Damaka Enables CEBP With Endpoint SDK for Cisco, Microsoft, and IBM

6 Jul 2015

Unified Communications often refers to multiple communication modalities across multiple devices, but a major part is the unification of communications with the full range of information applications used in enterprises. While systems like Microsoft Skype for Business and Cisco Jabber/Spark have focused on integrating communications into the knowledge worker productivity process (Microsoft Office, calendaring, etc.), the integration of communications into more formal business processes has not moved forward as rapidly. While some applications like Salesforce have enabled integration of communications into the app, most applications still do not deliver communications integration. While UC's personal productivity value is large, the potential impact of Communications Enabled Business Processes (CEBP) are huge. The UCStrategies Experts have long maintained that this is the largest potential benefit and value of UC.

A major reason that CEBP has been slow to emerge is the complexity of integrating communications into the application process by integrating the applications and communications servers together. A number of products have been built using traditional server integration, from the Nortel ACE to Avaya's new Applications Enablement Services. While they have had some level of success, the challenge of bringing the communications and applications teams together and building the right connectors and web services between the platforms has been a huge challenge. Esna, recently acquired by Avaya, has focused on integration in web apps, again requiring a back end integration. Damaka is approaching CEBP from a different direction, and appears to have huge potential. Using their X-line mobile clients, Damaka has introduced the ability to integrate Microsoft, Cisco, or IBM UC system directly into a mobile app through a native mobile SDK (Software Development Kit). With mobile applications representing over 50% of time spent on digital media in 2014, it is clear that mobile app integration may be the key to the future of CEBP.

Damaka Mobile App Integration

The Damaka SDK enables a mobile application developer to easily add in the Damaka UC client software natively in the mobile app written for a specific mobile OS like iOS or Android, enabling that app to be part of the UC system from within the app itself, rather than using a separate UC client. As Damaka has developed mobile client technology that integrates to Cisco, Microsoft and IBM (not Avaya at this point), this software enables the mobile app to become a client on the UC system. Essentially this enables integration of the communications component seamlessly into the mobile app and the user interface that the app is delivering, instead of through a separate mobile app and communications client. The result is significant. Instead of the complexity of integrating the back-end systems, this simple client integration enables any mobile version of an app to integrate communications using the organization's UC system of choice. Integrating in the mobile device applications dramatically reduces complexity and time to delivery, and the Damaka SDK incorporate into the mobile app without requiring detailed knowledge of the communications platform and controls mechanisms. Further, as the communications function is directly integrated in the specific mobile app, the user experience is dramatically improved over integrations that merely open the communications app from another app.

For example, in a healthcare mobile app, a doctor could check the status of his patients in the hospital. The app patient screen could include the on-call staff and their presence status, delivered from the UC system. If the doctor wants to talk to the nurse, clicking on in the app can cause the UC system to provide the communications backend through the app itself on the mobile device. Essentially the app itself is now the client to the UC system. The potential applications of this are virtually endless for both enterprises and independent application providers. Damaka's SDKs are native and can be ported to other platforms such as Mac, Linux, Windows, & SmartTVs. For enterprises that are moving to enable their employees through mobile devices and a variety of platforms, communications can be added to the app as part of the development process based on whatever UC platform the organization is using. Independent application providers can deliver their apps with the ability to work directly with the popular UC platforms deployed in enterprises.

While the initial focus is for applications, the SDK can be integrated into the automation and integration of business processes. If a KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is triggered from an analytics process such as SAP, an automated notification/invitation message could be sent to stakeholders via their UC platform, and an impromptu meeting room could be created directly in the application using the UC system. For a production line failure event, the appropriate engineers could be notified via messaging alerts and live camera feeds. The integration of these process-based systems with the UC platforms enables UC systems to extend to environments they previously were excluded from.

Regardless of your business or process, CEBP can improve some facet of your business or functions. The value of CEBP continues to be at the forefront of the UC evolution. The Damaka integration of applications and communications in the mobile app through the X-line native SDK delivers a clear alternative to CEBP solutions that are server-to-server. The client/app side integration provides an option that may be faster and uses developer skills that are already in place to deliver mobile apps. The Damaka solution appears to potentially solve both the CEBP problem and the mobile UC integration problem in a single step.


This paper is sponsored by Damaka.

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