Mobile Workforce

Enterprise Social Networking is an emerging mobile-communications technology that leverages business voice along with Enterprise 2.0 capabilities on a smartphone to connect colleagues on the first try. In making people more reachable, it helps eliminate the time-consuming and costly business problem of continually missing calls and checking/returning voicemail.

We’ve already seen Web 2.0 apps such as Facebook and Twitter help make consumer-based communication more efficient – hundreds of millions of people worldwide update and broadcast Presence and Status messages (i.e. Twitter's “What are you doing”) to one another daily. With Facebook and Twitter, individuals always know what their friends are doing. And now Enterprise 2.0 is upgrading the consumer-based collaboration tools offered by Social Networking and repurposing them for business to let colleagues stay apprised of one another’s Presence and Status, and therefore their availability.

Enterprise Social Networking takes disparate, but familiar, communications components and ties them together to address worker productivity problems. It uses the collaboration and productivity capabilities of Enterprise 2.0 (Presence and Status) and unifies them with communications apps (voice and IM) on a mobile phone. It wraps these capabilities around a deskphone number – the legacy PBX number – which has also been mobilized as business voice onto the same mobile phone. And it ties all of these applications – Social Networking, business voice (deskphone) and IM – to a directory that is easily accessible from the smartphone interface.

Mobile Presence Makes Every Call Count

Being able to first check a colleague’s Presence from a smartphone, before initiating any communication, is the best way to increase the probability of connecting on the first try.

For example, let’s say Joe wants to contact his boss, Mary. He would first check Mary’s Presence icon from his smartphone and note that she is “available by text only.” And he would additionally see that Mary’s Status message says “in a meeting until 2pm.”

Instead of having his call go directly to voicemail and waiting until 2pm for a possible voice response from his Mary, Joe would take the “text-only” cue and send his boss a brief IM (directly from his phone-based contact list). Mary can then discreetly read and respond to Joe’s IM from her smartphone, without interrupting his meeting.

Under this scenario, there are no missed calls; no cell minutes wasted leaving/retrieving/answering voicemail; no interrupted meetings; and the communication between Joe and boss, Mary, is executed in a timely manner.

Here’s what an Enterprise Social Networking-enabled smartphone would look like. It would have:

•    A customizable Status message to broadcast exactly what an individual is doing and if they are reachable. Being able to show a Status message such as “at the airport for 5pm flight to NY” speaks volumes when needing to let authorized colleagues know an individual’s whereabouts.

•    A Presence icon to broadcast an individual’s availability to their entire community (users strictly within the defined organization). One glance at the smartphone-based directory lets all members of the community see who is available (by voice and/or text) or unavailable at any given moment.

•    IM so that colleagues can discreetly send each other brief text messages – a thrifty alternative to using cell minutes when a voice call is not appropriate, convenient or necessary.

•    Voice – communication by voice is preferred over text in certain situations.

•    Mobilized deskphone - carries the corporate phone number (and caller ID) and enables corporate PBX features (extension-dialing, call transfer, hold, etc.)


Using Enterprise Social Networking, organizations can create a secure, controlled community where users make informed decisions before connecting. This results in fewer missed calls, lower mobile expenses and greatly improved productivity.  

A BYO (bring your own) phone strategy is a win-win for companies and their employees. By letting people use their personal smartphones at work instead of corporate-owned devices, companies save thousands of dollars on overhead (device purchases) while letting individuals enjoy their mobile handset of choice.

The reason why this works is simple: Because we all use mobile phones so heavily in our every day lives, handsets (iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Nokia, Samsung, etc.) have become a very personal choice – more personal than any other business device in history. As a result, “prosumer” mobile phone users have gained an unusually strong voice in certain hardware choices. And they have been overwhelmingly voting with their dollars – for example, last quarter Apple sold its highest volume of iPhone sales.

Combined with web-based apps such as DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC), a BYO strategy makes for an affordable and secure approach to arming the workforce with devices that are business by day and personal by night. Enterprise Social Networking capabilities that keep them in contact with business colleagues are available from a single phone to become part of the mobile workforce.

“Over time, an increasing number of companies have shifted desktop applications targeting HR, sales, governance, and data entry back to Web-based centralized services that don't require a client…” according to analyst Rob Enderle in his article, Bring-Your-Own-PC an Option for Cash-Strapped Enterprises.

Adding to that, Enderle writes, “Employees, particularly executives and younger employees, when they needed a new PC simply bought one (generally a laptop). They used existing polices that provided for system access from a home PC to enable them for work. For those working from home, many have used their own PCs for years.

