http://www.currentanalysis.com/ Analysis Reports provided by Current Analysis, Inc. en-us All materials Copyright 1997-2010 Current Analysis, Inc. Reproduction or distribution prohibited without express written consent. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:16:01 GMT http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=54102&rss There’s a lot of activity in integrating social media into communications and contact center software. However it is a market very much in its infancy, with solutions generally immature and in many cases not generally available. Riggs, Brian 2010-07-02T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=54090&rss Cisco’s new Hosted Collaboration Solution augments its existing hosted telephony and contact center services, delivering a broader set of collaboration apps than the company previously made available to carriers offering cloud-based services. Riggs, Brian 2010-07-01T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=54093&rss Cisco’s next-generation endpoint, the Cius tablet, delivers robust business communications functionality in a form factor previously only seen in the consumer space. Cius' lead time to market, maturity and consumer alternatives are challenges. Arnold, Robert 2010-07-01T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=54008&rss Salesforce.com unleashes its hotly anticipated collaboration offering, Salesforce Chatter, blending profiles, comments, feeds, and updates to form market opportunities within CRM use cases and beyond, thanks to Salesforce.com's PaaS, Force.com. Shimmin, Brad 2010-06-24T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53698&rss Siemens Enterprise’s IP-based SMB communications platform now includes contact center software that is both multi-channel and UC-capable. The company must now prove it can build a sizable customer base around it. Riggs, Brian 2010-05-27T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53641&rss Interactive Intelligence will add new apps to its hosted contact center service, allowing customer more control and more robust functionality, but still with capital cost avoidance. Arnold, Robert 2010-05-21T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53505&rss Expanding platform support to Genesys SIP Server marks closer integration of the Genesys and Alcatel-Lucent portfolios and should help the company position its SMB contact center offering in non-Alcatel-Lucent accounts. Riggs, Brian 2010-05-10T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53402&rss Virtualization support and a UC-enabled Web client are hallmarks of Siemens Enterprise’s latest update to its contact center software. Both promise customers a wider array of deployment options, but competitors will replicate that quickly. Riggs, Brian 2010-05-04T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53152&rss Context-aware customer interactions, social networking integration, and modular applications are among the hallmarks of the much-anticipated Genesys 8 platform. Genesys must now focus on transitioning customers to it. Riggs, Brian 2010-04-16T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52911&rss With OmniTouch 8082 My IC Phone Alcatel-Lucent demonstrates thought leadership in terms of desk phone design. The company now needs to demonstrate customer demand for accessing communications and other kinds of apps via an IP phone. Riggs, Brian 2010-03-23T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52860&rss ShoreTel has proven itself an increasingly visible force to be reckoned with in the North American SMB PBX space. The company is now challenged to replicate its quickly growing sales in the enterprise market, as well as in key regions internationally. Riggs, Brian 2010-03-17T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52833&rss Dominance in Europe and a complete portfolio number among Alcatel-Lucent’s strengths in the communications solutions market, but the company has yet to realize efficiencies between its merged enterprise, carrier, and contact center operations. Riggs, Brian 2010-03-16T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52821&rss A strategy of growth through acquisition has served Aastra well in the past few years, creating a business with considerable reach in the communications market. It now needs to simplify its product portfolio and create more brand awareness. Riggs, Brian 2010-03-15T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52827&rss The latest NEC reorganization promises to broaden NEC’s solution set and deliver new sales opportunities, though how well the company executes on the strategy remains to be seen. Riggs, Brian 2010-03-15T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52807&rss Its partnership with Microsoft has breathed new life into Aspect, helping to broaden its service offerings and dovetail with Microsoft UC initiatives. But competition with larger services firms could cool otherwise hot new technology initiatives. Riggs, Brian 2010-03-12T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52816&rss Comfortable with the prominent role it has created for itself in the telephony market, Cisco is branching out into video, social networking, and related areas. Cisco has its work cut out for itself exciting customer interest in these new areas. Riggs, Brian 2010-03-12T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52808&rss Interactive Intelligence has done a respectable job in building a name for itself in the North American contact center solutions market. However, difficulties in marketing its software-based PBX is proving an ongoing frustration for the company. Riggs, Brian 2010-03-12T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52810&rss Having quickly integrated Inter-Tel products and services with its own portfolio, Mitel is a dominant force in the SMB communications solutions market in North America. But it is also a very obvious target that all competitors will be gunning at. Riggs, Brian 2010-03-12T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52806&rss With R&D, marketing and sales initiatives centered around a set of next-generation communications software, Siemens Enterprise is more focused than ever before. The company now needs to prove customer and resellers are as focused on its offerings. Riggs, Brian 2010-03-12T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52784&rss An expanded portfolio and base of resellers are among the chief benefits of Avaya’s