Unified Software Brings Multiple Benefits

People have come a long way in a very short amount of time. The development of tools designed to make tasks easier have pushed people from hunter/gatherers across the known solar system in the matter of only a few thousand years. One way humans are able to do so much with seemingly so little is though ingenuity, but another is through consolidating management.

What this means for a business’ technology is that the more features one tool has, or the more effectively many tools integrate together, the more effective the business can be. Recently in software, there has been a concerted effort by developers to build tools that integrate several smaller applications into one unified platform. Today we will look at some examples of this consolidation, and how unifying the software tools you use can bring substantial value.

Business Management Software
Probably the best example of an innovative process consolidation is found inside your company’s management software. Whether you use customer resource management, enterprise resource planning, professional services automation, or some other form of multi-departmental coordination platform for your business management, the ability for these software platforms to manage large portions of your business in one solution is extremely useful.

Unified Communications
Your organization’s communication infrastructure can get complex. There are several software applications that combine to create your communications infrastructure as a whole, including email, Voice over IP, instant messaging, and any other applications that your organization uses to keep users connected to each other. A unified communications platform isn’t necessarily a single solution, but a platform that can be managed by a single hub. The solutions that make up these services are typically designed in a way that allows for cloud-based access on just about any device (desktop workstation, a laptop, or a smartphone), while also providing all types of useful options that you would find in enterprise telephony solutions.

Unified Security
There are a lot of different aspects to network security, and if they’re not managed properly, you could be risking a considerable data breach that could threaten the future of your business. Unified security--just like unified communications--consists of several security solutions wrapped into one convenient package where they can be controlled and managed. Unified threat management (a popular type of network security suite) typically includes a firewall, antivirus, spam blocking, and content filtering, as well as other preventative measures like remote monitoring and management.

Unified Data Management
A unified data management platform gives your organization a place for all of the disparate data collected from devices on your infrastructure. The right kind of data management platform will provide your business with options to store and analyze data while also providing dynamic controls that let you manage your organization’s data via a dashboard-like interface. Not only can more thorough data management provide you with insight about your business, it can be used to enhance security and operational effectiveness.

Preferred can help your business unify its software on your infrastructure to minimize confusion and consolidate your infrastructure. To learn more, reach out to us at 708-781-7110.