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Edouard de Fonclare, Avaya: Three Consumer Trends That Can Transform Your Organization

February 2012 by Edouard de Fonclare, Avaya

For decades there has been a clear line in the sand between consumer technology and the
enterprise-class solutions used in the workplace. But increasingly, that boundary is blurring.
Technology has become such a large part of our world away from work that we expect our
favorite devices and applications to transfer seamlessly to the office.
Organizations with the courage to innovate are finding ways to harness popular consumer
technologies and transform the way they do business. As a result, they are able to offer less
expensive and more effective communication choices and promote faster and easier
collaboration with customers and colleagues.

Here are three consumer-driven trends that are beginning to take hold in businesses around
the globe.

· Consumer devices are displacing work devices.

Smartphones, tablet PCs and other personal communication tools are making their way into the
workplace. In fact, many employers are providing employees with a stipend and telling them to
“bring your own device.” It’s a development that’s getting a lot of attention these days, but
with good cause. Increasingly employees want the convenience of a single device that meets
both their business and personal needs – and they know what they like. It’s clear they prefer
the latest gadget they’ve selected on their own.
That’s especially true among members of the “Hyperconnected Generation” born after 1980.

These tech-savvy individuals have never known life without the Internet, mobile devices and
social networking. They now represent 25 percent of the world’s population and an
increasingly large percentage of our workforce. Studies show nearly eight out of ten of them
want to work while on the go, and well over half want the flexibility to choose when they work
as well. Companies who want to recruit and retain younger workers would do well to embrace
their interests – helping them work seamlessly from anywhere, at any time, and on whatever
device they choose.

The trick, though, is blending personal devices into an enterprise architecture. SIP technology
and unified communications can be major enablers, allowing companies to bring enterpriseclass
applications to a wide range of consumer devices and manage them seamlessly and
securely. The result is greatly expanded capabilities – accessible through the device the
employee prefers to use.

One example: Unified communications applications can be easily ported from the desktop to a
personal smartphone or tablet PC. With the full functionality of the office communication
system at their fingertips, employees can easily change gears and slip into work mode from
home, the grocery or a local shopping mall. They can answer a call to their office number, send
an instant message to a client or colleague, use visual voicemail to prioritize messages, respond
to voice calls and group pages, initiate a conference call and record it, and even use presence
features to see which colleagues are available to answer a question.

· Consumer applications are invading the enterprise.

It isn’t just consumer devices that are making their way into the enterprise, but consumer
applications as well. Using multimedia instant messaging to send text, photos, video and
contact information to family and friends is commonplace, so why not use the same technology
to communicate with colleagues in the workplace? If you can see far-flung acquaintances via a
simple video application on your home PC or laptop, it seems normal – even expected – to have
the same easy-to-use technology at work.
Even gaming is invading the workplace in new and profound ways, with game-like interfaces
becoming central to many business processes. In fact, Gartner analysts say that by 2014, more
than 70 percent of Global 2000 companies will have at least one “gamified” application.
Gaming holds particular promise for innovation processes, customer service, training and other
important corporate functions that benefit from a high degree of engagement and interaction.
If you make gaming part of your unified communications network, for example, you can
connect people in real time for more effective collaboration. You simply build an online
environment that simulates a shared office or conference room. Employees in remote sites
around the globe can build better rapport and establish closer personal relationships by
working virtually as if they were in the same location. They can attend meetings, participate in
joint training sessions or even share a private conversation as if they were standing side-byside.

· Customers are demanding a broader “on ramp.”

For years companies have relied on the telephone for customer service and support. But a
recent Global Consumer Preference study shows that well over half of consumers prefer to use
email or the Web to contact a company instead of the phone.
Innovative organizations are responding by significantly expanding the “on ramp” customers
can use to reach them. The result is faster and more flexible service, whether a customer
prefers the Web, instant messaging, email, desktop or mobile video, a kiosk or some other
channel of communication.
New contact center widgets are even allowing companies to build connectivity into online
social networks. Using a mouse or the touch-screen of a mobile device, customers can click to
reach your company in the fashion they prefer, without having to dial a phone number or type
an email address. Your agents can readily share documents and multimedia content online so
the customer can make a purchase decision or resolve a problem.
It should be no surprise that contact centers are becoming central command posts for this
complex mix of media – especially when it comes to social networks. In addition to managing
customer contacts, agents are using new applications to monitor the Internet for opinions
about their company and its offers. They are tracking trends and proactively engaging
customers using including Twitter, Facebook, blogs and other social media channels. They also
are using online video to deliver information across multiple platforms – reaching millions of
prospects with a single, integrated campaign.

Addressing the infrastructure challenges

Incorporating consumer-driven trends into your workplace is not without its challenges – from
potential security issues to reliability concerns. So begin by taking a hard look at your
underlying infrastructure. Make certain you centralize your network operations and
applications so your security policies can be broadly implemented. Look for platforms designed
to integrate multivendor networks, operating systems, devices and applications. Select unified
communications and contact center applications with the flexibility to handle multiple types of
communication channels.

Offering the kinds of multimedia interactions expected by today’s always-connected, on-the-go
employees and consumers can help you increase both the effectiveness and productivity of
your organization – closing more business and driving higher levels of customer satisfaction.


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