In addition, with the massive number of layoffs people have increasingly had to buy their own PCs while looking for a job — and when rehired, appear willing to go on using it for business.  Web applications make this possible because IT does not have to load client applications on the individual’s laptop.  

The cost savings is about $300 per employee per month that flows right to the bottom line at a time when profits are elusive for many companies. You can understand why neither the IT organization nor the line organizations that would have to fund a replacement program are eager to fix this.”

There are nothing but parallels between the BYO phone and PC stories. Companies save money by relying on employee-owned devices, and they maintain security and continuity by providing access to web-based clients (i.e. secure collaboration software). Employees get to use their device of choice – most often smartphones such as iPhone – which allows continuity in their communication and ensures they are connected to their colleagues when they are mobile. They reduce miss calls, which increases productivity and further improves the company's bottom line.

DiVitas’ Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) solution is now available as a nimble web-client that can run on any browser-enabled smartphone, such as iPhone, Blackberry and Android. This move by DiVitas enables companies to implement a BYO phone (bring your own phone) policy in which an employee’s personal smartphone doubles as their business phone.

What does this mean to organizations that are looking for an affordable way to mobilize more of their workforce without over-taxing their busy IT staff? A BYO policy means the as-yet un-mobilized workforce (such as corridor warriors) can use their personal smartphones – such as iPhone, Blackberry or Android – to double as a mobile work phone. And this enterprise mobility magic happens with little-to-no overhead because companies need not purchase a phone for every mobile worker (they are using their own devices). Also, there is no additional burden on the IT department to support individual devices (everything is managed as software at the server level).

This BYO strategy simply takes advantage of a major mobile-communications trend already under way. As much as 90 percent of mobile devices used in the workforce today are already personally owned, with only monthly cell bills expensed to the company. Furthermore, as browser-enabled devices such as iPhone, Blackberry and Android continue to gain in popularity, these mini/mobile-computers are predicted to become the de facto phone for business users.

With DiVitas’ secure Web client running on a personal iPhones, Blackberrys and Androids:

• Personal devices become a mobilized business deskphone – the smartphone carries the business number, eliminating the confusion caused when colleagues are reachable by two numbers (deskphone and cellular).
   
• There is nothing to download, upgrade or delete (the DiVitas app is accessed strictly via smartphone’s web browser) – there is no additional tax on the device or IT department because the application resides on the DiVitas Server.

• The web client can be accessed by a desktop browser.
   
• Companies still subsidize individual cellular costs, but they eliminate hardware overhead (additional device-purchase costs) in mobilizing the entire workforce, including traditionally un-mobilized corridor warriors.
   
• Even though devices are personally owned, they are as secure as deskphones and corporate-liable phones because the Mobile UC server is web-based and under IT control – should a phone become lost or an individual change employers, IT staff simply updates the server to disallow server access by that client.
   
• Individuals have access to smartphone-friendly Enterprise Social Networking capabilities (Mobile Presence and Status) to make them aware of one another's reachability. The ability to scroll through an interface-based directory to see who is available and where they are located is a powerful tool for ensuring colleagues connect on the first try.

A BYO enterprise mobility strategy saves money on overhead (no need to buy additional smartphone hardware for non-mobilized workers.) It also makes your employees happy – and hence more productive – to be using their favorite phone by day (work) and night (pleasure) rather than juggle two sets of phone instructions.

For guests of a casino, the name of the game is getting the most out of your stay. So imagine a scene where a casino’s amenities are directly accessible from a guest’s personal iPhone, Blackberry, Android … or any other web-enabled mobile phone. One tap to the directory displayed on their smartphone and a guest has reached, say, the concierge or the reservation desk at one of the casino’s restaurants.

Next imagine a guest being able to use that same device to see where their friends or family members are located and what they are doing at any given moment. A quick glance at the smartphone interface and guests instantly know which of their party-members are poolside or, say, at the poker table testing their luck.

As futuristic as these on-the-fly conveniences sound, they are available today from casinos that have deployed DiVitas Mobile UC with a goal toward differentiating themselves in the very competitive hospitality market.

Casino guests can simply point their smartphone browser at the Casino’s DiVitas server to gain access to a temporary client – meaning their personal phone is transformed into a hotel guest phone.

The client authorization can be issued by the casino, lasting only for the duration of the guest’s casino stay. Once the guest leaves, the session is terminated. Of course when the guest returns to the casino another day, the client can be reinstated again (on a temporary basis). There is nothing to download, and casino IT is not involved beyond configuration of the DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) server.

Guests gain several conveniences with a temporary DiVitas client:
 

• They are able to use their personal smartphone (iPhone, Blackberry, Android, etc.)  to gain a mobilized hotel room phone – they can place and/or receive calls from their hotel room number without being tethered to the hardwired phone.
   
