The modern tech world is defined by a whirlwind of new communication technologies, from text messaging to video conferences, voice on demand and more. Workers use these technologies in their daily lives and expect them in the workplace. Combining the torrent of new communication methods into one common business solution is the goal of Unified Communications (UC). This practice is only growing and will be a major part of business strategy in the future.

To get a glimpse of how businesses are adapting to UC, John Furrier, cohost of theCUBE, from the SiliconANGLE Media team, spoke to Elka Popova, global program director of unified communications at Frost & Sullivan, at the Enterprise Connect 2016 event in Orlando, Florida.

Cloud communications

“We’re seeing a lot of excitement around the cloud for unified communications,” Popova said. The growth of UC, she continued, is driven by a number of factors, an arsenal of new communication tools. To more efficiently manage their solutions, businesses are moving their communications to the cloud.

Legacy communication solutions can be complex, but UC, as a practice, is meant to simplify things for the user. This is happening on-premise and in the cloud, Popova said.

Integrating communication and productivity

One of the main challenges today is how to use these advanced tools to improve business processes, Popova explained. To accomplish this, businesses are seeking to integrate communication tools with their productivity apps. Business is moving closer to the vision of communication being an enabler for productivity, agility and competitive advantage.

Business users are much more savvy, bringing their consumer tools into the workplace environment. “Businesses need to adapt to the new realities,” Popova stated. Companies need to capitalize on these trends, provide users the right tools and technologies, and make sure it’s all secure. Companies need to make these new communications part of their business strategy.

Watch the full interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of Enterprise Connect 2016.

Photo by SiliconANGLE