Creating a Unified Experience

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Being in the web conferencing / workshifting space I hear a lot of discussion around the topic of Unified Communications (UC), and plenty is being written about it.  In a recent article from CNN, Citrix Online was highlighted for its performance in the market. While this is very noteworthy (more so because I work there), it is the direction of the market, and more importantly, the view point of the end user that I’m most interested in.
 
In my role I have the opportunity to interview customers and non-customers alike.  One message resonates above all others, and that is simplicity.  No matter how cool your latest augmented-reality, real-time, location-based, cloud computer widget is; it doesn’t mean squat unless it’s easy to use.
 
Customers want unified services but only as long as the integration doesn’t add complexity and improves the experience.  A good example of this is iGoogle.  I have my calendar, docs, etc., all in one easy place.  The experience is not defined by the tool(s), it’s what you are doing when you use the tools.  Striving to create a unified experience is more important then Unified (ubiquitous) Communications.  One of the best examples of this is the iPhone.  The applications improve the user experience.  That experience is so important that people make a conscience tradeoff in value, i.e.., dropped calls.
 
How does this apply to workshifting? Improving the experience of workshifters should be the goal of those striving for Unified Communications.  To accomplish this, companies need to be asking the right questions around the experience, and stop selling tools and start selling solutions.  If you’re a technology slinger, a musician, a hotel, an airport….we are all in the Unified Experience business.
 
Here’s an example of when the Unified Experience fell apart.  I recently attended Jeff Pulver’s 140Conf LA Meetup.  Since I knew it would be a long night, I booked a room at the local Marriott.  I made sure they had Wifi and a business center so all I packed was my toothbrush and my iPod Touch.  While I was there I could not get their WiFi to work, ever, and I needed to get to my desktop at work but they blocked GoToMyPC…gasp. My last resort was our corporate webmail which worked, but I still couldn’t get to my applications.  I have some stuff in Google and that helped a bit, but overall my experience was bad.  It was a real challenge to workshift.  
 
The calamity of technology failures created a bad experience.  I’m sure each vendor will say, “if you’d only done this…”. What it comes down to is the technology at the hotel failed.  Instead of focusing on the user’s needs (mine) they were hell bent on locking down their network.  The hotel didn’t focus on the experience.  They thought that providing the tools was enough, as opposed to focusing on how the tools would be used then developing a solution to support the experience.
 
I know it sounds like I’m picking on Marriott…I’m really not.  I have stayed at their hotels many times and will continue to do so.  It just happens to be my most recent experience.  But it demonstrates that we are all in the Unified Experience business.  To steal a phrase from Gary Vaynerchuk: “don’t get romanced by the tools”. The tools (I.e., Twitter, Facebook, etc.) will come and go.  Focus on developing tools that complement and enhance the experience.  
 
Workshifters unite for a Unified Experience.  To accomplish this, you should be vocal.  Guest post on Workshifting and other blogs, shout-out on Twitter, and talk about your experiences, but don’t just complain.  Offer up some solutions.  I don’t care how crazy they may be.  Be an effective voice and lets work together for a better (unified) experience.
 
Over the weeks and months to come I’ll be interviewing execs at Citrix Online and other companies, so you can listen to their opinions too.  
 
What are your thoughts on this?
 

Tags: communications, experience, unified