboration becomes part of the organization's DNA, and it is at this point that the company's communication and collaboration initiatives really begin to impact both customer and partner relationships.
4. Leverage the Collaborative Enterprise: The fourth and final step of the journey is where communication and collaboration become deeply ingrained in the organization's culture with close alignment to the business' goals allowing real-time interactions and reactions on a global scale. This is the stage where stakeholders are able to leverage the company's investment in collaboration and create competitive advantage while realizing cost efficiencies and productivity gains.

Want to Learn More?

• SmartPros, a leading provider of accredited professional education and training to Fortune 500 companies, interviewed Logicalis' Mike Johnson, Director of Architecture Solutions, Communication & Collaboration, as an expert for its WatchIT video, "Unified Communications: An Introduction," part of the SmartPros eCampus Learning Management System.  Watch the video here: http://www.ict-log.us/wvOkX.
• What five things should you consider when examining an enterprise collaboration solution? Find out here: http://www.ict-log.us/yw2rB.
• Read a Logicalis unified communications article, "Reach Out and Touch Everyone," then find out how Logicalis can help IT pros create an environment where people can work together anywhere, anytime here: http://www.ict-log.us/wvOar.

About Logicalis

Logicalis is an international IT solutions and managed services provider with a breadth of knowledge and expertise in communications and collaboration, data center and cloud services, and managed services.

Logicalis employs nearly 3,700 people worldwide, including highly trained service specialists who design, specify, deploy and manage complex ICT infrastructures to meet the needs of almost 6,000 corporate and public sector customers. To achieve this, Logicalis maintains strong partnerships with technology leaders such as Cisco, HP, IBM, CA Technologies, EMC, NetApp, Microsoft, VMware and ServiceNow.

The Logicalis Group has annualized revenues of $1.6 billion, from operations in Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific, and is fast establishing itself as one of the leading IT and Communications solution integrators specializing in the areas of advanced technologies and services.

The Logicalis Group is a division of Datatec Limited, listed on the Johannesburg and London AIM Stock Exchanges, with revenues of over $5 billion.

For more information, visit www.us.logicalis.com.

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Media contacts:
Lisa Dreher, VP, Marketing & Business Development,
Logicalis US
[email protected]
425-201-8111
www.us.logicalis.com

Karen Franse, Communication Strategy Group for Logicalis US
[email protected]
866-997-2424
www.gocsg.com

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SOURCE Logicalis US