When it comes to unified communications (UC) products, there are always plenty of choices. The field is rapidly evolving, and offering many more options with each passing year. Figuring out just which such programs are the best of the class, of course, is a much tougher task, and to that end, Presence Technology has recently announced its Presence Suite 9 has won the 2012 Unified Communications Product of the Year award from INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine.
So what led INTERNET TELEPHONY to give the nod to Presence Suite 9? Among other things, the sheer variety of features and, in turn, applications according to Presence Technology's Mike Mandato, the executive vice president for North America. The newest release of Presence Suite 9 offers with it a new Presence Web Agent with a Web-based real-time communications (WebRTC) backing, as well as several new platforms' worth of support for its Web Supervisory interface, including Android tablets, iPad, and even Google Chrome.
Using WebRTC, in turn, not only allowed Presence Suite 9 to improve the audio quality, according to Presence Technology's Chief Technology Officer Francisco Segovia, but also allowed for simpler overall installation and easier integration with the customer relationship management (CRM) software that was already in place. Using WebRTC further allows the system to operate without the need for third-party plug-ins, like Java, ActiveX or Flash that can get in the way of smooth and easy operation.
WebRTC is often widely regarded as a growing--and increasingly important--part of the wider communications landscape, looking to simplify telecommunications by compressing several different functions like voice and video chat, as well as file sharing, into a standard Web browser. While it doesn't exactly have a wide reach as yet--and several other competing versions are starting to emerge as well--it's rapidly growing and looking to become one of the biggest things in communications in a long time. With applications ranging from gaming to conferencing, powering the next-generation mobile workforce, and well beyond, WebRTC certainly has plenty of room for growth.
Presence Technology, meanwhile, is seemingly looking to get in on the growth phase early, using WebRTC standards and principles in the construction of its own products, especially Presence Suite 9. Already, using WebRTC in Presence Suite 9 has yielded tangible results, as mentioned earlier, and is likely to produce steadily more results as the overall standard of WebRTC evolves from there. A lack of dependence on plug-ins and the like makes installation smoother, and thus more efficient for its users. Users can get back to work in much more rapid fashion, the kind of efficiency that any business prizes.
Indeed, it's a safe bet that more applications for WebRTC will show up in the coming days. With systems like Presence Technology's Presence Suite 9 showing off the kind of power and impact that WebRTC can have, it's a safe bet that has plenty of support.
Edited by
Jamie Epstein
