User-Centric Approach is Key for UC Implementations in the Enterprise: Avaya Managing Principle

In late September of this year, TMC CEO Rich Tehrani (News - Alert) had the opportunity to attend the launch of Avaya's (News - Alert) groundbreaking unified communications software, known as Avaya Flare Experience. This software product provides users with real-time communications and collaboration tools, including desktop video, audio/video/web conferencing, social media access, presence, instant messaging and many other services.

At TMC's (News - Alert) most recent global communications conference, ITEXPO West 2010, Tehrani was able to catch up with few a few of Avaya's top executives to further discuss this platform as well as some of Avaya's other new offerings.

One of the people that Tehrani was able to sit down with was Christian Goffi, managing principle at Avaya Professional Services, which works hand-in-hand with businesses to help them integrate and optimize communications technologies and applications such as Avaya Flare Experience.

During the interview, Tehrani asked Goffi about the common mistakes that businesses make when they implement UC technologies. Goffi responded that the biggest misstep is when organizations make UC installments more about infrastructure than user benefits.

"When you talk about unified communications, it has a lot to do with the user experience, and you cannot overlook how important it is to gain a decent level of adoption of a given technology," he said.

"I have run into many business situations where a customer has spent a considerable amount of capital in getting end points, telepresence and special rooms for video that were meant to realize cost savings, but in the end there was a cultural element that was overlooked," Goffi added.

When asked by Tehrani how Avaya helps its clients avoid this pitfall, Goffi noted that his company's professional services group doesn't take a product approach to IT decision making, but rather concentrates its efforts on the wants and needs of the end user.

"Just assuming that technology will get adopted is a primary concern that we see every day," Goitti concluded. 

Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Juliana Kenny