Featured Article from Unified Communications Headsets

How Your Company Connects Aids Your Competitive Advantage

By Susan J. Campbell
TMCnet Contributing Editor

One of the best benefits to Unified Communications (News - Alert) (UC) is the ability to seamlessly integrate across platforms to enable streamlined connectivity. While a number of companies promise that their products will deliver on this promise, it always helps when certification is in place. To that end, Fusion has announced that its cloud communications platform is now certified compliant with the interoperability requirements of Mitel (News - Alert).

Now, Mitel customers can enjoy the cost savings and service benefits associated with the Mitel MiVoice Business Release 7.2 and the Mitel MiVoice Office 250 Release 6.1 business communications platforms thanks to the addition of Fusion’s advanced cloud-based SIP trunking solution. There’s no need to replace existing equipment or build out infrastructure to meet the needs of business users.

“Building and maintaining the right technology relationships to deliver customers high-value integrated solutions is a critical component for success in the business communications marketplace,” said David Lowenstein, Director of Business Development for Mitel Solutions Alliance, in a press release. “Mitel works with best-of-breed companies like Fusion to deliver complete solutions that address the business challenges of our customers.”

Such collaborations are essential in a market that continues to grow and develop. Unified Communications provider Broadsoft conducted a survey on the topic, finding that significant growth is likely in the next few years. In fact, Unified Communications penetration could grow by as much as three times its current size in the large enterprise segment, seven times in the midmarket segment and nearly five times in the small business segment by 2020.

Featured in this Talk in Cloud post, the survey also revealed that 82 percent of respondents expect over-the-top (OTT) integrated messaging and collaboration applications to disrupt the business email market. Only 18 percent believe that email will maintain its positioning as the primary business-messaging tool. A number of respondents believe that total unified communications-as-a-service (UCaaS) and PBX (News - Alert) market share will increase by nearly six times from 7 percent today, reaching 41 percent by 2020.

The main driver behind this growth is the opportunities cloud-based access to capabilities provide to the typical business. For instance, in the past, only those organizations with the budget and skill set to manage a platform of integrated capabilities could enjoy the benefits. Now, access in the cloud eliminates this barrier, enabling seamless connections across varying platforms and platforms.

The resulting solutions produce accessibility to streamlined communications solutions that enable companies of all sizes compete on the same level. In a hyper-connected world, this is a must for those seeking the competitive advantage.