John Howard, executive director, EMEA Unified Communications & Collaboration at Logitech for Business Comments on the recent IDC report on Unified Communications and Collaboration.
“The recent IDC MarketScape report on unified communications & collaboration (UC&C) made interesting reading for anyone in the channel involved in this area. While it was no surprise that Cisco, Microsoft and Avaya are leaders in the UC&C market for 2013, it was heartening to hear that IDC is seeing mobility, collaboration and video conferencing driving renewed interest in UC&C. However, the report highlights that many companies still face challenges to adopting this technology, ranging from justifying the cost and securing ROI, to integration and identifying detailed use cases.
“Even where a UC&C solution has been implemented, adoption remains low because the channel tends to focus on the software and infrastructure aspect, rather than the overall user experience. However, the channel should start seeing this as an opportunity. Potential customers need clarity and guidance on choosing a UC&C solution, delivering ROI and ensuring there is a strong uptake within the company. It is vital for resellers and VARs to be able to clearly explain the business benefits of UC&C and provide examples of successful use-cases. By working in partnership with customers, the channel can help provide the ammunition so that the IT department can lobby internally and prove the business case for UC.
“Equally, the channel needs to act as a trusted partner throughout the entire lifecycle of a UC&C project, from planning and installing the implementation, to helping train staff and supporting firms in enhancing the user experience and maximising adoption rates from the outset. This approach can help resellers add much needed extra margin onto these projects, as well as secure the longevity of UC&C in the workplace, sowing the seeds for future projects. The key to this is identifying the problems business face around UC&C and ensuring you are on hand to overcome them.”