Unified Messaging

Unified messaging (UM) assembles all e-mail, fax, and voice mail messages (for both wireline and wireless devices) into a single mailbox for one user. While UM systems have been available from several vendors, for about a decade, their acceptance in the market has been quite poor, at much less than 10% of corporate users, compared with the universal utilization of voice mail. This reluctance to invest in UM can be explained by the relatively high cost of software licenses and, perhaps more importantly, the perceived cost of system management.

The proponents of UM claim that a mobile worker, with multiple single-purpose mailboxes, can greatly optimize communications management and save at least 30 minutes of working time each day. With UM, users can review, manage, and answer any electronic messages, using a desktop or mobile phone, or a PDA.

A major capability of UM is that messages can be translated to the most useful medium, so that text message and facsimile headers can be read by a synthesized voice and voice messages can be played through a laptop. A user can point and click through all the message titles and selectively listen to a desired message while quickly deleting junk mail. The possibility of outsourcing the provision and administration of UM to a service provider is one of the prime justifications for IP-Centrex.

Table 1 shows estimates of the first-year costs for implementing and operating an in-house UM system for 500 users. The continuing costs, from the second year onward, will include hardware and software maintenance (at 10% of initial costs), a system administration person, and software upgrades, all of which may amount to $1 10,000 each year.


Table 1: First-Year Costs of UM System

The total monthly fee for UM from a competitive service provider would likely be in the $20 to $30 range, or perhaps $12,000 for 500 users (i.e., $150,000 annually).

The large first-year costs for acquisition and installation so outweigh the outsourced charges that the managed UM service linked to IP-Centrex shows a worthwhile savings even after 7 years, which probably exceeds the viable system lifetime. Some advantages from owning an on-site UM system, such as better security control and immediate system management action, can be identified. These should be evaluated against the relief from management headaches that a well-managed service can provide and the choice can then be based on the organization's requirements and culture.