November 13, 2006
Radicati Group: Unified Communications Market Driven by Adoption of 3G, VoIP
By Mae Kowalke, TMCnet Contributor
Technology research company The Radicati Group recently examined the unified communications (UC) market in depth, and in the past week released two reports related to that research.
The latest report, out today, examines the UC market as it relates to service providers. In order to get a grip on the data, Radicati Group divided the market into three segments:
- Hosted UC Service Providers (pure-play ASP hosted solutions)
- Telecom UC Service Providers (bundle UC functionality with other services)
- UC Suppliers to Service Providers (sell UC applications/platforms to providers)
Combined data from the first two segments, Radicati Group found, show worldwide revenues this year to be $2.6 billion—and that will grow to almost $19.7 billion in 2010.
Suppliers represent a significantly smaller proportion of the UC pie; for that segment, 2006 revenues are $599 million, projected to grow to almost $1.5 billion in 2010.
What accounts for the growth of UC, both now and over the next five years?
Radicati Group’s answer is: “the increasing adoption of complementary technologies, such as 3G
and VoIP, which enable the delivery of more interactive, real-time communication services, adding value and usability to UC solutions.”
and VoIP, which enable the delivery of more interactive, real-time communication services, adding value and usability to UC solutions.”In a related report last week, Radicati Group projected that the number of deployed UC mailboxes will grow from 18 million this year to more than 47 million in 2010.
Growth in the UC mailbox market, the research firm said, will be driven by businesspeople seeking new ways to work more efficiently.
Mae Kowalke previously wrote for Cleveland Magazine in Ohio and The Burlington Free Press in Vermont. To see more of her articles, please visit Mae Kowalke’s columnist page. Also check out her Wireless Mobility blog.
