02246nas a2200133   4500008004100000022001400041245006200055210005900117260004200176520182300218100001702041700001802058856003602076       2010                        eng d  a1913-610200aEditorial: Communications Enabled Applications (May 2010)0 aEditorial Communications Enabled Applications May 2010  aOttawabTalent First Networkc05/20103 aAs anyone with a smartphone can appreciate, the power of having a mobile phone that can can access the Internet creates significant value for users and opportunities for businesses. This device-level integration of communication services and web applications is now common. However, we are only now scratching the surface of the next step in value: application-level integration. The ability to integrate communications services within web applications opens up tremendous opportunities. Examples of communications enabled applications include simple click-to-call links on a website, conference calls initiated by applications or users in response to events, interactive voice response menus, and any number of other ways that communication services, such as messaging, voice, and conference calls, can be integrated into an application to add value.

I recently had the pleasure of coordinating the activities of a group of entrepreneurs, developers, and architects as they explored together how CEAs can add value to their offerings and their business ecosystem. The Elena Project was funded by IRAP to stimulate small technology companies to develop working prototypes of CEAs and expand the capabilities of the Coral CEA business ecosystem and sandbox. The project focused on using four voice services and the open source web conferencing tool BigBlueButton.

Among the outcomes of this project was the realization that significant value can be leveraged when communications features become integral parts of applications. In this issue of the OSBR, a diverse group of authors share their experiences and knowledge to help others explore the value CEAs could bring to their own offerings. All of the authors in this issue participated directly in the Elena project or present analysis relating to Coral CEA.
1 aLavigne, Dru1 aMcPhee, Chris  uhttp://timreview.ca/article/346