Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Latest News
    • Networking

    Unified Communications Market Shows Strong Rebound in Q3: Dell’Oro

    Written by

    Jeff Burt
    Published November 18, 2010
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      That energy vendors such as Cisco Systems, Avaya and, now, Microsoft are expanding their unified communications (UC) offerings is showing up in the overall market numbers, according to research firm Dell’Oro Group.

      In a report Nov. 18, Dell’Oro said that the third quarter saw the strongest growth in the UC space since 2008, and, with Microsoft’s introduction of its Lync 2010 offering Nov. 17, the market should see continued expansion.

      The UC market saw revenue growth of 7 percent during the second quarter, according to the firm.

      “Despite pockets of weakness reappearing, we believe that the Unified Communications market will expand significantly in 2010, as existing vendors continue to invest and expand their software offerings and Microsoft begins to actively push Lync,” Alan Weckel, director at Dell’Oro Group, said in a statement.

      Strong growth by vendors in the North American market offset what Dell’Oro said was weakness in Europe.

      UC has become a key target area for a growing number of vendors, as enterprises look for ways improve their communications capabilities while driving down costs. Visual collaboration also is increasingly becoming a significant part of the UC scene.

      Dell’Oro said that the top eight vendors-Aastra, Alcatel-Lucent, Avaya, Cisco, Mitel, NEC, Shoretel and Siemens-accounted for more than 80 percent of IP line shipments in the quarter. Other vendors, such as Hewlett-Packard and Polycom, also are making plays in the space.

      This week, Cisco and HP both significantly expanded the video capabilities of their communications products, Juniper Networks bought Blackwave to help expand its IP video offerings, and Mitel unveiled its Freedom architecture and Mitel Anywhere, a cloud-based UC service.

      In addition, Microsoft rolled out Lync 2010, the latest version of the solution that had once been known as Office Communications software suite. During a launch event in New York, former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates called the move to a software-driven UC platform “probably the most important thing to happen for the office worker since the PC came along.”

      Many analysts also expect the growth in UC spending to continue. Forrester Research is projecting that the overall UC market will expand to $14.5 billion by 2015.

      However, not all analysts are sold on the idea of unified communications. In a Sept. 7 blog post, Gartner analyst Nick Jones questioned whether UC is nothing more than a Ponzi scheme, saying that the idea of bundling all these communications technologies works more for the vendors than for businesses and their employees.

      “UC is a dinosaur in a world of fast-moving little furry mammals; the leading edge of communication and collaboration is happening in the consumer space driven by companies like Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Fring, Nimbuzz and dozens more,” Jones wrote. “These are better, cheaper and more fashionable than UC, and there is no way the so called -enterprise’ vendors can keep up with their rate of evolution.”

      In the end, he questioned whether there are, indeed, any true benefits for the end user.

      “For the next few years, UC will be a battleground between mega-vendors like Microsoft and Cisco, who want to suck you in to their technological whirlpool where you’ll be trapped paying license fees for a decade,” Jones wrote. “And, finally, it’s not as if you could even make a decent business case for UC; people end up using bizarre logic involving the value of saving 15 minutes a day per employee. If you give people 15 minutes more time you won’t get 15 minutes more work, they’ll just go have a chat and another cup of coffee with a friend.”

      Jeff Burt
      Jeff Burt
      Jeffrey Burt has been with eWEEK since 2000, covering an array of areas that includes servers, networking, PCs, processors, converged infrastructure, unified communications and the Internet of things.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.