Future of the IPPBX - TMCnet · The Future of the IP‐PBX UC is driving the convergence of the communications and collaborative application markets – Telephony’s competitive

Mark CortnerSenior [email protected]

b twww.burtongroup.com

The Future of the IP‐PBX


UC is driving the convergence of the communications and collaborative application marketscollaborative application markets

– Telephony’s competitive landscape is evolving and will increasingly include software‐centric UC vendors

– Enterprises are questioning and reexamining the long‐term wisdom of deploying IP‐PBX systems

E t i h ld l f h th i d t i– Enterprises should plan for change as the industry is redefined and evolves

– But software‐centric solutions are unproven in the area pof real‐time communications

… how is the new competition attacking the IP‐PBX?


Agenda

Th C i i A– The Competitive Argument• Software’s Role

Experience and Expertise• Experience and Expertise

• User Experience

• Suitability to TaskSuitability to Task

• What’s the Business Case?

– More Observations/Perspective/ p

– Recommendations

Software’s Role

Enterprises should look beyond standalone IP‐PBXs to a multi‐application UC service model that encompasses telephonyapplication UC service model that encompasses telephony

– Voice will continue to play a lead role in communications• But will prove more efficient and cost effective when tightly integrated as a component of other communication and desktop applications

– A software‐centric approach is favored over purpose‐built hardware by virtually all UC applicationsy y pp

• Presence, IM, unified messaging, calendaring

• Telephony is core integration component to extending communications to line of business applications

– IP‐PBX vendors acknowledge the shift to software, they simply haven’t fully evolved their business models and are reluctant to give up specialty/proprietary hardware in the interimto give up specialty/proprietary hardware in the interim

Experience and Expertisep p

Lack of telephony experience will slow market entry of “software” though this is not a long‐term obstaclesoftware , though this is not a long‐term obstacle

– The challenges/obstacles have been conquered before

Cisco’s 10 Year RoadmapCisco s 10 Year Roadmap

User Experiencep

Software‐centric UC vendors have strong expertise in user interface design and have no self‐interest in endpointsinterface design and have no self‐interest in endpoints

– “Look and feel” familiarity/usability, control of desktop experience

– Utilizes ecosystem of standards‐based handset vendors

– Tight integration with directory and e‐mail applications

Suitability to Tasky

A software‐centric approach is actually more suitable for UC

Th t i ’t ti t d l il l ti– The enterprise can’t continue to deploy silo solutions

– What technical gaps related to the call management function can’t be overcome by purpose‐built software?y p p

• Is the IP‐PBX a software‐based solution or not?

• OCS and its Mediation Server are built for real‐time, multimodalcommunications not built just for voice like IP‐PBXscommunications … not built just for voice like IP PBXs

– What motivations (conflicting) do IP‐PBX vendors have to enable users to dump proprietary IP‐PBX endpoints?

• IP‐PBX vendors have been slow to adopt open standards

• IP‐PBX vendors have a self‐interest in maintaining proprietary endpoint strategies

What’s the Business Case?

IP‐PBX vendors have strayed from an emphasis on TCO

Mi ti t IPT d i b i f t t f h– Migrations to IPT driven by infrastructure refresh• End of life/maintenance of digital PBX infrastructure

• Most enterprises don’t experience OPEX decreases

– Embedded call management software modules will provide lower TCO than standalone voice appliances

• Example: Sametime Unified Telephony call routing technology• Example: Sametime Unified Telephony call routing technology

– The focal point now for ROI is entangled with UC• Increased productivity, fast time to business soft benefits

• Extension of communications to line of business applications


Agenda



• User Experience



– General Observations/Perspective/ p

– Recommendations

Observations/Perspective/ p

Many enterprises that leverage other Microsoft solutions anticipate leveraging OCS as a core UC platformanticipate leveraging OCS as a core UC platform

– OCS’s acceptance as a collaborative platform is anchored by close integration with AD, Exchange, SharePoint

– OCS has achieved increased awareness with voice architects, though in the short‐term it is unlikely to challenge the IP PBXchallenge the IP‐PBX

• OCS Release 2 addresses many of OCS’s previous shortcomings related to voice application features and functions.

f d d k f l• But Microsoft must overcome widespread skepticism of it role within enterprise voice if to succeed in displacing current IP‐PBXs


Cisco has aggressively pursued its collaboration product gaps and will increasingly overlap with Microsoft/IBMand will increasingly overlap with Microsoft/IBM– Key acquisitions include Orative, WebEx, PostPath, and Jabber

– Emphasis on SaaS‐based model via WebEx Connect• But not ignoring the premises‐based platform model …

– Cisco well positioned for underlying network enhancements required for VoIP fixed mobile convergence and the “cloud”required for VoIP, fixed mobile convergence, and the cloud

• Strategy not reliant on adoption of multi‐application UC platforms


IBM investing to maintain a dominant market position

L t S ti h l t i t ll d b f “UC” l tf– Lotus Sametime has largest installed base of “UC” platforms• Product focus on collaboration and unifying the user experience

– Lotus Sametime platform focused on interoperabilityp p y• Integration with Microsoft Exchange, third‐party PBXs (via SUT)

– Recent launch of LotusLive signals belief in hybrid models


The “cloud” can provide a viable network‐based service alternatives to capital intensive premises‐based solutionsalternatives to capital intensive, premises‐based solutions

– Many enterprise deploying IPT• Enterprises deploying premises‐based IP‐PBX solutions

• Service providers have lagged with network‐based, alternative service offerings with ability to meet enterprise requirements

• Excellent opportunity now to leverage MPLS, SIP, and IMS networkspp y g , ,

– Many enterprises now planning for UC• Convergence of many communications/collaborative applications

d b b d f b d l• Integrated, ubiquitous access to broad range of IP‐based applications

• Multi‐application nature of UC requires new governance models – The cloud, if accepted by enterprises (success story = salesforce.com), is viable


• An enterprise’s strategy should not be driven by specific products/services but rather an encompassing UC strategyproducts/services but rather an encompassing UC strategy

– The product capabilities should not drive strategy; influences such as mobile substitution and cloud‐based service delivery options should drive the strategy

– Given industry dynamics, enterprises should manage their tactical and long term enterprise telephonytheir tactical and long‐term enterprise telephony strategies in light (context) of UC

– The value of premises‐based UC solutions will be challenged by new cloud‐based collaboration services and enterprises should evaluate a product/services portfolio of premises‐only SaaS only and hybrid optionsportfolio of premises only, SaaS only, and hybrid options


Why is it important which approach ultimately wins?

I t IP PBX i ti t t i– Impact on IP‐PBX migration strategies• ~80% of enterprise endpoints are still served by digital PBXs

• A more conservative approach to IP‐PBX migrations

– The IP‐PBX competitive landscape and the role of call management will change significantly, who will survive?


Agenda



• User Experience



– General Observations/Perspective/ p

– Recommendations


Recommendations

A ti i t d d t t h i th IP PBX k t– Anticipate and adapt to changes in the IP‐PBX market• Leverage the increased competition to your advantage

– Evaluate the trade‐offs between the vendor approachespp• IP‐PBX vendors will close the gap and evolve (or die)

• Microsoft will expand from a complementary to a substitute role

S l t h th t h th i t i t ti– Select an approach that has the appropriate integration capabilities based upon your timelines

– Include subject matter experts in non‐telephony areas in j p p ythe development of the enterprise telephony strategy

• Security, identity/directory, collaborative/desktop applications

Documents

Future of the IPPBX - TMCnet · The Future of the IP‐PBX UC is driving the convergence of the communications and collaborative application markets – Telephony’s competitive