<p>Successful business relies on communication. Decades ago, the typing pool was central to a letter and memo-based business communications, and since then email has taken over many of these functions. But a modern small- to medium-sized enterprise (SME) needs a wider array of integrated communications methods to compete successfully. Whilst this kind of unified communications system can be run entirely in-house, it has traditionally been a very expensive option only large companies could afford. Now, however, the increasing value of outsourced cloud-based alternatives means there could be a much more cost-effective option, and none offers you more for your money than Cobweb, Europe's largest cloud communications provider.</p><p>Read more: Connected Business Expo 2014: As it happened</p><p>Complementing its hosted Microsoft Exchange packages for your company's primary email needs, Cobweb also provides hosted Microsoft Lync in a variety of forms. Lync is Microsoft's real-time communications suite, bringing together instant messaging, availability awareness and virtual conferences for up to 250 attendees, and integrated IP telephony. Cobweb has been a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner since 2006, so is fully accredited to provide technical support on Microsoft products, giving Cobweb's clients total assurance that their businesses are in the hands of experts.</p><p>Cobweb offers Lync in four different packages, with monthly prices starting from as little as 1.69 per user. The basic package includes instant messaging with peer-to-peer audio and video, live presence awareness, clients for Mac and mobile users, file transfer, and integration with Cobweb's Exchange 2013 offerings, as well as federation with Skype so that users can communicate between the two systems. Setting up a federated connection of this type is entirely free, too. All connections are secured by hefty 2,048-bit encryption.</p><p><a href="http://www.itproportal.com/2014/04/04/affordable-unified-communications-for-smes-cobwebs-cloud-based-microsoft-lync/">Keep reading...</a></p>