unified communications key networking trend for 2007
Results of Avaya survey shows more than half of respondents were interested in deploying unified communications, with 40 per cent hoping to do so in the short term
In a survey of more than 600 decision-makers based in the Middle East, Avaya Inc. (NYSE:AV) learned that more than 50 per cent of respondents were interested in deploying unified communications, with up to 40 per cent wanting to implement a unified communications strategy in the short term.
Avaya conducted the research in key markets including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt and the UAE. Participating businesses indicated their interest in the benefits of unified communications, including becoming more productive, accelerating workflow and business processes, and reducing costs and risks. Customer contact centers were another key trend identified in the regional survey, with 69 per cent of respondents currently using a call center to service customers.
Avaya, a leading global provider of business communications applications, systems and services, believes that organizations in the Middle East are now capable of deploying one consolidated, easy-to-use interface. Unified communications enables organisations to integrate their diverse applications under one single interface, allowing users to respond faster to clients and give them a competitive edge. 63 per cent of respondents surveyed by Avaya said that it was important that they receive voice mail, fax and email all in one inbox, with 41 per cent of that number saying it was crucial.
The need for unified communications in the Middle East has become a pressing business concern due to a number of market dynamics. The increase in working remotely, the growth of business travel, and the regional demand for constant email and Internet access are driving adoption of unified communications solutions. 73 per cent of Avaya survey respondents reported that it is important that customers reach them on the first attempt. Furthermore, phone calls, email and access are the top three functions that customers use on their mobile phones.
Analysts have highlighted the emergence of unified communications as a key business trend. According to Gartner Group, "In 10 years, wireless e-mail will be fully replaced by unified communications and collaboration." Research conducted in December 2006 by Aberdeen Group cited that increased employee productivity as the most critical factor driving unified communications adoption, followed by better internal collaboration. Of the 620 respondents surveyed, more than half think that having an Arabic IP phone in their organization is important, helping to improve internal collaboration.
"Currently organizations in the Middle East have business communications systems that are fragmented and diverse, and what is urgently required is a means to deliver the right applications to the right devices for various segments of workers with these needs- from basic communications right through to highly collaborative, strategic communications- to help employees improve productivity wherever they are conducting business," commented Roger El Tawil, channel and marketing director-MENA, Avaya.
Avaya is building on an established base of Unified Communications customers, innovative technology and a strategy based on delivering end-user driven solutions that are built on open standards. The new family of Avaya Unified Communications editions, based on industry standards and cross-platform protocols, make it both easy and inexpensive to integrate communications tools between disparate networks, applications, devices, and user segments.
With this next wave of unified communications initiatives, Avaya is advancing its vision for Intelligent Communications- embedding communications applications within business processes for improved service, shorter product cycle times and
"Avaya's Unified Communications strategy has consistently emphasized streamlined integration of our solutions with existing networks and applications, to better leverage our customers’ current technology investments," added El Tawil. “We anticipate that Unified Communications will be one of the three most significant advances in the Middle East’s networking sector throughout 2007.”
