Over the last few years, the battle for the desktop has been intensifying between some of the biggest technology names in the world. It wouldn’t surprise folks to see Microsoft, IBM and Cisco all pitching to convince companies to use their platform and suite of applications across an enterprise.

However, just as the line has blurred between work and play, the traditional “enterprise” players are seeing new entrants join the fray. Frost and Sullivan’s recent article on Google’s acquisition and development of a Unified Communications (UC) and Collaboration suite reveals the heightened interest of traditional consumer-based players, as they try to penetrate the workplace as well. They do have a ways to go to before they can compete with the established, feature-rich solutions provided by the traditional players. However, the brand recognition and “cloud”-based approach Google will most likely take with its UC offerings could enable them to make inroads into the corporate world.

Here at AVI-SPL, we take a neutral approach to technology solutions. We help our customers deploy and leverage UC tools and applications, and are focused on solutions that best fit their requirements and budget. We do not see Google UC gaining a large market share in the enterprise in the near future. In the next few years, however, we expect that Google will be considered a viable option for corporations on a wider scale.

The above is written by Michael Brandofino, executive vice president of VTC and UC, AVI-SPL.

As momentum on this story grows, we’d like to hear from you too. Does Google have what it takes to become a strong contender in such a tightly-established market?

Polycom and Microsoft have announced a channel partnership to increase Microsoft’s Unified Communications (UC) offerings. As a part of the multi-year global agreement, Polycom will develop and provide integrated end-to-end UC solutions, including room-based video systems, for Microsoft’s clients. Under this partnership, Polycom becomes a member of Microsoft’s key strategic global alliance.

AVI-SPL Director of Video and UC Project Management John Vitale shared his thoughts about the partnership: “I think this is a good step for both Microsoft and Polycom to take and help accelerate the adoption of Unified Communications. In the past, video has always been the ‘leave it for later’ feature of UC due to its challenges with mass scale deployment in an enterprise. Polycom and Microsoft teaming up to help solve these issues can only help the situation. I’m looking forward to the fruit this partnership will bear.”

For more information about the agreement, click here to read the announcement and watch a brief video featuring Microsoft Corporate Vice President of UC Products and Polycom President and CEO.

Unified Communications (UC) tools are moving out of the board room and into the realm of higher education. In a great post on the UC Strategies blog, Blair Pleasant discusses a variety of areas that universities could use UC to streamline communications between faculty, staff, students, and others.

All UC vendors today are trying to find ways to differentiate themselves from one another and to stand out from the crowd. I generally recommend that they focus on professional services and/or applications, especially vertical applications. One vendor that has been successfully building UC applications and solutions based on its vertical expertise is NEC, which is working with its partners to understand the business challenges and business processes in the areas of health care, hospitality, higher education, and government.

For the full text of the blog post, click here.

For more information about UC products and services from AVI-SPL, click here.

As the cost-saving reputation of videoconferencing (VTC) technology grows, more organizations are curious to know if they’re receiving the maximum benefit. Noted business research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan addresses concerns with a new informational video, especially designed to help you make the most of your videoconferencing investment.

The online resource breaks down the 5 assessment steps you need to take. Be sure to check out the video and ask yourself the following key questions:

• Are you measuring the current adoption rate within your organization?
• Have you determined how and when your employees are using VTC technology?
• Has your organization successfully overcome user resistance?
• Have you promoted the use of unified collaboration technology through your corporate messaging?
• What steps have you taken to expand your collaborative technology reach?

To view the video, click here ».

Looking for proof that advanced Unified Communications and Collaboration (UC&C) technology is a worthy investment for your company? Just turn to the latest report from business research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan. Sponsored by Verizon and Cisco, “Meetings Around the World II: Charting the Course of Advanced Collaboration,” introduces the industry’s first quantitative model for a return on collaboration investment.

Excerpts from the study:

• Businesses and government agencies deploying VoIP soft phones, immersive video and fixed mobile convergence received an average return of four times their investment in deploying collaboration technologies in terms of improvement across business-critical areas.
• The majority of organizations deploying (UC&C) are more successful than their peers compared to those not deploying UC&C (70 percent versus 47 percent).
• Of organizations deploying UC&C, 40 percent plan to increase spending.
• More than 80 percent of organizations that have not yet deployed UC&C tools plan to deploy some form in the next two to three years.

Based on this research, are you interested in developing a UC & C integration for your organization? If not, what are the key factors holding you back?

For more on the study, click here.

By Michael Brandofino
Executive Vice President of Video Communications and Unified Collaboration
AVI-SPL

And then there were two. Today’s news about Cisco’s acquisition of TANDBERG should come as no surprise to those familiar with the video communications industry. Cisco’s leap into the video space with the launch of its Telepresence platform a few years ago was a clear statement that video communications was the target of future growth for Cisco. However, it was clear that while Cisco introduced a competitive high-end system, they lacked a full range of products to compete effectively against Polycom and TANDBERG . This acquisition effectively leaves two major players who make up approximately 90% of the market with a handful of others making up the rest.

This development continues to validate that video communications is quickly becoming a critical application for companies and is a key component of any enterprise’s Unified Communications strategy. AVI-SPL is positioned well to capitalize on these developments, as we have strong relationships with both Cisco, TANDBERG and Polycom. We continue to invest in training and certifications so we can be at the forefront of technology and will help our customer navigate through the changes in the market, and the potential changes in technology stemming from the acquisition of TANDBERG by Cisco.

Click here to read more on this $3 billion acquisition. »

For featured TANDBERG products, click here. »

>For more information on videoconferencing services, click here. »