the power of the "Network." Advances in networking technology have made the internet possible and have provided the underpinning for a revolution in communications. The Macy's RFID (radio frequency identification) case study at the beginning of the chapter highlights the power of wireless networking in particular. As defined by the text, Unified Communications allows companies to merge disparate modes of communication into a single service. This is akin to the technology that underpins the "triple play" packages offered by cable and telecommunications providers alike which combines video, internet, and phone in one package.

By doing a search of the internet or by other research methods, find an example, or a case study, of an organization that has used Unified Communications to their advantage.

Ponder these questions: (remember to post references)

1) What business problem was this organization trying to solve?

2) What was the current state of their communications technology infrastructure?

3) What unified communications technologies did they decide to deploy? What were the key components of this system?

4) How did they improve their business by implementing unified communications?

5) What do you believe the future holds for unified communications?