Fax and Unified Messaging
Unified Messaging: Fact or Fiction?
We use many different types of messaging systems to conduct our daily business. Email, voicemail and fax each evolved distinct from each other, but all are now an intrinsic part of our daily procedures.
In the late 90′s we started hearing about a system that would bring all the various types of messaging together into one place so we didn’t have to bounce between a bunch of different applications and logins to access our messages. For a while it seemed like Unified Messaging was more fog than fact, but we now have a few real services that are actually pulling it off.
A Sketch of What’s Out There
AT&T Unified Messaging
AT&T is an example of one way unified messaging is done. AT&T offers an online solution that is accessible in the following ways.
- Web interface
- iPhone app
- Blackberry app
- iGoogle widget
- Microsoft Vista sidebar widget
AVST CallXpress Platform
CallXpress is a hardware/software server solution designed more for enterprise customers. AVST also has a server solution built for medium-sized businesses. Either solution is incorporated into your existing IT infrastructure.
RingCentral Mobile
RingCentral Mobile gives you voicemails by email, fax by email, SMS notifications, along with a host of other PBX features. Everything is done as a service, meaning you don’t have to add to your office network.
Many of the online fax services have product lines that qualify to be called unified messaging. The three examples listed here demonstrate three ways the task of bundling different types of messaging technologies together has been approached.
See also:
VoIP: Digitizing Talk
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