T3i Group Study Finds Enterprises Increase UC App Spending Once Savings Are Realized

According to a T3i Group study, nearly half of business executives surveyed plan to spend less on Unified Communications (UC) this year than they did last year. However, the percentage of enterprises reporting bottom-line gains from UC is expected to jump significantly.

Parsippany, NJ (PRWEB) May 11, 2009 -- According to a T3i Group primary research study of nearly 300 business decision-makers, 47% expect to spend less on Unified Communications (UC) applications in 2009 than they did in 2008; only 27% plan to spend more this year. However, the percentage of enterprises (businesses with 500 or more employees) reporting bottom-line gains from UC is expected to jump significantly this year.

UC includes such applications as Web collaboration, audio conferencing, desktop videoconferencing, instant messaging, unified messaging, UC client on a PC and mobile UC client.

InfoTrack, a division of the T3i Group, recently published InfoTrack for Unified Communications: The Business Value of UC. The study used survey results to develop a "Business Value Index" (BVI) to determine quantitatively which market segments were farther ahead in achieving business value from UC apps. Among enterprises, the percent beginning to achieve measurable business value is projected to jump from 14% in 2008 to 43% in 2009. Small and medium businesses (SMBs) are expecting a smaller increase, from 9% to 22%.

"When we asked U.S. enterprises whether they were planning to spend more or less on UC apps in 2009 compared with 2008, 35% said more, but 45% said less," noted Terry White, Senior Program Director of InfoTrack for Unified Communications (IUC) and leader of this study. He continued, "However, among the enterprises that had achieved Business Value, 53% are planning to spend more versus 28% with plans for lower spending. It was just the opposite among enterprises that had not yet achieved Business Value. In that group, 58% plan to spend less on UC apps in 2009, and only 20% expect to spend more."    

This study also compares the BVI of companies based on their preferred vendor of UC applications. The vendors whose users had the highest BVI were Microsoft, IBM and Cisco. In-depth details of this BVI comparison are contained in the 87-page report.

Among the U.S. SMBs that had achieved Business Value, 28% of respondents said they expect to spend more on UC apps, compared with only 16% of the SMBs that had not yet achieved Business Value. One third of the international companies that had crossed the Business Value threshold intend to increase their spending on UC apps in 2009, while only 17% of the international businesses that had not achieved Business Value plan higher spending.

About the InfoTrack for Unified Communications (IUC) Program

The InfoTrack for Unified Communications (IUC) program conducts several comprehensive, primary research studies each year that separately analyze and forecast enterprise and small/medium business (SMB) demand for IP Telephony and nine Unified Communications applications. The program also evaluates the impact of major market disruptions, such as the entry of Microsoft and IBM into the Unified Communications market. For more information about the IUC program or this report, please visit www.telecomweb.com/IUC/BusinessValueOfUC/ or contact Bonnie Fairbrother at bfairbrother (at) t3igroup (dot) com or at (973) 602-0181 or Dennis Kelly at dkelly (at) t3igroup (dot) com or at (973) 602-0180.

About T3i Group LLC

T3i Group LLC provides market research, data, analysis, and consulting and advisory services to the telecommunications industry. It has clients in 46 countries and conducts its business through four operating units: InfoTrack, which publishes reports that analyze shipment, revenue, market share and other pertinent data of importance to telecommunications equipment manufacturers; TelecomTactics, which maintains a database of the features and functionality of major telephony systems; Tarifica, which maintains a database of pricing-related information covering 400 telecommunications carriers operating in 130 countries; and TelecomWeb (www.telecomweb.com), which serves as T3i Group's primary delivery mechanism for distributing its reports, analyses and data to subscribers.

T3i Group LLC is headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, with additional offices in New York City, London, England and Cherry Hill, NJ.

Press Contact: Debra Baker, (301) 905-7703, dbaker (at) t3igroup (dot) com

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