For those who have been looking into unified communications, the issue of cloud-based federation may very well have come up. For those who use IBM Sametime, Microsoft OCS or Microsoft Lync, the issue of Google (News - Alert) federation has likely been a big one, and with NextPlane now offering free Google federation to organizational users, it's about to get a lot simpler.

Using NextPlane allows users to reduce their overall setup time in providing federation with Google to less than a day. Since NextPlane doesn't need any on-premises hardware, or even a software component, it doesn't need an XMPP gateway either. That, in turn, scales back the necessary time to set up the system significantly.

Removal of the XMPP gateway also offers a new set of features that many users will likely find valuable, such as better reliability and scalability, as well as features like both presence and enhanced presence – all without the problem of hidden costs.

But NextPlane's biggest bonus is in its provision of a cloud-based UC federation service known as UC Exchange, which allows users to take advantage of the free Google federation. Those who step up to a paid membership in UC Exchange will get other features as well, like federation with other UC platforms – not to mention social media platforms and Skype (News - Alert) – but also, in a service that's found only with NextPlane, voice and video federation with Google.

Founder and CEO at NextPlane, Farzin Shahadi, offered some insight on why NextPlane is a worthwhile idea: "Our free Google federation for organizations with a Microsoft or IBM (News - Alert) unified communications platform gives users a significantly better real time collaboration experience. By using NextPlane UC Exchange, IT departments can go beyond the serious limitations of Inter-vendor UC interoperability solutions which are not being addressed by UC vendors."

Shahadi, of course, is quite correct; with more businesses adopting a philosophy of allowing mobile workers, and reaping benefits from reduced need for facilities expenses and improved productivity, collaboration tools become critical to ensure accountability and the maintenance of productivity. While IBM Sametime and Microsoft (News - Alert) Lync go a long way toward providing that collaborative edge, it's not always enough, especially when issues of federation come up.

For some, going with NextPlane might therefore be what's needed to ensure the best outcome in communications and collaboration, allowing a business to see all the potential benefits that come with telecommuters and remote workers. 

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO Miami 2013, Jan 29- Feb. 1 in Miami, Florida.  Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO (News - Alert). Follow us on Twitter.