The power of unified communications (UC) is about having all of your contacts instantly at your fingertips with live updates on their availability status, location, skill sets and the ability to contact via phone, video, text, email, chat, or face-to-face if you ever feel the need to get up from your desk and do things the old fashioned way. With all this advancement, some of which is still way beyond what the regular corner office is capable of, it's fun to see where the industry might go from here.

If the final frontier out the real world is space, then 3D cyberspace might be the final frontier for UC. Avaya Labs is currently working on virtual reality collaboration apps--the very idea seems far fetched when you imagine the future press release for Avaya Aura 3D: now with HD video and life-like virtual conference room with force feedback. It actually does feel like you are sitting there with people across the country.

On a more realistic note, the company is also working on a product called Phone Mash which really taps into the practical aspects of UC. When you ring someone up for a business call within your UC system, all your previous conversations throughout the system--like over email--will be brought up on an easy-to-sort-through screen. The system will allow you to have relevant data and past details of conversations and agreements at your fingertips so that you are always on top of the state of conversation. The software seems like something that shouldn't be far off, so look for it and things like it in future UC launches.

Check out more of the innovations in Network World's article on the Avaya Lab.

For more:
- read the Network World post

Related articles:
Avaya adds to Aura with ACE 2.2 and Contact CenterAvaya Advances Real-time Business Communications



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