UC

Unified communications (UC) is the integration of real-time communication services such as Instant messaging (chat), presence information, telephony (including IP telephony), video conferencing, data sharing, call control and speech recognition with nonreal-time communication services such as unified messaging (integrated voicemail, e-mail, SMS and fax).

 Unified communications (UC) is a new

technological architecture whereby communication tools are integrated so that both businesses and individuals can manage all their communications in one entity instead of separately.

In short, unified communications

bridges the gap between VoIP and other computer related communication technologies.

Unified messaging and multimedia services This includes voice communication in all its forms, voicemail, email, fax and other types of multimedia elements like pictures, animations, video etc. Real-time communications Real-time systems involve getting immediate processing and response after input. Examples are conferencing, call screening, instant messaging, paging etc. Data services This includes information delivery like web data, online services etc. Transactions This covers transactions made online, through the web or otherwise, like e-commerce, enterprise applications, online banking etc.

UC allows an individual to send a message on one medium and receive the same communication on another medium. For example, one can receive a voicemail message and choose to access it through e-mail or a cell phone.

In its broadest sense UC can encompass all forms of communications that are exchanged via the medium of the TCP/IP network to include other forms of communications such as Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and Digital Signage Communications

Unified communications is not a single product but rather a solution which consists of various elements, including (but not limited to) the following: call control and multimodal communications, presence, instant messaging, unified messaging, speech access and personal assistant, conferencing, collaboration tools, mobility, business process integration (BPI) and a software solution to enable business process integration

 In cooperation with Nortel, Microsoft is developing

the Office Communications Server 2007 (OCS) its first SoftPBX.

The Office Communications Server is the heart of

Microsofts new Unified Communications (UC) strategy.

Generic Network
Phones

PBX
`

User

Firewall Fax, Printer, Copier

User

Internet Router

User User Email Server DNS Server

Email
Firewall Internet Router

DNS Bind, DJBDns ns1.ishisystems.com Email Server Sendmail / Postfix (vaibhav.sharma@Ishisystems.com)

Instant Messaging
vaibhav.sharma@ishisystems.com

DNS

dalfry@jabber.org

Internet

jabber.ishisystems.com

jabber.org

Asterisk / SER / VOIP

POTS

Asterisk PBX PDA / Smart Phones (SIP / IAX / H323) Network / Internet

+1-201-332-80xx

Mobile Users (Soft Phones / ATA)

SER SIP Proxy / Registrar

Integration
Email

Jabber VaibhaV Sharma vaibhav.sharma@ishisystems.com +1-201-332-8010

Directory Server (OpenLDAP)

Asterisk VOIP / FAX

+1-201-332-8010

Features
VOIP Extensions anywhere, reachable from anywhere
Common ID for Email, IM and SIP URL Same number for Fax and Voice Email Notification for Voicemail IM notification for incoming calls and Voicemail

Instant messaging
Presence notification for extensions

In May 2010, the Unified Communications Interoperability Forum (UCIF) was announced. UCIF is an independent, non-profit alliance between technology companies that creates and tests interoperability profiles, implementation guidelines, and [best practices] for interoperability between UC products and existing communications and business applications. The original founding members were HP, Juniper Networks, Logitech / LifeSize, Microsoft, and Polycom Other members are Acme Packet, Aspect, AudioCodes, Broadcom, BroadSoft, Brocade Communications Systems, ClearOne, Jabra, Plantronics, Radvision, Siemens Enterprise Communications, and Teliris

Siemens, Alcatel-Lucent, AltiGen, Cisco, Nortel, Avaya and Mitel realized the potential for eliminating the traditional PBX or Key System and replacing it with a solution based on IP

Asterisk / SER Configuration

Configure and associate DIDs with extensions Use SpanDSP for Fax to Email, maybe Hylafax SIP naming scheme to follow email addresses Asterisk / SER Jabber Integration Enable and use SIMPLE, Jabber to SIMPLE gateway Email notification for Voicemail Use Asterisk realtime configuration and LDAP auth