It’s one of the most critical considerations when implementing unified communications. But too often, corporations take shortcuts to put it into place.  

 

We’re talking about security. As UC takes hold in enterprises of all sizes, extending beyond corporate walls to WiFi (News - Alert)-enabled devices and smartphones carried by mobile employees, security becomes more important.

 

For UC capabilities to be truly “business ready,” companies need comprehensive security to ensure that communications are private, controlled and compliant with regulatory mandates and industry best practices.

 

During a free webinar this week – “The Final Frontier: Secure Unified Communications to Any Device in Any Place” –hosted by TMCnet, Aberdeen (News - Alert) Group and Sipera Systems, speakers discussed the differences between non-real-time and real-time communications, and why the latter is on the rise. According to Andrew Borg, a senior research analyst of wireless and mobility markets for Aberdeen Group, “Real-Time UC” includes chat, text and video communications, while traditional voicemail and e-mail communications fall under the “Non Real-Time UC” -- which is time-delayed and easier to secure.

 

“Security must support smartphones as well as laptops and other devices,” Borg told listeners as he discussed mobile management security strategies. “It’s not enough to have a security envelope around e-mail and voicemail.”

 

Companies that don’t address non-real-time UC quickly risk losing millions for not complying with federal security regulations such as HIPAA (the Health Insurance Accountability and Portability Act), which protects patient privacy in healthcare facilities.

 

Speaking of HIPAA, Satyam Tyagi, director, Technology & Marketing, Sipera (News - Alert) Systems, said that hospitals face maximum liability penalties of $1,038,000 for noncompliance. And too often traditional VLANs and firewalls aren’t enough.  

 

As an alternative to an encryption-based solution, which requires doubling the capacity of servers and undergoing a massive upgrade to support, Sipera unveiled its new “Sipera Secure Live Communications” – better known as its “SLiC” mobility solution -- that provides enterprise-class security for VoIP / UC applications on the smartphone. According to Sipera, SLiC is designed to authenticate data, and encrypts smartphone communications over VoIP.

 

“It allows you to extend secure UC posture to any endpoint,” said Adam Boone (News - Alert), vice president of marketing for Sipera.

 

But whatever methodology you pick to secure UC, the time to act is now.

 

“There are few organizations that don’t need to be concerned about policy issues,” Borg said. “These are issues that can’t be ignored.”