Abstract
Many multinationals have now embarked on network convergence and the implementation of IP telephony. IP convergence is increasingly being driven by the need for improved mobility as well as an expectation of cost savings. Unified communications (US) applications are on the agenda for the majority of the companies we talked to. These companies are not looking for a single supplier for UC, but expect the IP telephony and software collaboration vendors to have a strategy of interoperability.
Table of Contents
- Key findings
- Progress with implementing IP telephony
- Network convergence
- Drivers of IPT implementation and network convergence
- Implementation issues
- Business usage of consumer IP telephony services
- Unified communications
Table of figures
- Figure 1: IP telephony is penetrating further into enterprises
- Figure 2: Site-by-site approach favoured for IP telephony implementation
- Figure 3: A mixed PBX bag before IP telephony
- Figure 4: Cisco dominates after IP telephony implementation
- Figure 5: Interest in managed IP telephony, but little appetite for hosting
- Figure 6: Most will use VoIP in WAN within two years
- Figure 7: MPLS: the main technology for convergence
- Figure 8: Many use the public Internet as part of the corporate network, even for voice
- Figure 9: Mobility and strategy are now important drivers of convergence
- Figure 10: Most consider their IPT/convergence implementation successful
- Figure 11: Skype is not supported in multinationals
- Figure 12: Skype raises security and control concerns
- Figure 13: Much demand for unified communications applications within the year
- Figure 14: Inter-operability strategy key; single vendor for UC not an issue
- Figure 15: No clear winner in UC ‘vendor wars'
- Figure 16: Social networks will have an important role in business
