Unified
Messaging - Receive all of your
incoming business communications - voice calls &
faxes -
through one local or toll-free number
The Emergence of
Truly Useful "Unified
Messaging"
Unified messaging is the combining of all of your
incoming business communication streams (voice
calls, voicemail, fax, email, sms) using one central
"unified" local or toll-free number leverages the open
standards and cost-efficiency of the internet to provide
a feature-rich yet uncomplicated and inexpensive means of
bringing all of your business communications together.
In today's ultra-connected business world,
unified messaging is the holy grail of productivity.
The reason for this positive turn of events is easy to
understand. It's the adoption of standard file formats
such as PDF, MP3 and Flash that has made it possible. The
vast majority of internet users are familiar with these
common file types and their computers deeply support
these files in a variety of useful ways. With the rapid
(rabid?) growth of SMS instant messaging, people are now
"texting" more than ever. High demand for PDA and
data-connected Blackberry's and iPhones only serve to
reinforce the trend.
Getting started with unified messaging can be simply a
matter of aggregating your normal streams of incoming
faxes and voicemail into your email inbox instead of your
fax machine and phone at your desk. However, you can also
use high-tech features like dictating a message into your
cell phone for intelligent delivery to the intended
recipient in a variety of possible formats like text
email, fax, or voice recording. And unified messaging
works both ways - your incoming voicemail can be received
on your cell phone as a text message or in your email as
text and/or audio. You can even set up a full-blown
virtual PBX with auto-attendant, music on-hold, and
sophisticated call routing. It's entirely up to you now.
According to Wikipedia: "Unified Messaging solutions
are increasingly accepted in the corporate environment.
The aim of deploying Unified Messaging solutions
generally is to enhance and improve business processes as
well as services."
They go on to say, "Unified Messaging
solutions targeting professional end-user customers
integrate communications processes into the existing IT
infrastructure, i. e. into CRM, ERP and mail systems (e.
g. Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes, SAP, etc.)".
MyOnlineFaxMachine.com has extensively reviewed all of
the major unified messaging service providers.
Our Top Pick for
Unified Messaging is RingCentral.
Try
RingCentral Online FREE for 30 Days