Jump into the UC Mosh Pit

How to Get Started with Unified Communications Now!

There’s so much information, spin, hype, insight and vendor variation on the unified communications trend today, it’s difficult for resellers and system integrators to know where to get started and how to make money. How much heavy lifting is involved? What kind of commitments must be made? What are the sales cycles like?

At Dialogic, unified communications is viewed as a set of multi-media applications that are available from software vendors and solution providers. These applications can be sold and integrated by voice and data resellers as adjunct solutions to existing enterprise PBX systems. It doesn’t really matter whose PBX you already sell. And at Dialogic, we provide the platforms and technology to enable those applications. In essence, this is what Dialogic has always done – provide enabling voice platforms for new applications that drive productivity broadly or in vertical markets. Starting with applications such as voice mail and auto attendant solutions in the 80’s, continuing with contact center solutions in the 90’s, and today adding unified messaging and unified communications.

As a software application vendor (and a big one at that), Microsoft has led the market with an aligned vision and message to the enterprise: Add VoIP based unified communications as software to your existing voice infrastructure. No need to rip and replace your existing PBX. This is the Microsoft mantra coming loud and clear as it introduces the much anticipated Microsoft^® Office Communications Server 2007 product this fall. And true to form, Dialogic is at the forefront of enabling this adjunct solution with its PBX integration technology and expertise. We do this with a range of TDM to SIP Dialogic^® Media Gateway product families tested and approved for use with Microsoft^® Unified Communications (UC) Products.

So how might you as a reseller profit from this? Be a part of it. You’ll have fun (and let’s face it; in business terms, that means making money). Let me tell you a strange personal story and try to make it an analogy.

Once in the 1990’s I went to a Nine Inch Nails concert, somewhat by accident since they were the opening act for David Bowie, who I really wanted to see.  As Nine Inch Nails took the stage, the folding chairs on the risers in my area of the arena began to disappear over our heads, including mine by unseen hands, and I suddenly found my mid-thirties self in the middle of the teen & twenties crowd  mosh pit - remember those? Some kind of evolved slam dancing, kick-boxing, punch your neighbor in kidneys type of thing, all to the pulse and roar of heavy, electronic-infused metal. At first I feared for my life and took a defensive stance trying to protect my personal space. I wasn’t happy. But then an epiphany, a voice (maybe it was a Nine Inch Nails lyric). “Don’t fight against the mosh, fight with the mosh. ”Heck* - I wasn’t going to let these insurgents* bruise my ego and torso willy nilly and ruin my night! So I started moshing, easily at first jumping rhythmically with the crowd and landing a few choice elbows in my neighbors’ ribs, and then later with wild fist flying body surfing abandon. It was great. It felt good. Yeah, I got banged up a bit here and there, but so did everyone around me; it was fun and I’ll always remember it. By the way Nine Inch Nails totally rocked and David Bowie looked old and in the way by comparison.

So what’s the point? Consider diving in with the new UC apps; it could be fun! But do it in a way that allows you and your customers to add UC into their existing gear. Maybe explore the new applications with your customers. Use them yourself. Do a small pilot with presence, IM and VoIP on a soft client for an information work group. Or perhaps add some UC soft phone clients for remote workers and home offices. Think about trying some mobile UC soft clients on smart phones and tying them in with UC presence, IM, one number access and the like. Expand with the success these can bring. Then maybe add collaboration servers, or even communications to enable a business process. As a set of adjunct applications, you can do these things without disrupting your business infrastructure or your customers.

See – throw a few elbows, move with the music and pretty soon you might find yourself an expert UC mosher having a lot of fun out there. And when I say fun, I mean in a business way seeing dollar signs $$.  

*sanitized by the Dialogic legal team for your reading pleasure.

Bud Walder is the Worldwide Enterprise Market Manager for Dialogic. Dialogic is one of the most recognized names in the media and signaling industry. Founded in 1984, the company has over 600 dedicated employees operating out in 30+ sites worldwide. With more than 5,000 customers in over 100 countries, Dialogic has shipped over 35 million ports of media and signaling products worldwide. Dialogic is a long-standing Microsoft Gold Partner. Find out more at www.dialogic.com/microsoftuc.