In general, unified communication (UC) systems provide UC services.  UC services include communication services (e.g., e-mail services, instant messaging services, voice communication services, video conference services, and the like) and UC data management and analysis services. 
UC platforms allow users to communicate over internal networks (e.g., corporate networks) and external networks (e.g., the Internet).  This opens communication capabilities not only to users available at their desks, but also to users who are on the road, and even to users from different organizations.  With such solutions, end users are freed from limitations of previous forms of communication, which can result in quicker and more efficient business processes and decision making. 
However, the quality of communications in such platforms can be affected by a variety of problems, including software failures, hardware failures, configuration problems (e.g., system-wide or within components (e.g., firewalls, load balancers)), and network performance problems.  The potential impacts of these and other problems include immediate impact upon end users (both internal and roaming) and inefficient use of functionality that increases overall costs. 
Further, given the unprecedented level of consolidation/centralization that UC platforms may enable, a 100,000 user enterprise may accumulate on the order of 1 billion call records and 1 terabyte of data per year.  Formally maintaining this data as an accurate and persistent long-term repository for reference and analysis can help an enterprise to meet its technical, business, and compliance needs.