Many of the products that make up the Cisco collaboration core infrastructure are "best-in-class" solutions that deliver significant benefits in their own right. Used together, their benefits become amplified. Together, they create a comprehensive and powerful end-to-end collaboration solution.

Designed to work together, the components complement and extend the value of the other components, creating a "one plus one equals three" scenario. Some of these advantages include:

A consistent user experience, regardless of your location or device.This allows you to focus on what you're doing instead of the technology you're using. Focus on the discussion rather than how to join the meeting or view content and video. We've optimized the views and quality for each device so everyone has the best experience their device can support.

Tremendous flexibility for any-to-any collaboration.Connect from anywhere, with anyone, from the applications you use and the device of your choice. This removes barriers. Mobile and teleworkers can work as easily, effectively, and securely as if they were in the office. This flexibility extends to:

• Business-to-business and business-to-consumer interaction
• Secure connectivity to the cloud
• Interoperability with third-party endpoints and systems
• Public-switched-telephone-network (PSTN) connectivity options

Central management and granular, comprehensive visibility of your entire collaboration implementation.This is a significant improvement over traditional approaches that rely on nonintegrated management tools. Having a single tool reduces training and supports simplified management for your IT personnel.

Optimized packaging and flexible licensing options.This helps ensure that you get a solution that meets your needs and aligns with your company size, IT staff expertise, and budget.

A fully virtualized solution. Full virtualization helps ensure cost-effective and simple deployment, management, upgrade, and migration processes.

Delivery flexibility.Deploy the architecture in the way that works best for your organization and current network setup. You can deploy as:

• An on-premises solution in your data center
• A hosted solution delivered from the cloud
• A hybrid solution that connects your on-premises components with hosted components.

Beyond the primary advantages the core infrastructure provides are what we call "better-together innovations." These represent a host of smaller, less obvious (but powerful and compelling) usability benefits. They include the following:

• The ability to deliver multiple video streams to an endpoint allows you to make the best use of the screen viewing area.
• Intelligent Proximity features that activate when you bring your mobile device close to certain Cisco endpoints. This lets you synchronize devices and move audio from your mobile phone to the endpoint.
• The ability to move an interaction from one form (such as chat or a phone call) to another, such as an online meeting or video conference.
• Self-service user portals for customizing and personalizing your service preferences.
• Speaker-tracking cameras that identify and follow the active speaker in Cisco room systems.
• Active controls to easily adjust and manage meeting logistics.

Now, I think all these things are pretty impressive. Maybe I'm biased. The collaboration core infrastructure elements create a comprehensive and powerful end-to-end collaboration solution with the flexibility to be what you need it to be within your organization.

Want to learn more about Cisco's collaboration core infrastructure approach? Read the full Collaboration Core Infrastructure: Empower Your Collaboration Experience white paper and let me know what you think.