In our last global survey conducted in partnership with research firm IntelliCom Analytics, we focused on how the current economic challenges are impacting spending on unified communications (UC) and IP telephony (IPT). With more than 2,700 participants, nearly half of the decision makers responded that they were not intending to make any modifications or cut backs to their original 2009 business plans.

 

In addition to understanding the impacts to 2009 spending, we were also interested to see whether the economy was causing businesses to re-evaluate the WAY they acquired UC and IPT capabilities. Going forward, are companies more likely to purchase a solution, or to avoid a capital outlay by leasing? Are premises-based solutions gaining favor, or is increased consideration being given to hosted or Software as a Service (SaaS (News - Alert)) capabilities?

 

As was the case with the percentage of businesses that are holding the line on their 2009 budgets, an equivalent number of businesses are maintaining a status quo position when it comes to the way they acquire UC and IPT solutions. Irrespective of the economic downturn, 49% of all companies worldwide (55% of NA-based firms) indicated that they are NOT intending to make any changes to their current approach for acquiring IPT/UC solutions.

 

For those businesses that are re-evaluating their acquisition options, fully a quarter of all businesses indicated that a hosted or SaaS approach was under consideration. In North America as well as worldwide, shifting over to an outright purchase or lease proved to the least favored options.