What does the UC revolution mean to YOU?
That’s a complex question and something that’s likely to spark different answers depending on who you ask. For companies like Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise(ALE), the key to a great unified communications strategy may not be disruptive new technologies or product packages, but a simple answer to a complex problem.
Back in 2016, ALE introduced a new head to their Communications Division, with Matthieu Destot. Upon his arrival to the company, Matthieu shared his vision of a more comprehensive communication strategy in the cloud, complete with a simplified cloud overlay system known as Rainbow. Designed to simplify the UC journey, Rainbow includes everything from IM and presence, to voice and video. In other words, it’s exactly what you might expect from a UC investment.
The question is, what makes Rainbow really stand out in this competitive communication industry? As a UC overlay, it makes additional services for collaboration available to users around the world, regardless of their pre-existing communication strategy. It’s a straightforward, and easy-to-deploy way of broadening the communication landscape, without the countless threats of user adoption in the marketplace.
Here, we’re going to take a look at what Rainbow is, and what it isn’t.
Getting to the End of the Rainbow: What is ALE Offering?
If you check out the Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise website or read the literature, you’ll discover that the Rainbow app is simply a UCaaS service that enables additional collaboration services for its users. By taking a hybrid approach to UC, Rainbow can integrate with a range of existing in-house systems – perfect for the company who can’t afford to re-purchase their entire network.
However, if we dive a little deeper into the possibilities of Rainbow, what do we really get? Back when it was first launched, the system wasn’t all that exciting. Many regarded it as just another cloud-based communication app. Nothing to write home about.
But the truth is that Rainbow isn’t just a tool for instant messaging in the cloud. Sure, it has that feature available, but that’s just one piece of the puzzle. Rainbow is the heart and soul of the ALE communication strategy and the key to a more successful cloud-based platform for the brand. Though it might not be a revolutionary new offering, it’s the simplicity of Rainbow that makes it so appealing in the eyes of many enterprises today.
As a hybrid solution to the world of UC messaging, ALE doesn’t pull focus away from its PBX on-premises customers or alienate the modern-movers who want to get into the cloud. Instead, Alcatel-Lucent is giving you the chance to choose exactly when and how you make your transformation.
The Hybrid Approach to the Cloud Revolution
Unlike many UC solutions that jump into the marketplace with the aim to disrupt and transform, ALE’s Rainbow is the balanced approach to the future of communication. It’s not too hot or too cold, too fast, or too slow. It’s the Goldilocks “Just right” method for adoption for many traditional companies who are trying to make the move away from on-prem.
With your ALE “agent” installed, you can choose the hybrid services that suit you, and adapt your solutions according to your needs, depending on how your company chooses to evolve. The open architecture means that it’s easy to install and integrate with the Rainbow stack, with as little friction as possible.
This unique approach to UC is a direct answer to the adoption problem that’s been facing a lot of enterprises today. According to some experts, the Rainbow approach “targets the common barriers to UC deployment”, so you can build your own technology stack. Alongside chat, voice, and video chat, you can expect to get:
- Remote management features: Rainbow provides administrators with a complete and centralised set of cloud management tools for their UC platforms. You can even access some limited control over third-party platforms and updates using the same pane of glass. This means that everything is as simple and streamlined as possible
- Mobile and Remote Access: With the Rainbow service, you can achieve the simplicity you need for today’s ever-more-agile remote workforce. When someone connects to the service, the user gains instant access to the cloud-based or on-premise telephony solutions in their stack, regardless of where they might be, or what they’re using to “log on”
- Analytics: With a complete view of all deployed services and systems, decision makers in any business and channel partners can make more informed decisions on how to adapt and upgrade their communication solutions. In other words, you’re not just deploying a UC system, you’re deploying a strategy that allows you to see what you need to get out of your UC strategy. With Rainbow, you can see exactly where you need to manage your resources, upgrade your efforts, and even reduce your spend in certain areas
- CPaaS: Finally, as countless API solutions come together in the same central area, Rainbow can also be a central point for application integration in the workforce. This means that even if you’re not ready to jump straight into CPaaS, you can embed the communication services you need into your platform through an API economy
Revolution with Less Disruption
Ultimately, Rainbow might not be the most disruptive UC solution in the marketplace today, but that doesn’t make it any less appealing to the scores of companies in search of a communication strategy that’s easy to integrate and use with their existing systems. As countless companies battle against each other to earn the position of “cloud first vendor” on the market, ALE has taken a more careful approach, enabling existing platforms to tap into the benefits of the cloud.
The step-by-step solution that Rainbow offers in terms of hybrid implementation means that evolution in the enterprise can happen at the time and pace that suits your brand. While Rainbow is still maturing, and bringing more features into the marketplace, it’s safe to say that it has a lot to offer those who want less of an overwhelming route into the avenue of digital transformation.