• DiVitas provides one-click access to all resort services from the guest’s personal mobile phone – using the hotel directory that is accessible from their personal phone interface, they can simply touch-dial the iPhone, Blackberry or Android screen to reach the concierge, book tickets for a show or make a dinner or spa reservation.
   
• Guests’ party members stay connected and engaged via voice or IM. Meanwhile, the DiVitas Mobile UC solution's enterprise social networking capabilities let party members tell one another what they are doing and where they are doing it by updating their Mobile Presence (i.e. icon indicating available by IM only) and status (i.e. text reading “at the poker table”).

Casino's also gain a more mobile workforce because staff similarly benefits from the mobile social networking software advantages offered by the DiVitas client. Casinos can use DiVitas to increase staff efficiency by making them continuously reachable. Casino Staff:

• Leverages Mobile Presence and Status to maintain awareness of colleague availability – managers can, for example, quickly find the most available staff member to attend to a guest’s need by scanning Presence and status updates from the mobile phone interface.
   
• Gains a mobilized business number and IM – the mobile user can decide which method of communication (voice or IM) is optimal depending on what is indicated by the colleague they are trying to reach (available by voice, text or Do Not Disturb).
   
• Are made available by a single business number – there is no need to know individual cell phone numbers because all casino workers are reachable by their mobilized casino-business number, and their extensions can be accessed via a directory on the smartphone interface.

Want to know how to affordably mobilize your workforce? Implement a BYO phone (bring your own phone) policy in which an employee’s personal smartphone doubles as their business phone. This works for iPhone, Blackberry, Android or any other web-enabled mobile devices.

Let's face it. Popular devices such as iPhone are quickly making their way into the workplace. And a BYO enterprise mobility strategy saves money on overhead (no need to buy additional smartphone hardware for non-mobilized workers.) It also makes your employees happy – and hence more productive – to be using their favorite phone by day (work) and night (pleasure) rather than juggle two sets of phone instructions.

In keeping with this strategy, I read an interesting FierceWireless blog posted by IDC analyst Stephen Drake about what companies can do to best take advantage of this “individual-liable” trend in enterprise mobility.
 
[Note: Drake defines "Individual-Liable" devices as either: 1) Purchased by the user and expensed back, but not reimbursed formally by a company-established policy, or 2) Purchased outright by the individual user, brought into the workplace, and used for either corporate or standalone business applications.]

Says Drake in his article How businesses can embrace individual-liable smartphones, “With the smartphone market expected to outshine the overall mobile phone market for the foreseeable future, the growing influence of new devices and platforms, including Apple, RIM [Blackberry], Android, Palm, etc. … the critical nature of the individual-liable business device is evident.”

In fact, IDC’s Drake predicts the individual-liable business-use mobile phone will experience more growth than corporate-liable devices. Also, the researcher says it’s seeing a trend in which large companies begin to move towards the individual-liable business use device model.

The benefit, he says, is “a slowdown on costs and provides better choice, user control and delivers an image that IT is being progressive in enabling such choice to its worker base.”

“Add that to the growing number of smartphones coming on the market. Certainly the strong popularity of the iPhone, continued consumer push from RIM and  the large Windows Mobile OEM base drives much of the individual-liable business use in the U.S. In addition, devices such as the Palm Pre, Nokia's E Series (in particular the E71) and the new Android tide rolling in all speak to the importance of this individual-liable business use case.”

In his blog, Drake lays out a list of advice-points to be heeded by any company following the BYO phone strategy for enterprise mobility.

As for DiVitas, we recommend pairing the BYO phone strategy with Mobile Unified Communications Mobile UC) web client, which is under IT control and which enables the smartphone to carry the deskphone number. At the same time the device and business number tie in with voice, IM and social networking (Mobile Presence and Status) to help employees connect on the first try – and eliminate missed calls to further reduce cellular costs.

With DiVitas’ secure Web client running on an individual-liable iPhones, Blackberrys and Androids:

• There is nothing to download, upgrade or delete (app is accessed strictly via smartphone’s web browser.)
   
• The web client can be accessed by any device (handsets or desktops.)
   
• Companies still subsidize individual cellular costs, but they eliminate hardware overhead (additional device-purchase costs) in mobilizing the entire workforce, including traditionally unmobilized corridor warriors.
   
• Individual-liable devices are as secure as deskphones and corporate-liable phones because the Mobile UC is web-based and under IT control.
   
• Individuals have access to Enterprise Social Networking capabilities to make individuals aware of one another's reachability.

Mobile VoIP is a hot commodity despite global economic woes, according to consultancy Research and Markets. This is because the Voice over IP technology reduces telecom costs for companies, even as they invest in their mobile workforce.

