2. WHat is Unified
CommUniCations?
Ever had issues getting hold of someone?
Fed up of voicemail tennis?
imagine always knowing that someone is available before you call them. no more ringing an empty desk, or
having their colleague pick up only to tell you that they’re away; no more fruitless voicemails or requests to
pass on a message.
Imagine getting a response to your query in seconds rather than waiting hours for a reply to your email.
Or imagine simply being able to work with colleagues across different offices, just as easily as if you were sat
next to them: effective real-time collaboration through live document sharing, Instant Messaging (IM) group
chats and video conferencing.
InTechnology’s Hosted Unified Communications gives you normal communications, just better: fewer delays,
faster responses, more efficient working.
inteCHnoLogy Hosted oCs
InTechnology’s managed telephony service just got better
InTechnology has integrated its managed telephony system, Unity IP Voice, with Microsoft’s Hosted Office
Communications Server 2007 R2 – the first UK provider to do this. We are proud to offer our customers the option
of a fully hosted telephony service that is integrated with their Microsoft® desktop environment.
To a user this means their phone system is now part of their desktop. From applications such as Microsoft CRM, they
can see if contacts are available to speak, or from Microsoft Outlook® they can click-to-dial someone directly from an email.
By ‘unifying’ the different ways your users already communicate, they can work more efficiently and reduce duplication
of effort. In addition, communicating gets a lot simpler – staff can switch between voice, IM, video calling, conferencing,
and desktop sharing at the click of a button without needing to start new applications.
3. BUsiness in ReaL-time
Customer Feedback
Hosted oCs has significantly improved their day-to-day working.
For example, the Video Calling feature is now being used by some Hosted OCS users as their primary
tool for communication with colleagues across Europe and the UK. Regular video conferences are
held to discuss issues amongst colleagues simultaneously. Being able to see the person has given an
enriched call experience.
Desktop Sharing has also proven to be very popular. Some customers regularly share documents
on their screen with colleagues during a conference, so they can talk through it in real-time and any
questions or queries can be flagged up there and then. When they need to amend something, they just
hand over control of the screen to another colleague and the document is edited. The amount of time
saved by working in this way has been significant, in addition to the time saved by not needing to meet
face-to-face.
The savings in travel and communications have been a pleasant surprise. Hosted OCS has reduced the
need for travel and associated costs, and because all calls, conferencing and messaging run across the
existing corporate network, there is no charge to anywhere in the world.
Even getting the service up and running was easy. As a hosted service there were no investment costs
and no hassle to implement the service; once the user accounts have been created, it’s ready to go.
for your free 30 day Hosted oCs trial please register at
www.intechnology.com/hosteduc or contact your intechnology
account manager.
or for more information contact us on:
0800 983 2522
email: hosteduc@intechnology.com
4. Key featURes
Presence
You can now see the availability of everyone in
your organisation, and even the availability of your
customers and suppliers if they allow. Presence
is also integrated with your Unity IP Voice phone
system so you can see if someone is on the phone.
Click to dial
Instead of looking up someone’s phone number, just click the phone icon next to their name
in Office Communicator, Outlook, CRM or SharePoint, and the Unity IP Voice system will
connect you.
instant messaging
Microsoft’s corporate Instant Messaging (IM) is like email but - unlike email - you usually get a
response in seconds rather than hours. This is because IM is designed for quick questions and
users tend to respond as soon as the IM message window pops up on their screen. Microsoft IM
is also logged in Microsoft Outlook so you have a secure record of any conversation.
5. Video Calling
Using either your laptop’s webcam or an external USB camera, you can now upgrade an IM chat
or phone call to a high quality video call with a single click. Microsoft OCS automatically adjusts the
video call depending on how much bandwidth you have available, so it works even on slower links.
desktop sharing
With a single click, you can now work on any document with colleagues in other offices by showing
them your screen instead of you having to describe it. With another click, you can also give them
the ability to make changes directly to your document.
Conferencing
One of the most powerful features within Microsoft OCS is the ability to hold multi-way ad hoc
conferences. You can start off with a simple IM group chat, then escalate to an audio conference
with a click, or even a full-blown video conference. For more formal meetings, you can use the
built-in Microsoft Live Meeting capability.
6. faQs
My organisation already uses Unity IP Voice. What do I need to do to integrate my
existing phone system with InTechnology’s Hosted OCS service?
Integrating your existing Unity IP Voice system with our Hosted OCS service is straightforward. There are three steps:
1. Provide InTechnology with the names of the Unity IP Voice users who need OCS integration.
2. Install Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 software on their desktops. This software will be provided to you by
InTechnology and installation takes only a few minutes.
3. Configure the Microsoft Office Communicator client with the user’s email address, password, and the address of the
InTechnology OCS server. Note that this can be automated if you use Microsoft Group Policy.
How is the InTechnology Hosted OCS service charged for?
Charging is on a per user, per month basis. We provide you with access to a web portal so that you can add, remove,
upgrade or downgrade OCS user accounts without needing to contact InTechnology. We then invoice you each month on the
number of active OCS accounts for that month (subject to any minimum commitment you may have agreed with InTechnology).
What are the benefits of a hosted OCS solution compared with an in-house OCS deployment?
The main benefits of a hosted OCS service are:
1. Speed of deployment. We can get you up and running in a couple of days, not weeks or possibly months.
2. Flexibility. You only pay for exactly what you use each month, rather than buying Microsoft licences upfront.
Many customers have purchased OCS licences but have never deployed them; with the InTechnology service, you only pay
for OCS users that are actually deployed.
3. Low risk. Not sure if OCS is for you? You can try out the InTechnology service with a small pilot group before deciding to
proceed to a full roll-out. There is no server to buy, no software to purchase, or expensive consultants to pay to design
and install it.
Can you integrate Unity IP Voice with my existing in-house Microsoft OCS system?
No. Unity IP Voice is only integrated with InTechnology’s Hosted OCS service and cannot currently be integrated with a
premise-based OCS system.
How much bandwidth do I need to use video calling and video conferencing?
A video call requires a minimum of 50kb/s per stream. Microsoft OCS uses a rate adaptive codec which means it will
adjust the bandwidth depending on the network speed. A high quality VGA call, for example, will use 600kb/s if the network
is fast enough.
Will InTechnology’s Hosted OCS service integrate with my existing Microsoft Exchange system?
Yes, the service integrates with Microsoft Outlook rather than Microsoft Exchange. We recommend Outlook 2007 for full
integration, although Outlook 2003 is still supported by Microsoft.
Can I try it out before deciding to buy it?
Yes, you can try the Hosted OCS service free of charge for 30 days. Please contact InTechnology or your Account Manager
for details.
www.intechnology.com