Unify2 Introduces Comprehensive Reporting/Billing and Bandwidth Management Product Suite for Enterprise Office Communications Server
New PowerView and PowerPlan Products Help Enterprises Optimize their Office Communications Server Operations through Detailed Usage Analysis, Billing Integration, and Bandwidth Planning
REDMOND, WA -- December 17, 2009 -- Unify2, a leading services and solutions firm in Unified Communications (UC) and Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS), announced today a software product suite designed to help global enterprises optimize their UC investments by monitoring and driving OCS usage, integrating with billing and chargeback information, and enabling comprehensive bandwidth planning across the enterprise.
The Unify2 PowerView offering is a sophisticated product for global enterprises looking to better track and measure OCS deployments based on business division or geography, and includes integrated billing options that can track and charge-back costs across business units. The PowerPlan offering, complementary to PowerView, enables an enterprise to determine its expected OCS bandwidth consumption across its entire network infrastructure, based on enterprise-specific usage parameters to “right-size” its network and facilitate a quality OCS end-user experience.
PowerView generates detailed reports on enterprise OCS adoption, identifying usage patterns and estimated cost savings achieved through the use of enterprise voice, video conferencing, instant messaging, and application sharing. PowerView provides a series of customizable reports that address the following needs:
- OCS Usage Analysis: Tracks OCS usage across the enterprise over time, adoption of OCS workloads and features, customized around organization hierarchy, department, business divisions or geography.
- OCS Operations Optimization:Tracks communications device and client usage, and provides inbound and outbound voice call trends by geography or organization, which is geared towards reducing infrastructure costs.
- OCS Billing Integration:Provides two options for implementing departmental billing, with subscriber fixed-fee or usage-based billing models. Enterprises can calculate and share costs assigned to different business units, and optionally export the data to corporate finance applications.
- OCS ROI Tracking:Tracks cost savings of deploying OCS for internal and PSTN dial-in conferences based on per-user per-minute savings.
"PowerView gives IT executives, managers, and administrators a comprehensive dashboard for their enterprise-wide OCS deployments, to help them drive usage and adoption consistently across their entire enterprise, and optimize device and infrastructure investments and internal operations," said Sonu Aggarwal, Unify2 CEO. "PowerPlan allows the enterprise to plan for its OCS bandwidth needs across the entire enterprise and for all OCS workloads including voice, conferencing, and video. Used together, PowerPlan and PowerView allow the enterprise to build a robust infrastructural foundation that enables a quality OCS experience, and refine that foundation on an ongoing basis as their deployment expands across the enterprise or covers additional workloads or upgrades over time."
Unify2 PowerPlan
PowerView is enhanced further by Unify2 PowerPlan, a new product that for the first time allows a global OCS enterprise to develop a comprehensive bandwidth model for its expected actual OCS bandwidth consumption, across all the network nodes and links of interest, including all branch offices in the enterprise. PowerPlan allows the enterprise to simulate the impact of OCS workloads across a representation of its entire enterprise network, and thereby estimate the maximal bandwidth consumption on each link in actual operation. PowerPlan factors in current network consumption by other applications on the enterprise network, and can provide an enterprise with an integrated picture of its network needs both in the planning phase itself, as well as on an ongoing basis as its OCS usage and other network applications change over time. By understanding its actual usage using PowerView, an enterprise can refine its bandwidth consumption model using PowerPlan. Used together, PowerPlan and PowerView enable an enterprise to “right-size” its network for OCS on a continuous basis.
PowerView Features
- Customized Hierarchical Drilldowns: Enables enterprises to leverage their own terminology and structural organization for both geographies and business structure for accessing reports and graphs.
- Tablix Reports: Combines capabilities from drilldowns, tables and matrixes, enabling efficient and flexible browsing of tabular data, by allowing expanding or collapsing of sections.
- Export Data: Exports data to numerous formats such as Word, Excel, PDF, and Comma Separated Files.
- Report Subscription: Enables reports to be run at desired intervals and send data automatically
via email. Users can set report parameters such as
department and date ranges.
- Rich Security:Administrators can leverage PowerView’s predefined security groups, or create custom security groups using security features from Microsoft’s SQL Server Reporting Services.
- Custom Reports:PowerView enables an enterprise to efficiently build custom reports for their own enterprise, incorporating the rich pre-existing capabilities of PowerView.
For more information visit the
PowerView page. Customers can contact
sales@unifysquare.com to schedule a demonstration or receive more information.
