Unless your business is a new startup, your technology is more than likely based on the something old, something new, and maybe even something borrowed philosophy. Phones that came on premises years ago are sitting quietly on their desks as mobile phone usage rises, taking their place. The investment in all that infrastructure is hard to let go, even if the majority of the workplace is not inclined to use what remains. Some workers even opt to bring in their own tablet or laptop because it’s newer and more modern than the one provided for them by the company. Replacing legacy equipment for more advanced tech is a risky and costly choice and one many company’s dread when the time comes.

The healthcare industry is becoming more complicated to navigate, and the new healthcare patient is now a healthcare “customer” with a new set of expectations. This customer is more engaged, informed and involved, with different preferences and beliefs about how healthcare should work for them. With out-of-pocket expenses 38% higher now, according to Deloitte, customers are compelled to shop for their services.

Gartner released its report, “Magic Quadrant for Unified Communications”, recognized as one of the most relevant industry reports on the marketplace. Amid this report are their assessments of the biggest movers in Unified Communications (UC) for enterprises and how they come to their conclusions. The report also indicates general capabilities and areas of focus for the players that make it into the Magic Quadrant (MQ).

Both Cisco and Microsoft have a significant stake in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Cisco has laid claim to the idea that their technology is integral to Games’ infrastructure. To connect the athletes, the fans in the stadiums, and the billions of people watching at home, Cisco touts that they have been educating, manufacturing, and setting up advanced communication connections all over Brazil for years now.

HIPAA Compliant Instant Messaging is a must for healthcare organizations. Hospitals, community health centers, health care providers (doctors’ offices, retail healthcare), health plans and the like, are processing information at an astronomical rate. To help grasp the enormity, consider that the amount of patient data collected in one year in England of hospitals alone topped 125 million episodes of care. When dealing with protected health information (PHI), the US has its own rules and regulations as enforced by the Office of Civil Rights, under the HIPAA Rules and the HITECH Act. Less than strict adherence to these rules results in steep fines that can run into the millions of dollars.