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Frost & Sullivan: High Usage of OTT Applications in Australia - Ease of Use and Accessibility from Smart Devices Main Drivers for AdoptionSYDNEY, Jun 04, 2013 (PR Newswire Europe via COMTEX) -- - Skype, WhatsApp, Viber and Google Chat are some of the more commonly used day to day OTT applications for communications - SYDNEY, June 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Over-The-Top (OTT) applications are among the most downloaded and used apps on mobile devices and employees are increasingly using their smart devices at work, by-passing carrier networks to send messages and to make voice or video calls. Frost & Sullivan's latest report, Trends in the Australian OTT and Communications Market 2013 finds that driven by advances in smart devices and improvements in mobile networks, Over-The-Top (OTT) applications are among the most downloaded and most used apps on mobile devices. Users are increasingly using their smart devices at work and are increasingly by-passing carrier networks to send messages and to make voice or video calls. While these applications are largely used for one to one communication, and lack the scalability and advanced features of Unified Communications (UC) applications, the simplicity and accessibility of OTT applications will cause concerns for traditional communications vendors. Audrey William, Head of Research, ICT Practice, Frost & Sullivan ANZ says "Whilst there are some very well established OTT providers in the market, many new players offering OTT solutions for voice and video are expected to enter the marketplace. While the usage of OTT solutions in the past was mostly driven by consumers, it is starting to become an important application for the enterprise worker. Applications such as WhatsApp are commonly used today in the workplace as a communication medium between employees and external stakeholders. With cloud and mobility becoming the focus of most organisations' IT strategy, the ability to manage devices and applications is also becoming important. Equal importance has to be given to managing the usage of OTT applications within the enterprise as well. Using OTT applications for external communications should be closely monitored to prevent risks such as data leakage or data privacy breaches." Anand Balasubramanian, Industry Analyst, ICT Practice, Frost & Sullivan ANZ, says "Skype is the preferred OTT application among employees for voice and video communication, with WhatsApp and Viber gaining in usage." Amongst major factors driving usage is accessibility from multiple devices including laptops, smartphones and tablets. This ease of use makes it easy for any employee to join or place a call. In addition, Microsoft's acquisition of Skype has generated significant interest among businesses as well as UC vendors. As part of the research, Frost & Sullivan surveyed 227 IT decision makers in Australia to understand market behaviour and views towards Over-The-Top (OTT) applications. Some of the key findings include: Frost & Sullivan's report, Frost & Sullivan Trends in the Australian OTT and Communications Market 2013, forms a part of the Frost & Sullivan Enterprise Communications Research program. All research services included in this subscription provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. For media queries and more information please send an e-mail with your contact details to Donna Jeremiah, Corporate Communications, at [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]. About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. Our "Growth Partnership" supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organisation prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies? 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