Do UC What I Mean? Peeking Behind the Veil of Unified Communications.
Behind the buzzwords, unified communications is basically a concept, not a product. Think of road, rail and river transportation throughout the industrial world. The individual elements are linked together in a way that makes it possible for people to reach their destinations faster and easier. Similarly, unified communications simplifies the online travels of employees as they move from one application to another and communicate in various modes throughout a workday. Unified communications integrates technology components so that workers can be more productive.

Here’s an example. Think about how many applications on your computer require a login to complete your daily tasks. You log in to your desktop to start your computer. Then maybe you have a separate login for a CRM tool such as SalesForce.com. Maybe you have a separate IM client that also requires a login. Wouldn’t it be great to save time by using a single login for every application or communication tool you need? This includes Internet browser, Microsoft Office applications, e-mail accounts, accounting or publishing software, and even special applications and services. Single sign-on, a component of unified communications, makes this possible.
With single sign-on, you can log in once and access many systems without being prompted to log in again at each of them – saving time and making you more efficient.