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Archive for July, 2011

Infor, a leading provider of business software for the midmarket, has made a significant investment in high-profile leadership. With the announcement of the Charles Phillips Infor signing, the company now has a grizzled industry veteran that has the required skill set to lead them through the next phase of growth. As Oracles long-time co-president, Infor will gain Phillips experience with middleware products. In a way, Infor may be trying to align itself with midmarket Oracle users. This move will certainly give them a considerable boost in the industry. Akin to Oracles strategy, Infor has launched a strategy that will encourage existing clients to purchase more business applications from them, including vertical apps.

With Charles Phillips, Infor is looking to accomplish a significant ERP acquisition. Currently, its portfolio has a stock of 70 key acquisitions. Given Phillips knack for purchasing smaller vendors back in Oracle, then Infor could be gearing for a more aggressive acquisition strategy that may include the likes of Epicor and Lawson Software.

The Charles Phillips Infor appointment is also very timely, as the company plans to replace their tired, aging products with the latest set of next-generation business applications. The said software with a common UI was released during the early part of 2011 with Phillips already at the helm. Perhaps, because of the presence of Phillips, the launch of the next-gen products has been greeted warmly by the industry. After all, the ex-Oracle chief is one of the best front men out there. Larry Ellison will surely attest to that.

In the modern world few areas of business are more important to expanding companies than business communications. Such communications are vital to every single aspect of business operations whether contacting business employees, clients or even suppliers. Therefore it is important than businesses give adequate attention to their communications infrastructure and ensure that it is running at its most efficient and that it is protected against every eventuality in the future. Moreover, businesses should ensure that the companys communications infrastructure is sufficient to cater for future expansion.

One way by which businesses can ensure efficient and effective communications is by use of VOIP for business as part of a wider unified communications system. Such a system can bring a wide variety of communications components together within a central interface including voice calls, email, conferencing, video messaging and instant messaging. With voice calls via VOIP for business as a central component of unified communications businesses can enjoy a wide range of benefits which are both numerous and varied. By utilising VOIP for business companies often find that landlines are almost redundant due to the new capacity and capabilities provided by the system.

The key advantage of using VOIP for business is that it brings together many differing means of communication within one interface and one piece of software through unified communications. This means that users can instantly view the availability of contacts and thus save time attempting to communicate when they are not available. Moreover, users can choose a method of communication which is most appropriate or most convenient to the specific contact. Importantly, many VOIP for business service providers offer considerable savings over an equivalent landline service. Often VOIP for business providers offer reduced rates between users or even calls which are entirely free of charge.

With the efficiency and effectiveness of business communications being so important it is also of vital importance that the companys communications infrastructure is protected in times of adversity. This can be achieved through the use and implementation of a business continuity plan. Such a plan creates protocols and procedures which would be activated in times of disaster in order to ensure the survivability of the company and to ensure that business operations can continue. The business continuity plan can ensure adequate protection for businesses against eventualities that range from natural disasters to strikes to disease pandemics, all of which challenge the survival of a business.

By giving close attention to business communications companies can ensure that they are always operating an efficient and effective communications network at all times. Through the use of VOIP for business as part of a wider unified communications system businesses can enjoy a convenient and productive means of communication. Moreover, by ensuring an adequate business continuity plan is in place businesses can ensure that interruption to communications and business operations will be minimised no matter what disaster faces the company. By giving business communications the appropriate attention they can be properly safeguarded well into the future.