Meetings using conferencing services, video and online collaboration systems will become much more lifelike and available on devices ranging from desktop computers and fixed-line phones to tablets and smartphones.
HD Voice, a new service that changes the quality of phone audio enabling faster and better communication, will be available at no extra charge to all existing and new BT One customers.
Later this month, BT and Dolby Laboratories will announce the full details of a ground-breaking new offer that transforms audio conference calls by making them sound and feel like in-person meetings. Both companies will also share brand new academic research analysing the impact of voice quality on the productivity of online collaboration.
Broader enhancements to the BT One portfolio of unified communications and collaboration solutions deploy technology from partners such as Avaya, Cisco and Microsoft. They are available over BT's global network and can be delivered as cloud-based, on-site or a mix of both, allowing customers to find the best fit to their business case and to benefit from the most flexible pricing options.
BT's collaboration portfolio allows customers gradually to move their communications infrastructure from the typically complex combination of ageing analogue and digital technologies to a single unified platform where the latest IP technology transforms the experience.
This can be done at a pace selected by the customer and allows end-users to collaborate from and to any mobile or desktop device, through Wi-Fi, cellular or fixed-line network services, regardless of whether the device is corporate or managed under Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies.
With the help of the BT Advise teams of professional services consultants, customers can take advantage of BT's wealth of experience in how further to improve end-user experience in an efficient and cost-effective way. They will be able to integrate new services with their existing infrastructure without having to rip and replace, allowing them to make the most of existing investments and avoid disruption to their organisations.
Keith Matthews, GM of BT Global Services sub-Saharan Africa, said: "BT has been helping businesses have successful conversations over vast distances for more than 100 years. Today, the world of collaboration is changing faster than ever before. There are big opportunities for organisations that create new ways of collaborating in a work environment.
In today's world of clouds, IP and social media the quality of experience is what counts in the eyes of the user. At BT, we're not only revolutionising voice, we are bringing together the best possible quality of video, instant messaging, web conferencing and streaming. We allow people to collaborate in a way that speeds up decision making and helps global organisations reduce travel costs and carbon footprint. The industry will now compete on this new ground and I am proud that these announcements show BT spearheading that transformation. Better conversations are the key to creating a better future."
Jason Andersson, program director, EMEA telecom and networking of IDC said: "IDC sees the unified communications market as a diverse market with need for integration with an ecosystem of providers and a strong network to support it.
These enable providers to deliver a comprehensive and integrated range of services in the market, including audio, video and web conferencing, to bring solutions together that are providing a seamless experience for their users. BT understands these challenges and opportunities in the unified communications and collaboration area."
