A mixed, multi-vendor environment is the norm today for business communications. In fact, networks are only getting more heterogeneous as emerging new technologies add complexity. A Microsoft shop with a Cisco communications infrastructure, for example, may seek to leverage Lync and Skype for Business along with Cisco Unified Communications Manger.

On top of that, mergers and acquisitions add further challenges, often leading to the integration of disparate systems. In short, there are few companies left running communications on a single vendor’s platform.

This makes interoperability a strategic consideration for any business communications decision. Will this particular SIP trunking service work with our PBX? If we migrate to that communications server, can employees keep their phone number? Will it support the internal five-digit extensions? And does it support E911 emergency calls?

One way to manage this complexity and leverage existing network investments is through a session controller, a technology that can normalize communications between disparate systems. Oracle Enterprise Communications Broker (ECB), for example, provides session management, dial plan consolidation and SIP routing to simplify communications and make it all work. In other words, it enables interoperability in a complex, heterogeneous environment.

And as a solution that enables interoperability in a mixed environment, Oracle had to verify that it could manage calls across disparate communications systems, helping its customers take full advantage of their existing infrastructure. But rather than test the solution in house, Oracle wanted independent verification from a trusted authority. The company turned to tekVizion, which has the industry’s most comprehensive business communications lab backed by its Verification Guarantee.

This was no ordinary point-to-point interoperability test either. Oracle wanted to show how Oracle ECB functions across six of the most popular communications servers from three top vendors. In the end it was an exhaustive 40-day test verifying interoperability with Avaya Aura 6.3 and Avaya Aura 7.0; Cisco Unified Communications Manager 10.5 and Cisco Unified Communications Manager 11.0; Microsoft Lync Server 2013 and Microsoft Skype for Business 2015.

It was a rigorous process that exemplified the complexity of today’s business communications environments and the need for interoperability. And since Oracle ECB is a central technology for interoperability for its customers, it was especially important to independently demonstrate its capabilities across leading platforms. Oracle ECB is now independently verified by tekVizion on these six servers.

The need to verify interoperability is only growing. With video, WebRTC, and Internet of Things (IoT) on the horizon, business communications will only get more complex. Interoperability is key to any success. Verifying it is the best way to ensure you’ll get full value from your investments.