Abstract
“Deploying unified communications may look like a luxury in these
recessionary times, but enterprises can take steps on the migration path
towards unified communications that bring immediate cost savings.”
Margaret Hopkins, Analysys Mason Associate.
There is a growing consensus that enterprise communications is moving towards
a unified communications (UC) endpoint, at which voice, email, instant
messaging and video are linked to each other and to enterprise productivity
applications. Microsoft is now aggressively marketing its OCS platform and
this has brought UC into the mainstream. However, enterprises typically start
towards UC from the position of having a complex legacy infrastructure,
including PBXs from multiple vendors, separate email and conferencing systems
and, often, widespread unauthorised use of IM. UC functionality integrates
existing voice, email, and messaging infrastructure, both fixed and mobile,
and builds on platforms such as Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes, as well as
on SIP PBXs.
This report examines the competing claims of different types of vendor to
provide the ideal starting point for deployment of UC, and considers possible
migration paths and styles of UC architecture, with particular emphasis on
fixed and mobile voice systems. It identifies the first steps that will offer
quick wins for most enterprises as they look to cut costs while aiming for a
strategic move to UC. It provides forecasts of the number of users and of
spend on TDM, VoIP and FMC services for business voice in France, Germany,
Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the UK and Europe as a whole to 2014 for
organisations of 20 - 500 and 500+ employees.
Migrating to unified communications: integrating legacy enterprise phone
systems answers your key questions:
- How is UC developing in the enterprise?
- Will it be built around voice systems?
- Is Microsoft OCS the best platform for UC?
- How will mobile phones be integrated into UC systems?
- Which aspects of UC can bring immediate benefits to the business?
- Which UC tools deliver immediate cost savings?
- How many enterprise networks are ready for UC deployment?
Table of Contents
- 4. Document map - Executive summary
- 5. Users are still very confused about unified communications
- 6. Companies are looking for hard cost savings from UC, rather than for
efficiency gains
- 7. Service providers are keen to develop hosted UC services
- 8. Document map: A single directory is the core of a UC deployment
- 9. UC is an aspiration that few companies have realised
- 10. UC offers many benefits, but they are hard to verify
- 11. The first step on the road to UC is often provision of secure IM
functionality
- 12. UC systems must embrace mobile in order to be effective
- 13. Document map: UC is as likely to be based on the email as on the
voice platform
- 14. The main UC platform does not have to be the PBX
- 15. SIP-based PBXs offer the necessary presence management
- 16. Microsoft email can be extended to UC with OCS
- 17. An MNO can bring mobile presence information to a system based on OCS
and email
- 18. Lotus Sametime is a UC platform that evolves from IM
- 19. UC delivered as a hosted solution is appealing to SMEs
- 20. Document map: Complexity is an obstacle to UC deployment
- 21. Complexity, shortage of IT staff and the need for user education are
obstacles to UC deployment
- 22. Demonstrating ROI in UC can be difficult
- 23. Document map: Enterprise voice infrastructure is increasingly
UC-ready
- 24. By 2014, 30 - 50% of medium and large companies will have some VoIP
infrastructure
- 25. By 2014, many companies will have no traditional PBX
- 26. By 2014, 10 million enterprise users will rely solely on mobile phones
- 27. By 2014, UC spend on calls and connection in Europe will reach EUR3.7
billion
- 28. Document map: UC deployment is an integration project
- 29. Implementation has to be a step-by-step process
- 30. To get maximum benefit from UC, re-evaluate how communications support
business processes
- 31. Document map: Recommendations
- 32. Recommendations
- 33. Document map: Author, copyright and key to acronyms
- 34. Author
- 35. Copyright
- 36. Key to acronyms
- 37. Document map: List of figures and tables
- 38. List of figures and tables
- 39. Document map - About Analysys Mason
- 40. About Analysys Mason
- 41. Research from Analysys Mason
- 42. Consulting from Analysys Mason
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