Unified Communications has been invented to speed up communications, internally and externally by ensuring everyone can communicate via whatever platform they like (mobile, tablet, PC) but access it all from the one place whilst syncing automatically.
There is a huge demand for schools, colleges and universities to be flexible, agile and fast to react. Unified Communications (UC) helps you do that by bringing together different technologies to run in sync so that a you can run effectively and increase your communication, internally and externally.
How does Unified Communications help Schools, Colleges and Universities?
- Connect the faculty – With Unified Communications, your faculty staff members can communicate quickly and through any device. Instant Messaging allows you to set up a chat between two staff members or multiple. A conversation can be carried out regarding timetables, courses, school trips and students without having to catch your colleagues in between classes and missing each other. It helps to speed up any decisions.
- Connect the students – Enable conversations between teachers and students for 1-2-1 help or classroom discussions.
- Improve Parental Communication - Some parents work far away and find it difficult to make it to parents’ evenings or meetings with teachers. Also, sometime you need both parents in the room to talk about a child. With video conferencing, you can do it at a time that suits all parties a lot easier than getting everyone into the school.
- Remote Learning – Using the video conferencing features, teachers can deliver lessons to students regardless of where the students or teacher may be. This is particularly useful for those who are distance learning or simply too poorly to attend the physical class. The Instant Messaging feature also promotes real-time discussions.
- Share Course Plans and Resources – share and edit documents such as course plans from one central place
- Crisis Management – Schools, Colleges and Universities that can notify the right personnel of an emergency with a push of a button are more prepared and are safer. When a crisis occurs, lives can be saved with more efficient communications.
A simplified example of Unified Communications
A simplified example of Unified Communications would be Google:
As a search engine, you can find the answers to your burning questions within the blink of an eye. They take it further with Gmail, Docs, Calendar, Hangouts and the use of a Gmail account for instant messaging. You can even place phone calls
Similarly, with Apple products (a touchy subject for some), you can seamlessly integrate your iPhone, iMac and iPad accessing each other.
You’ve got it, Unified Communications.
What can Unified Communications merge?
Unified Communications can bring together multiple forms of communication channels such as voice, video, software, data etc using one device. We have gone past the desk phone and email being enough.
Some key features of Unified Communication features:
- Instant messaging
- “Availability” – knowing if the person you need to contact is free or busy
- Conferencing applications
- Teamwork applications – to coordinate work on group projects
- Video conferencing
- Voice & click to call (from any directory, e.g. Outlook)
- Voice messaging – to e-mail and phones
- File sharing
- Softphones
- Directory integration
Unified Communications Tools
We have tried and tested many Unified Communications tools and there are three tools that are a cut above the rest; Mitel MiCollab, Horizon Collaborate and Wildix Collaboration.
They all have similar features which are ideal for schools, colleges and universities although, MiCollab does have some more advanced features available.
The best solution is to demo all three with us. We can take you through how each one can benefit you and advise you on the costing structure. Depending on the number of users would depend on what option you’d most likely be suited to.