The researcher sites “improved technology solutions” as a major factor leading to “a robust VoIP market in recent years.” The researcher is also anticipating growth to continue throughout the year, despite the economic downturn of 2009.

Noting the cost-saving benefits offered by VoIP, Research and Market said, “… while security and reliability concerns still need to be resolved; consumers and business are turning to VoIP in an effort to save costs.”

Continuing, the company noted global market trends, saying, “Japan, China and the USA continue to be some of the world's hottest markets for IP telephony. Over the last couple years, Europe has also become a prime innovator in VoIP services, whether stand-alone, bundled as a triple play offer, or through fixed mobile convergence packages.”

DiVitas’ VoIP solution helps companies reduce their cellular costs by mobilizing the business number onto smartphones in order to make it easier and less expensive for colleagues to reach one another. Companies can leverage DiVitas’ seamless roaming (FMC) to allow VoIP calls to hand off seamlessly between WiFi and cellular networks, which results in substantially reduced cellular costs.

DiVitas President and CEO, Vivek Khuller has been honored with an Asia America Multi Technology Association (AAMA) award at this year’s 30th Anniversary Gala reception that was held at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View on Thursday, Oct. 1st, 2009.

Vivek was chosen on behalf of the AAMA board and management team as one of the ten AAMA up-and-coming leaders of tomorrow.  He was also featured in the AAMA 30th Anniversary celebration video which took a look back over the past 30 years and showcased Asian American business leaders of the past and future --those who have made significant contributions to the development of the high-tech industry and Silicon Valley.

“We were looking to honor young business leaders of the Asian descent who will most likely make an impact in Silicon Valley in the next 10-20 years,” said Anna Mok, AAMA's President and Partner at Deloitte and Touche. “Vivek Khuller was honored by the AAMA this year because he stands out as a leader of tomorrow.”

“Leading a high-tech company that has the real potential to improve people’s lives is as exhilarating as it is challenging,” said Vivek Khuller, President and CEO, DiVitas Networks. "It is an honor and a pleasure to be selected and standing alongside the impressive list of highly successful individuals who have come before me. I look forward to following in their footsteps and inspiring others to take the risks required to make the world a better place to live via technology.”

To read the full release visit our website.


Vivek Khuller, CEO of DiVitas Networks based in Mountain View, Calif. The DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) solution unifies the deskhone number with voice, IM and  Social Networking (Mobile Presence and Status) on a mobile phone to make it easier for individuals to connect with one another on the first try. With its enterprise mobility solution, DiVitas is using enterprise social networking to help companies affordably create a more mobile workforce.

Expanding on TechTarget’s article, Presence, IM power mobile UC with or without fixed mobile convergence – absolutely! DiVitas agrees that being able to broadcast your Mobile Presence and Status is the best way to ensure you connect with colleagues on the first try. In fact, we’ve developed our Enterprise Social Networking solution around this issue.

However, not all Mobile Presence is created equal. DiVitas’ Presence technology provides a uniquely deep level of information about an individual’s availability. For Presence to be truly useful, it must convey far more than simply “available or unavailable.”

• Mobile Presence is displayed on the DiVitas phone’s interface as an icon similar to Yahoo IM (showing a happy face to say if you are available, not available.) However, DiVitas' Presence icon also shows whether you are reachable by voice or IM chat, or maybe you are temporarily on a call, and you are all together unavailable for communication (in which case calls go straight to voicemail).
   
• DiVitas Mobile Presence also communicates a person’s location, activity and network connectivity. Various Presence components allow people to obtain information about others and use that information to engage in the most efficient and economical way. For example, if I can see via your Mobile Presence that you are in London and on cellular, I would much rather IM you than talk -- to save on international calls. However if I know we are both on WiFi, I could choose to talk instead because the call is a free WiFi call and I might prefer a voice conversation.
   
• Status message is coupled with the Mobile Presence icon on a DiVitas smartphone, which provides an additional level of detail to availability about where you are and what you are doing (i.e. at the airport waiting for a 5pm flight). Indicating the window of opportunity for a call or chat is powerful knowledge and a great contributor in the quest to reduce missed calls and connect on the first attempt.

DiVitas takes the Presence and mobile Instant Messaging (IM) aspect of Mobile UC farther by making it an Enterprise Social Networking platform. By mobilizing the business number onto a mobile phone and tying it to voice, IM and Social Networking - Mobile Presence and Status - DiVitas ensures that the mobile workforce is always reachable, whether individuals are in- or out-of-office.

