Just read the "Unified Communications For Dummies" book that came in the mail today. One of my rules of thumb is; "Something is not ready for mainstream implementation until there is a book out on it." So as more books come out on UC, I guess this means that UC is hitting critical mass. Expect a book on SIP trunking in the next few months as it matures into the mainstream.All UC vendors could do a better job of publishing. I would predict that the vendors who promote their solutions through publishing of books, certifications, and conferences will outperform their peers with equivalent products. Both Microsoft and Cisco do this very well.
As for the book, a few comments:
1. Why for "Dummies"? UC is a fairly complex topic and most of the population is involved in using UC, not building and supporting UC solutions which is the focus of this book.
2. Microsoft Spin--As much as the authors try to stay vendor neutral, it is obvious that they are followers of the Microsoft UC solution. The focus is more of UC for a business, than an end user, with the mobility side neglected.
3. Definition--The definition of UC is not addressed. This has vexed the UC industry for years, but as a "Dummy", someone should be able to summarize what UC is in less than 100 words after reading the book
4. Collaboration--UC 2.0 includes a lot of collaboration capabilities that are not addressed. The focus of this book is on UC 1.0--Presence, Messaging, VoIP, and Conferencing.
I did learn a few things, such as how to pass MWI (Message Waiting Indicator light) from a Microsoft 2007 UM server to a phone. UC is a complex topic, so I will try and not be too harsh a critic. But my recommendation is to take a pass on this book if you work in the UC space, and if you are new to UC, maybe wait until the 'CliffNotes' version.... Else, you can get the book here at Amazon.com for $25, or $20 on the Kindle.