For more information, press only:
Samantha Steinwinder | Concept Communications | 206-760-9809 | samantha@conceptpr.net
All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Unify2 Launches Training Program on Microsoft Office Communications Server Voice
New Training Program Offers Microsoft OCS Curriculum, with Custom Training Offerings on Microsoft OCS Release 2, PBX Interoperability, Cisco Migration and More
REDMOND, WA -- May 28, 2009 -- Unify Square, the most specialized consulting firm in Unified Communications (UC) and Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS), announces a new training program designed to give enterprise customers an intensive look into what it takes to implement Microsoft OCS Voice technology. The company’s first training course,
Microsoft Unified Communications Voice Ignite, kicks off June 15, 2009 in Bellevue, Wash., and will feature a detailed overview of PBX Interoperability and Microsoft OCS 2007 Release 2.
Unify Square brings extensive experience in the OCS product and understanding of the roadmap for Microsoft's UC strategy. The Unify Square team has helped more than 100 enterprises plan and deploy enterprise Voice, and is now expanding its offerings to provide customized training courses on topics such as OCS R2, OCS operations, Voice quality and security, Microsoft UC integration, and interoperability and migration with PBXs, including Cisco, Nortel and Mitel.
Microsoft turned to Unify Square to help build the latest version of Voice Ignite training labs (Voice Ignite 1.2), with a key focus on OCS PBX interoperability with Cisco Call Manager and Nortel CS 1000. Unify Square also developed the infrastructure and lab training content for the Microsoft OCS Masters Program, featuring a simulated global telephony environment with multiple PBXs.
Unify Square Training Description, Costs and Registration
Microsoft Unified Communications Voice Ignite is an in-depth 5-day technical workshop designed to train enterprise customers on how to deploy Voice technology using Microsoft OCS. Through a combination of interactive lectures and hands-on labs, Unify Square’s certified experts will help customers learn key OCS Voice concepts and techniques. Some of the class highlights:
- Understand OCS Voice fundamentals
- Develop and test complex dial plans and phone policies
- Integrate and deploy OCS with a PSTN gateway
- Understand PBX interoperability including Direct SIP and Dual-Forking
- Troubleshoot voice calls via SIP/RTP protocol analysis
- Enable Exchange Unified Messaging integration with OCS
- Plan your network to handle OCS voice
- Plan your OCS deployment to include multiple sites, high availability, and Edge services
- Use the new features in OCS 2007 R2
The first Microsoft Unified Communications Voice Ignite workshop takes place June 15, 2009 in Bellevue, Wash. with additional courses scheduled throughout the year at multiple U.S. and international locations. The program is offered at an introductory rate of $1950 for the 5-day session, with volume discounts available for customers sending multiple team members. The complete course outline, customized training information, schedule and registration form is available at
http://www.unifysquare.com/training.aspx.
About Unify Square, Inc.
Unify Square is a leader in addressing enterprise roadmap, architecture, and deployment for Microsoft's Unified Communications platform, providing enterprise customers both strategic vision and the hands-on execution required for a successful UC deployment. The founders hold patents in Enterprise Instant Messaging and possess deep insight into how integrated IP Telephony, Instant Messaging/ Presence, and Web Conferencing can deliver breakthrough operational efficiencies and streamlined workplace communications. Unify Square offers its services on a worldwide basis, with offices in Bellevue, Wash., and Bonn, Germany.
For more information, press only:
Samantha Steinwinder | Concept Communications | 206-760-9809 | samantha@conceptpr.net
All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Unify2 Success Leads to New Consulting Talent and Global Expansion with Operations in Bonn, Germany
Consulting Firm Significantly Deepens its Bench with Patent Holders, Noted Authors, and Some of the Foremost Experts in Unified Communications Integration, Consulting and Deployment
BELLEVUE, WA -- Mar 12, 2009 -- Unify Square, the most specialized consulting firm in Unified Communications (UC) and Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS), has expanded its global presence with operations in Bonn, Germany, led by European Managing Director Jochen Kunert, one of the pioneers in enterprise Voice technology and noted author on Microsoft OCS. In addition to global expansion, Unify Square continues to broaden its management team, with some of the UC industry's top innovators, engineers and consultants.
Led by successful entrepreneur and co-inventor of Enterprise Instant Messaging technology Sonu Aggarwal, Unify Square offers enterprise customers an impressive team with backgrounds in Enterprise Voice, PBX interoperability, Systems Integration, OCS 2007 and R2 deployment, and enterprise consulting. "We have assembled an authoritative team of unified communications professionals with experience building industry-leading products and deploying them in global enterprise environments," said Aggarwal, Unify Square CEO. "Our team brings customers practical skills and hands-on experience with deployments in complex, real world environments, and I am thrilled to have such an impressive and influential group to help our enterprise customers master their UC strategies and migrations."