In her article, TechTarget’s Jessica Scarpati writes: “Mobile unified communications (UC) has become more than just voice over Wi-Fi [and cellular]. Enterprises can improve communication and collaboration by investing in other mobile UC applications, such as presence and IM that can integrate with smartphones, whether enterprises rely on their cellular data networks or fixed-mobile convergence to do so."

(Footnote: The key thing is that these mobile social networking tools must be integrated. Just having a bunch of tools on your phone does not provide total story.)

Agreeing with TechTarget’s Scarpati, Vanessa Alvarez, a unified communications analyst at Frost & Sullivan, is quoted as saying: "…the last [place] you want [employees] to be is behind a desk. You want them on the move, but at the same time you want them connected as if they were in the office."

Alvarez also says: “… as [presence] evolves it'll state what you're doing and the best way to reach you.”

Well, Vanessa, Mobile Presence has evolved and it is here today.  Welcome to DiVitas.

Delivering Mobile UC (deskphone number, social networking, voice and IM) onto smartphones as a Web-based application lets organizations inexpensively transform themselves into a secure collaborative, mobile community.

The business market is currently underserved on both the mobility and social networking fronts –frequently leaving billions of employees out of touch and unproductive. Without mobile phones, colleagues can’t collaborate with one another when they are away from their desk, which makes it difficult to do their jobs. And all too often employees close the mobility gap by using their personal phones for business communication.

The fact is, only 30% of the people using their mobile phone for work get compensated. On the other hand almost everyone is provided a desk phone for use at work.

Given that total mobile market penetration in the US has almost reached 90%, there is a massive benefit to mobilizing existing work deskphones on to smartphones. This will give people single number reach, letting them use the same device to make and receive business and/or personal calls.

By using a Web-based Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) app to deliver deskphone number, social networking (Mobile Presence and Status), voice and IM (mobile Instant Messaging) onto personal smartphones, companies reduce cellular costs while gaining productivity. This is because these businesses gain mobile VoIP while avoid having to buy additional smartphones for non-mobilized employees.

At the same time they have the assurance of enterprise security because the Mobile UC solution is delivered to personal mobile devices as a Web app that is under IT control. Just as with phones on the PBX system, only authorized users with a PBX managed extension or DID can be part of the community.

In addition to mobilizing their deskphone numbers, users have access to social messaging tools that create a collaborative community that is equally secure.

• Mobile Presence is displayed on the phone’s interface (icon similar to Yahoo IM showing a happy face to say if you are available, not available, etc.), which communicates a person’s location, availability, activity and network connectivity. Various Presence components allow people to obtain information about others and use that information to engage in the most efficient and economical way. For example, if I can see via your Presence that you are in London and on cellular, I would much rather IM you than talk (to save on international dialing costs). However, if your Mobile Presence information said that you were on WiFi, I could choose to talk because the call is free and I might prefer a voice conversation.
   
• Status – a Status message is coupled with the Mobile Presence icon to give an additional level of detail to availability about where you are and what you are doing (i.e. at the airport waiting for a 5pm flight).
   
• Secure Social Networking - Similar to corporate email, this is a closed, enterprise 2.0 solution so access is limited to authorized group of people (colleagues within your organization).

Mobile devices by their very nature (first-and-foremost a communications device) are the perfect delivery platform for integrating voice, IM and the deskphone number with secure social networking. Using a Web-based solution, companies can securely mobilize more of their workforce – and realize the benefits of mobile enterprise mobility and collaboration – without purchasing additional phones for every individual.

Possibilities for Windows Mobile smartphone users took another giant step forward this week thanks to our strategic partnership with Samsung. At CTIA in San Diego, DiVitas and Samsung announced availability of the first Mobile UC solution that unifies business voice with IM and Social Networking on Samsung Windows Mobile Smartphones (available for both CPE-based and hosted deployments.)

This news is significant because it shows how leading mobile phone makers – i.e. Nokia, HTC and Samsung – are continuing to come to the Mobile UC table to enable better enterprise mobility.

With DiVitas, Windows Mobile end users can use Mobile VoIP to make and receive calls using their business extension, IM one another, broadcast personal or departmental status, and use Mobile Presence to inform colleagues about availability, location and network connection. The DiVitas Client provides a consistent experience on all leading smartphones, so usage does not vary among individuals regardless of which handset they are using (Windows Mobile, Symbian, etc.)

The DiVitas Server also easily interoperates with any existing company PBX or carrier voice-switch, and the solution allows complete IT control over user and application management leading to completely mobile workforce.

This announcement comes two months after Samsung and DiVitas anounced a joint collaboration effort to advance Samsung’s software developer kit for developing Windows Mobile applications for Samsung smartphones.

