Before people depended on the Internet and various forms of mobile messaging, communication was rather simple. If you wanted to communicate with someone immediately, you either called or sent a fax, and in many cases, you might have done both in one sitting.

Today, businesses deal with a multitude of communication methods, including email, instant messaging, VoIP, video conferencing, text messaging, and even social media. As a result, many businesses may find themselves in need of unified communications (UC) systems that can integrate all of these communication methods. Moreover, the ability to access unified communications using mobile devices should now be a top priority for businesses and the companies that provide UC services.

The Need to Unify and Go Mobile

The demand for unified communications is rapidly increasing, with the market expected to grow 17 percent annually. The UC market grew to $12.23 billion in 2011 alone, and more companies are realizing the financial benefits of a UC and collaboration system that is more sophisticated and efficient than standalone communications tools.

A unified communication system combines multiple communication technologies into one package. There is no standard set of communication tools that must be included in UC, and the list of common communication methods in UC packages will likely change as communication evolves. Currently, tools like video conferencing and online collaboration are considered necessities.

While the communication methods continue to evolve, so too do the devices that people use to communicate. While the PC once dominated the business market, other devices have now grown firm roots. With more mobile-friendly laptops (or ultrabooks), smartphones, and tablets quickly becoming ubiquitous, it is of paramount importance that businesses accommodate the mobile needs of their employees.

The idea of a business employee working from 9 am to 5 pm at a desk in a cubicle has gradually started to fade. Many workers now do their work on the go: on trains, on planes, at home, in hotels, at conferences, and anywhere else they happen to be. Smartphones and other mobile devices have made this much easier. By 2015, one report indicates thats 1.3 billion professionals will spend a greater amount of time working outside of the office. It will have risen from 1.0 billion in 2010.

All of these mobile professionals need the ability to effectively communicate and access the communication systems that their companies use. Therefore, unified communications must address mobile concerns and be accessible across a wide scope of mobile devices and platforms.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

Like the company car, many employees had become accustomed to using company-issued desktops and laptops. Many even used company mobile phones. Over time, however, the trend has shifted, and employees are now bringing their own mobile devices and using them for work. Now, less than a third of mobile professionals use company-issued mobile phones and laptops. In many cases, this has actually become company policy.

Allowing employees to participate in a “bring your own device” (BYOD) program saves companies the cost of having to supply and support mobile devices. The only notable disadvantage to BYOD is that it may present a security risk. Companies that want to allow employees to bring their own smartphones, tablets, and even laptops should have policies in place to keep their data secure. That may involve requiring every employee to install company security software on their devices.

Overall, the benefits of BYOD largely outweigh the risks, as it lowers the cost of mobility for businesses and also encourages creativity and innovation, as employees can use the devices they are comfortable with and have access to business communications at all times. According to a Trend Micro survey, only 12 percent of companies have ended BYOD programs due to security breaches, which suggests that security may be a concern but is not a serious issue when dealt with preemptively.

Mobilizing Unified Communications

The evidence has established that unified communications is a necessity for business and that many employees need to access work communication tools and applications using mobile devices. The challenge then is to provide professionals with mobile access to UC.

In order to effectively deliver UC systems to all employees, businesses need solutions that work across a wide spectrum of devices and platforms. It is no longer enough for a company to purchase collaboration software that only works on Windows PCs and company-owned Blackberrys. Its UC technology must now perform equally well on Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, iOS, Android, and any other platform that happens to emerge and gain a user base.

UC providers like Cisco believe the way to tackle this issue is to migrate companies to cloud-based UC applications, while also maintaining some hybrid (cloud+on-premises) technology until the migration is complete. Cisco currently offers its Hosted Collaboration Solution (HCS) via the cloud. Others like Polycom and T-Systems also offer technology that is designed to work across multiple platforms and using a variety of communication methods.

One method of actual deployment involves creating mobile apps for each platform. This may provide the most ideal functionality, but it requires dependence on the UC vendor to keep the software updated and secure. An alternative is to deploy a web application that makes use of modern web technology (HTML5) to provide native app-like functionality.

Truly Unified Communications

Unified communications can only work if they are available and usable to everyone who needs them. That means cross-platform support and Internet-based (possibly cloud) access are critical. Furthermore, for unified communications to be effective, companies must look for solutions that truly address all of their communication needs, without sacrificing mission-critical components for the sake of attractive, yet superfluous features. As BYOD continues to gain momentum, mobility in unified communications will be more than just a bonus feature. It will become a necessity.