Foremost Authorities in Microsoft OCS, Voice, and PBX Interoperability
CEO Sonu Aggarwal holds four patents in Real-Time Collaboration, including the first ever in enterprise Instant Messaging (IM), which he developed after co-founding his first company Flash Communications, later acquired by Microsoft. Director Alan Shen leads the company's Enterprise Voice practice, drawing on his expertise as designer of the Microsoft OCS Audio/Video Edge solution, a critical and innovative component in the OCS 2007 architecture. Shen also led the Microsoft Technology Adoption Program (TAP) for both OCS IM and presence, and OCS Voice, helping more than 100 enterprise customers and partners effectively deploy Microsoft OCS.
Unify Square's management team reaches overseas with European Managing Director Jochen Kunert leading the company's European expansion. Considered one of the top consulting experts in Voice technology through years in the telecommunications industry, Kunert co-founded Media-Streams AG, the pioneering VoIP company acquired by Microsoft in 2005 to seed Microsoft's entry into the Enterprise Voice business. Kunert became a key source of Enterprise Voice knowledge for the Microsoft OCS development effort, including design for enterprise Voice Routing, and co-authored the definitive reference for OCS deployment and operations, the Microsoft® Office Communications Server 2007 Resource Kit.
Another seasoned professional on PBX interoperability is Architect Duncan Blake, who consults on production enterprise deployments such as OCS co-existence and integration with existing enterprise telephony environments. While part of Microsoft's UC product and Technical Product Management teams he provided direct technical assistance to the world's leading PBX manufacturers and on site assistance for the development teams at Genesys, Nortel, Cisco, Siemens and Mitel.
Expanded Talent in Information Technology Industry Consulting
Unify Square's team has spent decades managing complex IT deployments across the UC sphere, with UC Architect John Weber leading more than 30 enterprise engagements for Microsoft deployments and leading the OCS 2007 consulting practice for Ascentium. With more than 10 years experience working with collaboration and messaging technologies, Weber is an authority on migration and deployment for Microsoft Exchange and the company's complete UC product-line.
UC Architect Peter Pawlak has an impressive background that spans nearly 20 years in IT consulting, analysis, and management in Enterprise Collaboration and Voice deployments. While with consulting firm Resolute Solutions, Pawlak implemented OCS Voice and Exchange Unified Messaging solutions for large enterprise customers. While with Alaska Airlines, Pawlak assembled and managed a department focused on increasing the cost-effectiveness, reliability, performance, and security of the airline's networks and distributed systems. His tenure at software-research firm Directions on Microsoft had Pawlak covering E-mail, Instant Messaging, Telephony, Networking and Mobility as a senior analyst.
Specialization in Microsoft Technical and Product Management
Some of the deepest Microsoft technical expertise comes from Unify Square Director Arun Raghavan, and Director of Enterprise Engagements David Madison. Raghavan is head of development for the company, with a focus on advanced technical aspects of deployments such as customizing the functionality of OCS for specific enterprise needs. In his eight years at Microsoft, he developed more than 40 Management Packs for monitoring enterprise systems performance of Exchange, Active Directory, SharePoint, SQL Server and Windows Server 2003 and 2008. The result of these efforts helped customers realize millions of dollars in IT cost savings.
An authority on Microsoft Exchange, Madison created and ran the Early Adopter program for the Microsoft Exchange product group, which serves as the primary interface to a large number of Fortune 500 enterprises deploying pre-release versions of Microsoft Exchange, and was adopted as the standard model for enterprise Technology Adoption Programs across Microsoft. He provides end-to-end engagement leadership for some of Unify Square's largest enterprise deployment engagements.
About Unify Square, Inc.
Unify Square is a leader in addressing enterprise roadmap, architecture, and deployment for Microsoft's Unified Communications platform, providing enterprise customers both strategic vision and the hands-on execution required for a successful UC deployment. The founders hold patents in Enterprise Instant Messaging and possess deep insight into how integrated IP Telephony, Instant Messaging/ Presence, and Web Conferencing can deliver breakthrough operational efficiencies and streamlined workplace communications. Unify Square offers its services on a worldwide basis, with offices in Bellevue, Wash., and Bonn, Germany.