acquisition of Nortel’s enterprise business. But the company now has its work cut out for it with integrating new products and processes into its own. Riggs, Brian 2010-03-11T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52618&rss Although Mitel does not offer the only communications software capable of running in virtualized environments, the introduction of Mitel Virtual Solutions proves the company to be a leader in this emerging product category. Riggs, Brian 2010-02-17T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52394&rss Avaya laid out a rational, potentially cost-effective path for migrating many of Nortel’s communications products to Avaya-centric solutions. However, it remains unclear how much R&D attention Nortel products will receive in the meantime. Riggs, Brian 2010-01-19T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52384&rss The results are in for the first full year of operations for SEN, the JV formed between The Gores Group and Siemens AG, with company officials touting progress in key areas aimed at creating efficiencies and improving profitability. Arnold, Robert 2010-01-15T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52282&rss Avaya has closed on its acquisition of Nortel Enterprise Solutions. With high-level details provided on organizational structure for the newly combined company, and with product roadmaps still pending, the risks and rewards are both great. Arnold, Robert 2009-12-22T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52263&rss Unified communications, SIP support, and an SMB package are hallmarks of the latest update to Aastra’s contact center software. Integration efforts are ongoing for eventually extending these capabilities to all Aastra PBXs. Riggs, Brian 2009-12-16T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52070&rss Customer Interaction Cloud lays a foundation for Cisco-based hosted contact center services offered in North America. Its success could lead to larger, more notable service providers working with Cisco along these lines in North America. Riggs, Brian 2009-11-30T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52007&rss 3Com has long struggled to grow its IP PBX business, despite an early entry into the market and some compelling products. HP could breathe new life into 3Com’s lagging market position, but at the risk of disrupting HP’s partner ecosystem. Riggs, Brian 2009-11-18T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51906&rss Avaya has quietly introduced a new version of its one-X Agent interface, significantly improving the unified communications capabilities available to contact center agents. Riggs, Brian 2009-11-09T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51802&rss A series of partnerships forged this year promise to strengthen the Siemens Enterprise channel network and provide a framework more conducive to supporting the company’s longer-term transition to a software and services model. Arnold, Robert 2009-10-26T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51747&rss Verizon Professional Services can now help integrate Identity and Access Management into contact center solutions. Verizon IAM addresses critical issues for contact center operators, but competitors can create similar solutions. Whelan, Cindy 2009-10-16T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51715&rss Avaya System Platform is a new way of deploying Avaya communications software in a data center environment. Using virtualization lets Avaya present mid-market enterprise customers with a cost-effective alternative to traditional PBX deployment. Riggs, Brian 2009-10-14T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51662&rss Aspect’s certification of its application software to run in VMware-based virtual environments provides interesting new deployment possibilities to IT departments. Still, lack of support for Microsoft’s hypervisor creates an awkward solution set. Riggs, Brian 2009-10-05T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51608&rss Avaya has modified its IP Office contact center software and made it easier to order. Less complexity and a less expensive overall customer interaction solution for IP Office could increase its adoption among Avaya SMB PBX customers. Riggs, Brian 2009-09-24T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51525&rss Acquiring Nortel’s enterprise group would help Avaya win a long running battle against one of its traditional rivals. However, it does little to help it win the larger war, in which Cisco and Microsoft will be its primary foes. Riggs, Brian 2009-09-15T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51501&rss The acquisition of TouchStar products and personnel provide Noble Systems with an SMB portfolio it has long lacked. The trick now will be instilling new confidence in the TouchStar name. Riggs, Brian 2009-09-11T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51402&rss Nortel new applications will help contact centers answer two basic questions: “How do I better serve my customers?” and “How do I manage costs?” However, rivals have offered similar functionality for some time. Barbagallo, Michael 2009-08-27T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51391&rss Verizon Business announced speech applications are available on its IP IVR, enabling VoIP customers to create sophisticated self-service applications. Customers using its TDM network also have access to the IP IVR though a hybrid environment. Barbagallo, Michael 2009-08-26T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51367&rss Convergys combines the Intervoice Voice Portal and Dynamic Decisioning Solution and releases Intelligent Self-Service, enabling contact center management to positively effect customer satisfaction and reduce costs. Barbagallo, Michael 2009-08-25T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51360&rss While the economy has been good to the CRM division of BT Global Services, overall, the company is struggling to get a better handle on its cost structure, and as a result, the company is not in the most competitive position today. Barbagallo, Michael 2009-08-24T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51244&rss CosmoCom is a competitive company with a positive future. Known for its hosted contact center solutions, its success in the CPE segment has stayed under the radar. But its success in the enterprise may be constrained by its own history. Barbagallo, Michael 2009-08-07T00:00:00-04:00