I like the thought that UC is preferred ‘as-a-service’, but I do not understand the motivation as descibed by Forrester : unclear ROI to name one. Depending on the depreciation status of the current Communication Infrastructure ofcourse, the benefits and value of UC is a ‘no-brainer’
I do agree the landscape is changing fast, but so are the prices. This space is being ‘democratised’ …
Microsoft’s view on UC is that is (rapidly becoming) a software play rather than proprietary hardware. Chaninging fast in that context is more innovation than anything else, somthing that is often not the case for some of the PBX’s in the basement …
Bottomline it makes sence to procure it as-a-service which in most cases includes the upgrades (innovation) …
The number of unified communications (UC) evaluations and pilots is up more than 20% since last year. However, those pilots have not yet translated into full deployments.
Why? Unclear value of ROI, rapidly evolving technologies and standards, immature user interfaces, and a confusing vendor landscape.
As a result, many technology decision-makers tell us that they want to rent rather than buy unified communications. This perfect storm of change and uncertainty enables UC vendors, network service providers, and even software-as-a-service (SaaS) vendors to win managed UC share by offering industry-specific solutions, enabling rich channel partners, and ensuring that CIOs hear the message of mitigating risk with managed UC deployments.
