Conversationware

When we speak, in business, we are (usually) looking to achieve something.

UC technology helps us achieve more stuff, allowing us to speak to each other when we’re not in the same room, and by giving us extra tools like email attachments and multiperson multimedia conferencing to speed up the process.

When we communicate, if we can’t instantly move things on to completion, then we’re entering into an ongoing conversation…..and that could span days, months and even years.

These days, we have more of them, and they include more people

The thing is, in itself, UC doesn’t help all that much with the better organising of our multiplying conversations (meaning activities in common) - it more often means we just have more and richer ways of having them.

Even with all the tools being easier to use, you realise that the conversations still have to happen, and that there is loads still to do. You often can’t do more than one thing at once (fellas), so we have to get smarter, or at least incorporate tools that make us look that way.

For instance, Google desktop search makes me look good, for free, so thanks goes to them.

Similarly, being able to see at a glance which conversations have moved on whilst you were busy, or absent, and more usefully, being able to dip into colleagues’ previous conversations, is the promise of Parlano - which is soon to be incorporated into the Microsoft promise too blog by Nick Fera, the boss. Congratulations to them . I’m looking forward to seeing that as part of OCS.

This interview by Microsoft Watch with Lee Nicholls, Global Solutions Director for Getronics, gives a channel partner’s view of the convergence/collision between the two approaches to UC. Getronics are big partners of both of the (Unified Communications) giants.

Some good candid advice to companies who use both providers. It’s twenty minutes and worthwhile, although the interview starts playing as soon as the page opens!

Good Stuff