DiVitas CEO Vivek Khuller recently sat down with editors from the San Jose Business Journal to talk about our company.

Explaining how DiVitas enables Enterprise 2.0 social networking capabilities on a mobile phone running Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) to affordably create a more mobile workforce.

“… DiVitas sells software that enables businesses to mobilize employees’ deskphones onto their smartphones. DiVitas is differentiated in two ways: First, the product combines voice with familiar social networking tools such as instant messaging, status updates and presence on either device. Second, DiVitas allows users to roam freely between cellular networks and WiFi hotspots without dropping calls.”

He also highlighted a few of our mobile VoIP customers who have benefitted from reduced missed calls and reduced cellular costs, as well as improved enterprise mobility.

“…the U.S., the rail giant CSX Corp. uses DiVitas to keep its rail operations personnel accessible on mobile phones in areas without cellular coverage. VoIP carriers Sawtel Inc. and Clearfly Communications Inc. use DiVitas to mobilize their existing VoIP fixed lines and offer new services. In Finland, midsize company SGN Group uses DiVitas to make all its employees accessible via company desk-phone numbers and instant messaging using mobile”

To read the complete article visit the San Jose Business Journal.

I have been meaning to write this column for quite some time, given my passion for coffee. There is an underground movement that’s taking the coffee business to the next level – the emergence of “microroasters.”

These coffeehouses are led by passionate coffee aficionados who travel the world to pick the best beans. They roast the beans in small batches, almost daily, to offer the best possible coffee. Four of my five top microroasters are located in the Bay Area: Ritual, Barefoot, Four Barrel and Blue Bottle. The fifth, Intelligentsia, is in L.A and Chicago.

Those of you who are planning to descend on San Francisco for this week's VoiceCon 2009 or Enterprise 2.0 conferences, or any other reason, must stop by one of my favorite microroasters to experience the Bay Area’s other innovation – coffee.






Vivek Khuller, CEO of DiVitas Networks based in Mountain View, Calif. The DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) solution unifies the deskhone number with voice, IM and  Social Networking (Mobile Presence and Status) on a mobile phone to make it easier for individuals to connect with one another on the first try. With its enterprise mobility solution, DiVitas is using enterprise social networking to help companies affordably create a more mobile workforce.

Facebook Mobile has gone from 20 million to 65 million users – a more than threefold gain – in just eight short months, according to ZDnet. But the reason why that’s interesting for purposes of the DiVitas blog is not because Facebook is a meaningful tool for enterprises.

It’s because a 200% increase is a valuable statistic demonstrating how important it has become to have access to Social Networking apps while on-the-go. And this is true because Mobile Presence and Status info becomes even more significant when users are wanting to, or needing to, let contacts know where they are and what they are doing – despite the fact that they aren’t hunkered down in front of a computer. Mobile Presence and Status are two key components of Enterprise Social Networking and help improve enterprise mobility while reducing mobile costs.

If you’re wondering why your Facebook friend, Fred, hasn’t answered your email, or why he’s not online to chat, just check his Mobile Presence (a.k.a. “What’s on your mind” in Facebook lingo). If his status is posted using a mobile device (evident by the associated mobile phone icon) and reads, “taking my kid to the zoo,” then Fred’s lack of response quickly makes sense. He’s otherwise occupied.

Translating that to a business scenario, workers have become highly mobile, and thus have a greater chance of missing a communication, whether it’s a phone call, email or IM. Being able to first check a colleague’s Mobile Presence from a smartphone, before initiating any communication, is the best way to increase the probability of connecting on the first try.

Individuals within companies that use DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (deskphone number, social networking, voice and IM) have come to rely on the practice of checking Presence before placing a call, or sending email or IM. You never know where your colleagues are at a given moment, or if they are available for communication at all. Checking Presence first avoids wasting time calling and getting voicemail, or waiting indefinitely for an email or IM response.

For example, let’s say Fred (who is also a co-worker) is using DiVitas Mobile UC and his Presence icon shows he is “available by text only” and his Status message reads “in a meeting until 2pm.” Instead of having my call go directly to visual voicemail and waiting until 2pm for a voice response, I would send a brief IM (using mobile Instant Messaging) that he can discreetly read, and respond to, from his DiVitas smartphone without interrupting the meeting. It doesn’t matter where either of you is located, because the communication is entirely by smartphone.

When you stop to consider that Mobile Facebook users (consumers) are the same people who use Mobile UC (business users), a 3-fold increase in usage demonstrates a clear need for Mobile Presence and improved enterprise mobility. People in your inner circle, whether it’s business contacts or personal friends, have a need to know your availability and the best way to contact you.  And Enterprise Social Networking's Mobile Presence capability provides this benefit toward affordably creating a highly mobile workforce.

