Expenditure on unified communications (UC) services will continue to grow despite caution surrounding IT spending over the next two years thanks to current financial turmoil, says a new report from Front & Sullivan.
The report predicts that strong interest in UC in the region will cause UC revenues to more than double to $785.9 million by 2014, at a compound annual growth rate of 12.7% between 2007 and 2014.
Audrey William, senior research manager at the firm, said: “A shortage of UC skills will create significant opportunities for system integrators and service providers in the next few years.
“To capitalise on those opportunities, services organisations need to start developing the appropriate skills now. It's going to require investment and a commitment to training and certification over the next 12 to 18 months.”
The report also predicted the growth and decline of the various UC market segments over the next few years:
- Integration and implementation services accounted for 16.2% of revenue, and this figure is expected to increase over time.
- Maintenance services accounted for 14.9% of total UC services revenues in 2007, but this will decline over time as system integrators innovate their offerings to deliver higher-margin services in the hosted, consulting, integration and managed services segments.
- Consulting services accounted for only 4.8% UC expenditure — but this will grow slowly, as organisations overcome their reluctance to invest in the pre-sales process of building a UC strategy.
- Managed UC services accounted for 8.4% of UC revenues, but will also grow in the years to come.