New White Paper by Leading Analyst Firm Details Advent of "Personal UC"

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The original promise of truly integrated unified communications (UC) is only now being delivered, according to a new white paper released today by leading analyst firm ZK Research. Advances in UC are being driven in large part by the necessity of enabling a remote and mobile workforce to be as connected as those in the office. According to ZK Research, communications platforms must evolve into truly unified, personal solutions to meet the needs of the changing mobile workplace.

The paper, titled "Mobility Drives Need for Personal Unified Communications" and sponsored by ShoreTel® (NASDAQ: SHOR), also discusses how, for the first time, five generations are represented in the workforce, each with its own preferred devices and methods of working and communicating which is changing the very nature of work and collaboration. As a result, ZK Research proposes that "Personal UC" – the ability to deliver a consistent set of integrated UC services in a simple, intuitive way to any user, on any device, in any location – will be a significant advancement in the communications industry.

"The findings by ZK Research back up the desire we've been hearing from our customers for a platform that delivers a consistent user experience across cloud, premises and hybrid communications system deployments," said Pej Roshan, vice president of product management at ShoreTel. "This year ShoreTel will be delivering a next-gen platform that will enable customers to access the same brilliantly simple ShoreTel solution on which we've built a reputation in a cloud, premises or hybrid environment across multiple endpoints to suit their needs."

The ZK Research white paper suggests why a shift to a Personal UC strategy is critical for increasing productivity and engagement with employees, customers and partners to deliver better top- and bottom-line corporate results.

"Unified communications long held the promise of being a highly transformative technology with the power to improve worker productivity, lower communications costs and enable organizations to create new business processes – yet only a minority of businesses have fully implemented UC today," said Zeus Kerravala, founder and principal analyst with ZK Research. "This is because IT has had a nearly impossible task of integrating multiple and distinct systems from telephony to collaboration."

The white paper recommends IT leaders look for already integrated solutions that can be deployed with the utmost flexibility and still provide a common experience, leveraging the cloud where it fits best while protecting legacy investments. A common integrated platform and user experience with multiple deployment options are ideal.

Other criteria to consider when choosing a Personal UC solution provider include the availability of multiple delivery models, a single code base, a single experience across devices, an easy-to-use interface that requires little training, a strong channel program, a broad range of managed and professional services, and high customer satisfaction scores.

The white paper is available for download. In addition, Kerravala will be hosting a webinar to discuss the findings on Thurs., Feb. 26 at 12 p.m. ET – register here.

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About ShoreTel
ShoreTel, Inc. (NASDAQ: SHOR) is a leading provider of brilliantly simple IP phone systems and unified communications solutions. Its award-winning on-premises IP-PBX solution and cloud-based hosted phone system eliminate complexity and improve productivity. Recognized for its industry-leading customer experience and support, ShoreTel's innovative business phones, application integration, collaboration tools, mobility, and contact center applications enable users to communicate and collaborate no matter the time, place or device, with minimal demand on IT resources. ShoreTel is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., and has regional offices and partners worldwide. For more information, visit www.shoretel.com.

ShoreTel and the ShoreTel logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of ShoreTel, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks, trade names and service marks herein are the property of their respective owners.

Media contact: 
Katie Maller
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SOURCE ShoreTel

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