daas | NEC Today

Can you imagine a world where ANYTHING is possible? Science fiction movies have depicted it: people living on the moon, on a planet, or under the sea. But now, are we coming closer to fantasy becoming a reality? Perhaps so!

Case in point – recently Fabien Cousteau, the grandson of the late Jacques Cousteau, famed underwater photographer and scientific researcher/oceanographer, announced he will make his home under the sea for 31 days, which would outdo his famous grandfather’s record of 30 days, which was set nearly 50 years ago.

But the challenge is not just some “Harry Houdini” personal challenge the 46-year-old wants to take on. Cousteau will be there will a full team of scientific researchers to study the underwater environment, in an attempt to understand its challenges and unique issues.

When interviewed, the younger Cousteau stated that there would be a number of challenges, both physically and psychologically, but that “the backyard will be infinite.”

But perhaps the most interesting thing about this scenario is the fact that, with all of the new technologies available, Cousteau will still be connected to the world through the use of modern communications systems now available to a global market.

NEC’s UNIVERGE 3C™ UC system enables people to communicate “anywhere, anytime from any device.” 3C handles the seamless integration of multiple devices and platforms, and is truly an all-in-one solution to communications in the 21st century.

Some of the features of this innovative technology include:

Unified messaging
Integrated softphone functions
Rich Presence
Instant Messaging/Chat
Software-based “on demand” recording

A software-based solution that allows integration of multiple media aspects, communication, and collaboration is a Godsend for any industry that needs a way to communicate at different times or even across different time zones. The built-in recording capability is a big plus, as it allows people to record and document events at a moment’s notice, no matter where they are located.

It also offers some security, and peace of mind, that, should something go wrong, one could easily alert people from the outside world without having to go to another location.

‘COMMUNICATE ANYWHERE, ANYTIME – UNDER WATER, ACROSS LAND OR… ACROSS THE LOBBY’

The hospitality industry embraces the ease of use, mobility and robust capabilities available with this technology and others. The average traveler is constantly connected, consistently mobile and expects to be plugged in all the time. Or at least have the option to stay in contact while on the move.

Many hotels and motels, resorts, and other locations are starting to implement this technology by offering not only wireless, but integrated communications solutions that allow you access to your virtual desktop from your mobile devices and other portals through the use of Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS)and 3C solutions.

DaaS provides access to your desktop from the cloud, no matter your location. It is a virtual solution to access information and functionality without physically being at the location where the data resides. NEC’s DaaS offering creates a secure gateway between the individual’s location and the virtual desktop, then passes the information back to the person, no matter where he is.

Some newer hotels even have ways for guests to control the room technology without ever leaving their beds, such as thermostats and cooling systems, lights, and even security systems. The ability for guests to interact with technology in their room seems almost space age – but is already here.

THE JETSONS ARRIVE

There’s no doubt the world is changing and new technologies enable amazing things which would only have been dreamt of in the past. So, when Jane and George check into a hotel, instead of having to fumble around for their ID and their credit card, a facial recognition solution, such as NEC’s VIP guest recognition system, NeoFace® Watch, will recognize them as they walk up to the front desk. They can use an app to check into their room and may have the option to pay their bill by scanning their fingerprint at the checkout area. Once inside their room, our couple will be able to control the thermostat, security system, and lights with only a click, while ordering room service with another app on their smart devices. This technology is here and it is an exciting time for anyone wanting to enjoy all of the amenities of home while away.

The future technology available for hotels and other hospitality venues will be on display at the HITEC technology show in Los Angeles from June 23 through 26. We’ll be there showcasing some of these amazing innovations, so please stop by NEC’s booth If you cannot attend, please visit our hospitality solutions page to learn more about technology that helps make your guests more comfortable, and your staff more efficient.

As the polar vortex recently bore down on much of the Midwest and East Coast, bringing lots of snow and multiple headaches, the topic of remote working comes to mind. Seasonal events such as heavy snow—not to mention the ice storm that paralyzed parts of the southern U.S. in early December—can disrupt businesses as well as daily life in many ways. Lack of electricity, canceled flights, delays or shutdowns in local transportation all have an adverse affect on daily activities.

Keeping a business operating at optimal levels when employees can’t make it into the office quickly becomes a problem. The losses in productivity and resulting lost business can mount up fast.

Cloud Services Can Help

Luckily for today’s businesses, technology exists so that many employees can perform their jobs remotely as seamlessly as if they were in the office. For example, cloud-based Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) enables employees to work remotely, helping to keep things running at the business. Communication tools such as softphones, instant messaging, and audio and video conferencing help dispersed teams collaborate and work on projects even when the weather outside is frightful.

Enabling employees to do their jobs even when they can’t get into the office keeps them safe during dangerous travel conditions, but it also means not losing employee productivity over the course of the weather event.

UCaaS keeps communications running smoothly, especially critical for organizations that heavily rely on communications for their revenue. During inclement weather, unified communications solutions can:

Integrate email, voice and instant messaging into a cohesive communication system so all employees can keep in touch
Provide access points to all data used by an organization so that users can communicate with others inside and outside their organizations quickly and more easily
Lower overall IT and telecommunications costs, particularly labor costs, because of the inherent economies of scale available through an integrated communications platform
Give access to carrier-grade communications that deliver consistency with easy-to-use functionality

Virtual Desktops—at Your Service

Other cloud services can make working remotely a reality as well. For instance, Desktop as a Service (DaaS) means moving an employee’s desktop to the cloud and making it accessible anywhere, anytime by an Internet-enabled service. Virtual desktops can be linked through a private network connection to a secure, remote data center far from the bad weather. Best of all, desktops in the cloud look and behave as if they are part of a corporate IT environment. Customers and employees won’t notice a difference in the quality of service.

Plus, the ability to deploy, manage and support desktops through DaaS reduces costs and eliminates the complexity of deploying and managing virtual desktops. Hardware costs can be reduced by nearly 60% and easier management means lower operating costs. Other benefits of DaaS include:

Improved security and compliance through centralized updates
Better mobility for your workforce through seamless access from any device, at any location
More flexibility to easily deploy and quickly scale desktops
A disaster recovery strategy to get desktops back up and running quickly

Routing Network Traffic Using SDN

Software-defined networking (SDN) simplifies the network management, proactively addresses network performance and quickly re-routes network traffic as needed—all critical functions during a severe weather occurrence.

SDN can help businesses keep their mission-critical processes up and running. Using OpenFlow technology, an SDN solution centralizes control of the network and automatically monitors network traffic, distributing it according to pre-defined policies and constantly updated network resources and traffic conditions.

Think of a delivery truck’s route from point A to point B. If the truck runs into bad weather conditions or an accident on the route, the driver can access a traffic monitoring app such as Google Turn by Turn to identify and then access another route quickly. The driver is able to quickly re-route the truck so that it doesn’t lose any more time in making its delivery.

So, when bad weather strikes, having the right tools and technology in place to enable mobility among your workforce can make a real difference. Consider including UCaaS, and SDN solutions in your disaster recovery plans to help create a safe and secure environment that protects your data and applications and keeps your businesses running.

To learn more about these solutions follow the links below:

UCaaS – http://goo.gl/5AGs87 SDN – http://goo.gl/HGiyf

Tags: daas

Under the Sea…with Internet?