The recent progressive de-regulation and liberalisation of the telecommunications sector in South Africa has been the catalyst for many of the local players in this sector, some of whom have been established for many years, to embark upon various marketing activities that would enable them to raise their visibility in the local market. Unison Communications is one of these 'hidden champions'.
Unison Communications is the South African industry-leader in call billing analysis and voice infrastructure management within enterprise networks.
Established in 1983, Unison Communications first made its mark when it released its pioneer range of Telephone Management Systems (TMS), offering advanced features such as an integrated telephone directory and a destination index. Since then, Unison has installed more than 10 000 individual systems in South Africa and neighbouring countries and owns the market for high-end Call Billing Platforms in South Africa.
Over the past twenty or so years, Unison's business has since expanded to include a broad range of Outsourced Voice Management Systems and Services, including technology associated with voice mail, interactive voice messaging, billing, traffic analysis systems and voice network planning.
Unison's customer base is nationwide and its flagship solutions are nationally implemented centralised billing platforms providing outsourced services to several large entities many of whom have in excess of 500 individual sites and 30 000 to 40 000 extensions. Without doubt, this is an area in which Unison Communications excels.
Unison's solutions are modular and scalable and feature web and e-mail integration. Architectural platforms are based on industrial-strength Microsoft SQL server databases and provide an extensible open architecture design. Consequently, customers are unlikely to outgrow their voice processing or call billing platform. Unison's modular component structure also means that their products can be tailored to suit a diverse range of companies. Since Unison is a local innovator and all products are locally developed and thus better suit the needs of the local environment, customer support and assistance can also be handled more easily.
In order to ensure that its services levels are competitive, Unison has developed its Superior Service Initiative (SSI), which offers the customer a web-based, telephonic or on-site support options as a way to provide quality maintenance services.
Unison has recently launched its next-generation Galactrix Communication Server and Billing Platform. Galactrix uses its own centralised directory instead of the traditional dispersed method, which is often difficult and costly to administer. Although it is aimed at the Enterprise market, its versatility also makes it attractive to medium-sized businesses. Galactrix embraces Budget Management, Call Billing and Reporting, Outsourced Management, Systems Recommendations, Traffic Analysis and UniLytics Consulting Services.
Given the expansive nature of telecommunication infrastructures, including the affects of convergence, it is clear that more management software will be required to handle the intelligent deployment of such technology. This is Unison's realm and its new Galactrix products are geared specifically to deal with the ever-increasing complexity within a company's voice infrastructure.
Unison has applied extensive research into the delivery of world class management platforms, and as a result have been able to incorporate management principles not only into its applications but also into the overall delivery of value added services and methodologies. This is possibly the largest differentiator, i.e. the ability to combine an extensive product with a full range of services. In addition, and following significant investment on their part, Unison has participated in Cisco's IVT certification programme, resulting in Galactrix becoming the only Cisco IVT-certified application on the continent.
Although Unison's customer database includes most corporate and Government entities in Southern Africa, it also boasts of over 600 clients from outside the country; and is, as well, a 'Proudly South African' Company. Thus, Unison is a well established and significant niched player in the South African market and warrants serious attention from any company, not already using them, needing any of the above capabilities and services.
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