I love it when new research about enterprise mobility and an affordably mobile workforce comes out that helps validate my point of view on an important topic related to business productivity. So imagine how good it felt to read all the research pouring in that shows the benefits of Social Networking for business – and how enterprises  are making use of these tools. We have been blogging about mobile Enterprise 2.0 for a year now, so it’s nice to see the research catching up – and helping to illustrate this enterprise need.

In this week’s news, Wainhouse Research says it has expanded its Rich Media Metrics survey coverage to include the Enterprise Social Networking (a.k.a. Enterprise 2.0) space. In a survey series, the company found that while fewer than 25% of the respondents had Enterprise Social Networking capabilities in place today, more than 90% said they would deploy Enterprise Social Networking eventually.

Also, according to Wainhouse, business-community oriented sites such as LinkedIn are predictably popular among enterprise users. But consumer-oriented, “outward facing” sites such as Facebook are making inroads. So not surprisingly:

• LinkedIn was the public social networking site most used by those surveyed for personal use (67.3%)
• Facebook was a close second (58.9%)
• YouTube not far behind the leaders (50.9%)

But to me, the survey’s most interesting findings is the fact that 32% of respondents considered inward-facing Enterprise 2.0 (what Wainhouse considers to be tools used by a known population, such as employees) “to be extremely or very important for the value it delivers to the enterprise.”

According to Wainhouse, Enterprise Social Networking benefits include “improvements in collaboration, teamwork, productivity and time to market.”

This finding is significant because it shows that while apps such as Twitter and Facebook are ideal for consumer use, Enterprise Social Networking, which is integrated into DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (deskphone number, social networking, voice and IM integrated onto a mobile phone), is more appropriate for the workplace - and for affordably improving enterprise mobility.

By limiting access to a specific, and secure, group of people (colleagues within your organization), Mobile UC lets organizations take advantage of the real-time communication benefits provided by secure social networking, without the risk of accidentally leaking sensitive information to the masses.

I’m looking forward to coming weeks and months to see what other new research will back DiVitas’ theory about the business advantages of Enterprise Social Networking and mobile Enterprise 2.0. Bring it on!
 

Mesa Grill – Bobby Flay’s Southwestern restaurant – was on the eating itinerary when the DiVitas team attended Interop Las Vegas a few weeks ago (our tradeshow coordinator loves the guy).

In true Vegas form, everything about Mesa Grill is grandiose but cool – take the 20-foot tall rotisserie, 28-seat bar, three-tiered dining room and 8,800-square-foot layout for example. Food-wise, the menu pairs bold Southwestern flavor with Bobby’s flair for grilling and presentation. Unfortunately chef-owner (and Food Network darling) Bobby Flay was not in residence that night, but it was still a fun and tasty experience.












Vivek Khuller, CEO of DiVitas Networks based in Mountain View, Calif. The DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) solution unifies the deskhone number with voice, IM and  Social Networking (Mobile Presence and Status) on a mobile phone to make it easier for individuals to connect with one another on the first try. With its enterprise mobility solution, DiVitas is using enterprise social networking to help companies affordably create a more mobile workforce.

I recently took a friend to my new favorite restaurant – Spork, a KFC-turned-hip-little-diner located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

Their dining motto: a fast food-ish but healthy menu, fresh ingredients and eco-friendly restaurant management. They claim to compost about 70% of their waste, and all of the cooking fuel is recycled into biodiesel. It’s nice to know that I’m saving my arteries and the environment at the same time!

I’m a real foodie – I’ll search far and wide for that new great dining experience – and I love Spork’s atmosphere as much as the food they serve. Conversation often revolves around the surrounding decor. Everything about the place is quirky and delicious. I would name some of my favorites, but of course the menu changes frequently and I don't want to set up false expectations.

The owners have managed to reinvent the “spork” (KFC’s famous fork/spoon combo) as a cool eating utensil, while the 1950s-60s Americana décor is true to its hip-little-diner mood.

For the record, yes we ate with sporks. The next time you’re in the city, check it out and tell them Vivek sent you.



Vivek Khuller, CEO of DiVitas Networks based in Mountain View, Calif. The DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) solution unifies the deskhone number with voice, IM and  Social Networking (Mobile Presence and Status) on a mobile phone to make it easier for individuals to connect with one another on the first try. With its enterprise mobility solution, DiVitas is using enterprise social networking to help companies affordably create a more mobile workforce.

Service Provider Clearfly Communications is now offering DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) as a managed mobile VoIP service to SMBs.