For more information, press only:
Samantha Steinwinder | Concept Communications | 206-760-9809 | samantha@conceptpr.net
All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Team of Microsoft Veterans Involved in Office Communications Server R2 Development Help Enterprises Establish Successful Unified Communications Strategies Based on Microsoft Platform
BELLEVUE, WASH. - February 3, 2009 - Unify2, Inc. today announced that through the Microsoft Partner Program they have fulfilled the qualifications necessary to achieve Voice specialization within the Microsoft Corp. unified communications competency. Led by a team of Microsoft veterans who were personally involved in development of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2, Unify2 is uniquely positioned to help global enterprises deploy Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2.
Unify2 helps global enterprises and Fortune 500 companies attain the necessary roadmap strategy, architecture and integration path necessary for a successful unified communications deployment. In addition to its services business, Unify2 develops enterprise products based on Office Communications Server 2007, with Unify2 Video Manager™ the first to provide administrators fine-grained control over video communications for managing and optimizing the use of network resources.
"Unify2 believes in Microsoft's vision for unified communications and enabling people to find and collaborate with colleagues right from the applications they already know and use," said Betsy Frost Webb, General Manager, Microsoft Unified Communications Group. "There is significant potential for Unify2 to use Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2 and their Unify2 Video Manager solution to help customers realize noticeable productivity and collaborations gains through integrated video conferencing."
Earning the unified communications competency Voice specialization requires the completion of competency testing and a rigorous technical readiness program that includes specific staffing requirements and an internal deployment of the complete Microsoft unified communications offering. Companies who achieve the unified communications competency Voice specialization are qualified by Microsoft to deploy Microsoft unified communications technologies such as Microsoft Exchange Unified Messaging and Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, including VoIP and audio-, video-, and Web-conferencing.
"Companies such as Unify2 that have achieved Voice specialization are trained to understand the potential that exists in Microsoft's software-powered voice technologies," said Eric Swift, Senior Director of Product Management for the Unified Communications Group at Microsoft Corp. "In this way they can offer solutions inside and outside the realm of traditional telephony, including working with their customers to create more productive business processes through unified communications."
About Unify2, Inc.
Unify2 is a leader in addressing enterprise roadmap, architecture, and deployment for Microsoft's Unified Communications platform, providing enterprise customers both strategic vision and the hands-on execution required for a successful UC deployment. Based in Bellevue, Washington, Unify2 offers a unique perspective into Microsoft Office Communications Server - the leading platform for Unified Communications - having spent years developing, designing and managing product architecture and strategy for Office Communications Server within Microsoft. The founders hold patents in Enterprise Instant Messaging and possess deep insight into how integrated IP Telephony, Instant Messaging/Presence, and Web Conferencing can deliver breakthrough operational efficiencies and streamlined workplace communications.
For more information, press only:
Samantha Steinwinder,
Concept Communications, 206-760-9809, samantha@conceptpr.net
All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
BELLEVUE, WA -- Dec 10, 2008 -- Global enterprises today recognize the tremendous business value of unified communications. However, it is an industry-wide challenge to identify an appropriate strategy, roadmap and integration path necessary to achieve breakthrough cost efficiencies and productivity enhancements, while leveraging existing investments in PBX technology. Unify2, a Bellevue, Wash.-based company providing consulting services, has been launched by a team of veterans to address these challenges.
Unify2 founders have played a pioneering role in the unified communications space, with more than 30 years combined experience in development of Real-Time Collaboration products including Office Communication Server (OCS) 2007. The company's CEO holds the original patent for enterprise instant messaging technology, and the Unify2 team has driven significant aspects of the unified communications platform's evolution, from overall architecture and roadmap, to core technical specifications and integration, to driving interoperability testing with all of the leading PBX vendors.
Unlike other service providers specializing in individual segments of unified communications, Unify2 combines expertise across the entire unified communications space, including IP telephony, instant messaging, presence, and web and video conferencing -- with customers benefiting from Unify2's comprehensive view of the industry and deep technical expertise across multiple platforms. Several Fortune 500 companies, including global consulting firms and corporations with large, complex deployments, have already turned to Unify2 to help them define and implement their unified communications strategy.
"Thanks to 's entry into enterprise voice, we are witnessing a significant inflection point in enterprise communications, one that will radically transform enterprise business processes over the next decade, in much the same way that email started to transform business processes in the mid-1990s," said Sonu Aggarwal, CEO of Unify2. "Enterprises are seizing this opportunity to transform their communications and business processes, and are starting to drive significant improvements in business agility, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction."
