British banking group HSBC is piloting a unified communications platform from Nortel at its Canary Wharf headquarters ahead of a global roll out of the technology.
Nortel says its system - being used by 1000 HSBC staff in London - offers communication through dial-by-name, click-to-video and click-to-conference technology that can be accessed from desktops, laptops, Blackberrys and mobile phones.
This means employees can work together more quickly, efficiently and effectively, anywhere, anytime - whether they are hotdesking, working from home or travelling, says the vendor.
Nortel says its system provides integration with multi-vendor communications environments, letting HSBC use the PBX and video communications technology it already has. It also integrates with HSBC's existing IBM Lotus Notes/Sametime infrastructure, providing more streamlined communications.
"It's increasingly important to be able to use the skills and talents of a corporation's worldwide management team as a single, united resource," says Tim Cureton, group head of telecommunications, HSBC. "Our unified communications solution is aimed at joining-up the decision-makers within our company globally and placing the control and convenience of their personalized communications environment in their hands."
Following the London pilot, HSBC plans to extend the roll out of the system to over 50,000 users in Europe and North and South America.
Last month HSBC implemented video conferencing and collaboration technology from Cisco for virtual face-to-face meetings across multiple locations. The technology delivers life-size, high-definition images and recreates "the interactivity, spontaneity and nuanced communications experience of an in-person meeting".