SPECIAL REPORT
Twickenham Stadium April 1st & 2nd, 2009
www.comms-dealer.com
SYSTEM MARKET OVERVI
Pure IP/IP PBX business in
The downturn has had an impact on
all levels of the systems market but
demonstrating RoI is still a deal-winner
despite the credit crunch, writes Piers Ford.
T
here’s no doubt
that interrupted
budgets and
cautious forecasts
are having a profound
effect on the converged
IP/PBX sector. And while
this is mainly a direct
consequence of the
economic climate, it is also
due to a key factor that
tends to get overlooked
in the head of marketing
steam that always builds up
during the high-spending
good times: The days are
Tim Webb
long gone when customers
at either end of the market
IP will
are likely to invest in
continue
the same period the more ubiquitous, and Nimans, Systems Sales
technology for its own sake. previous year. “The current features such as mobility Director Phil Adams says
to grow as
economic climate may and remote working will there is IP PBX growth
A demonstrable RoI has
networks
mean that a business’s become more important at all levels but the 50-
been a more reliable deal- choice of telephony solution to more and more plus extension market
clincher than any number
become more
is more based on cost,” companies. With recent is particularly strong.
of Utopian promises for says Tim Webb, General events in the telecoms “Businesses with 2-300
some time now. And the ubiquitous Manager of Toshiba BCD. market, it will also become employees, although
good news for IP PBX and “Now that businesses are increasingly important they may be feeling the
pure IP players throughout shifting their focus to SMBs having to justify their spend throughout 2009 for pinch, will probably still
the distribution chain is before the downturn took more, the core features and companies to purchase a have budgets available
that their core technology hold report significantly functions combined with solution from a big name for technology which they
has never been better- increased sales. reliability and investment brand that will weather will utilise where they can
positioned to deliver a protection will be of the storm, and continue see an RoI,” he suggests.
proven RoI in a reasonably Toshiba, for example, has utmost importance. to develop and deliver “For a typical mid-market
short space of time. That been wooing the sub-50 realistic solutions that meet company with field-based
said, most industry watchers sector with its Strata CIX “Over the next few years, tangible business benefits.” and home workers, today’s
agree that the lower end of range, touting flexible what starts in the enterprise applications, through
the market in particular has migration rather than market space will continue Other players report that the utilisation of VoIP, are
taken a significant hit with enforced pure IP. In Q4 to filter down into the SMB simplicity and scalability ideally suited. There is
the crunch – although even 2008, it increased system space. IP will continue to continue to be vital selling growth at the smaller end
vendors who were already sales by 27 per cent over grow as networks become points. At distributor of the market where they
34 COMMS DEALER MARCH 2009 www.comms-dealer.com
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