Embedding Unified Communications in LOB Applications
Ah...First we definitely discuss what LOB Applications is.
LOB is Line of Business Applications. It's basically client applications that pretty close with business process. LOB isn't Word processing, LOB is' not email application, it's not an online auction site, nor is it a search engine (all of which are perfectly viable consumer-oriented applications). LOB is sometime a big application for a big process in a company such as sales, process, and financial, marketing, or even commerce. And many LOB app sometimes become a vital application for an enterprise to run their business.
LOB applications are specific applications that solve one business process. This is a differentiation the LOB Apps with an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). ERP is a way to integrate the data and processes of an organization into one single system. May I said that LOB is a part of ERP system...yes you can J
And now what is Unified Communications. UC (Unified Communications) is a term of technology that give us broad reach with many access to any access of communication from email, to im, from fax to sms, or from voice to video. UC is a term not technology products so many vendor like a CISCO, HP, and Microsoft have a solutions regarding the term Unified Communications.
Embedding UC and LOB is somewhat challenging, since many LOB's is developed by homemade (tailor made by the enterprise or third party vendor). However as long as our LOB application is capable to consume API from the UC platform that we choose and we have access to the your LOB source code. We can develop it using many SDK that exist.
Ah I'm forget in November Microsoft share about their UC technology. Just like usual Microsoft released the SDK to extend the UC technology and their products for custom need. You can see their UC here
See you around here...
Ridi Ferdiana