Interoperability: Our Perspective. Part 3: What the Future Holds

[Michael Frendo (Michael_Frendo)]

Some companies may not pay much attention to interoperability today because they deliver a closed solution (often referred to as a walled garden), but I think we’ll see more and more businesses and organizations looking harder and harder for an interoperable solution. They are going to ask smarter questions. Because of that, I think we will see the rise of more standards-based solutions by 2020. I think that will be the norm. Some companies will embrace it completely; others will do the minimum so that they can “check the box”. Still others will go beyond interoperability to deliver integration. They will extend their solutions to work seamlessly across standards and de facto standards.

Bottom line: I see a world that’s more interoperable, more community driven and more supported, and in certain cases well integrated. We may not have to wait until 2020 to get there.

I also think SIP standards will be critical as we move forward. When you look at the ways we’re connecting today – through iPads, phones, pcs or laptops – there are a lot of endpoints to consider. Being able to integrate all those devices will be even more important. The office isn’t the office of yesterday. It’s more wherever you are, whenever you are, whatever device you have. Things are evolving quickly and we’re going to see a more widely diverse means to collaborate.

Or, more pervasive as it were....

Video is becoming the most widely used means to communicate within the enterprise. So much so in fact that a report conducted by both Polycom and Redshift Research found it will surpass email by 2016 as the most preferred means of business communication. Purchasing that video is more than just looking for the most name-recognized brand, or for the least expensive option.  As you look to build your video culture, I urge everyone to do your homework.  Ask the right questions.  All vendors will report they have interoperable solutions. Not all of them have the interoperability you’re looking for and very few will have the level of integration that really makes a difference. 

For more thinking on Interoperability, please the previous posts:

• Interoperability: Our Perspective. Part 1: “Pervasive” Is The Standard We Should All Live By
• Interoperability: Our Perspective. Part 2: What the customer wants…

For more tips on building a video culture within your organization, please see these suggestions from Navin Mehta’s recent blog post: Building a Video Culture Starts with Understanding the Impact.