With DiVitas, Clearfly’s users are able to use WiFi to reduce cellular costs (free WiFi calls) and improve mobile voice quality. In enabling this mobile workforce, these users are also leveraging their PBX investments because DiVitas transforms a smartphone into a mobile deskphone – a DiVitas phone carries the corporate phone number (and caller ID) and mobilizes deskphone features (extension dialing, call transfer, hold, etc.).

Read more about how Clearfly and DiVitas are making enterprise mobility affordable and pervasive here.

I have to give a shout out to my friend Dori Meade at CSX. At her recommendation, a sizable group of us (DiVitas and some of our partners) recently chanced a meal at the The Venetian Room located in the Caribe Royale Hotel in Orlando, FL.

This restaurant was a great find because Orlando has very few options for fine dining outside of the major theme parks. The Venetian Room is a great alternative for people on the conference track, who visit Orlando frequently and are looking to escape the usual.

My must-try: The Grand Mariner Souffle with crème anglaise (on the side) for dessert.







Vivek Khuller, CEO of DiVitas Networks based in Mountain View, Calif. The DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) solution unifies the deskhone number with voice, IM and  Social Networking (Mobile Presence and Status) on a mobile phone to make it easier for individuals to connect with one another on the first try. With its enterprise mobility solution, DiVitas is using enterprise social networking to help companies affordably create a more mobile workforce.

By Jenni Adair

Being able to check my phone to see another person’s Mobile Presence and Status message (part of Enterprise Social Networking) has become such a habit that I get kind of annoyed when I can’t.

See, my work phone, a Nokia E71 running DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC), displays Mobile Presence and Status information, which means I can tell what my colleagues are doing at any given moment. And when you stop to consider that a large percentage of your waking hours are spent doing your job, you can see how habit-forming checking Presence can be.

Here’s what happens. I periodically scroll through the contact list on my DiVitas phone to see who’s doing what – even if I don’t necessarily need to talk to that person (and even if it’s the weekend and I’m not technically working. That’s the definition of a habit, right?). At the moment, for example, it’s 2:13 p.m. on a Tuesday and I can see that Amanda is busy writing (according to her microblog Status message) and not available to take my call (according to her Mobile Presence icon). Nancy is in a meeting – also not taking calls, but she’s available to chat by IM (mobile Instant Messaging). And Vivek is grabbing a coffee and free to talk or chat via IM. This information translates to:  

• Don’t waste my time or cell minutes calling Amanda right now because she won’t answer.
   
• Don’t waste my time or cell minutes calling Nancy either, but send her a brief IM letting her know she can take her time in her meeting because our 2pm has cancelled.
   
• I can call Vivek or send him an IM – or even walk down the street and join him – because it’s one of those rare moments when he’s not busy.

From a business perspective, I save myself the time and effort of roaming the building looking for people. I am part of a highly mobile workforce and this on-the-go status defines my day. If I’m offsite, I save my company the expense of wasted cell minutes because I reduce missed calls and hence reduce cellular costs. I am more productive and the cost of supporting my business communications needs has become minimal. By using these Enterprise 2.0 capabilities I have contributed to more affordable telecommunications.

From a personal perspective, I can’t wait for the day when my cell company offers a service like this on my personal phone. I have grown so accustomed to Presence and Status Messages that I want it in my everyday life. 

I just read an interesting blog posted on No Jitter about the growing demand for Unified Messaging (UM). According to the blog titled Unified Messaging Keeps Chugging Along (and authored by analyst Irwin Lazar of Nemertes Research), “As enterprises become increasingly virtual, with larger numbers of mobile professionals; time wasted by calling to check for messages is no longer tolerable.”

The article continues, stating that UM “offers significant organizational benefits compared with traditional voice messaging, thus saving time, improving flexibility, and productivity of the virtual worker while offering the potential to deliver new services and reduce management and operations costs.”

From a DiVitas perspective, what I found interesting about this article is that demand for UM highlights the need for a subset technology, which is a single “unified” voicemail inbox. The DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) solution includes this single-inbox feature, and it is a great tool for business users because their deskphone and mobile phone voicemail inboxes become one and the same. DiVitas eliminates the time-consuming practice of checking multiple sources for voicemail messages.

DiVitas also supports Visual Voicemail, giving you the option to see who sent each voicemail and the time or the length of the message. DiVitas users can eyeball messages waiting in their inbox, and listen to voicemail in order of priority. You can imagine, for example, how efficient this is for a user who has just emerged from a meeting, and has had all calls sent to voicemail.

In agreement with No Jitter, today’s highly mobile workforce requires more efficiency and cost saving features from their communication tools. For business users, managing a single voicemail inbox, and relying on Visual Voicemail for prioritizing messages, has enormous time-saving and productivity benefits.