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Contents Cisco Enhances Large and Mid-Size Contact Center Solutions| Analyst: Joe Outlaw | Contact Center Solutions | Client Access | Announcement Summary
March 5, 2007 – Cisco announced enhancements to its large and mid-size contact center solutions including Unified Contact Center Express (UCCEx), release 5.0, and Unified Contact Center Enterprise (UCCEn) 7.2. UCCEx 5.0 enhancements include: support for email and text chat and support for Unified Communications Manager Express. UCCEn 7.2 enhancements include: support for agent-level routing on third-party PBXs, and improved multi-channel and workforce optimization capabilities. Analytical Summary • Current Perspective: Neutral on Cisco’s announcements of new releases of its contact center solutions, because the new functionality in these releases are either minor improvements or a catch-up with competitor’s solution sets. Adding multi-channel support for Unified Contact Center Express is long overdue as this has been available from competitors’ solutions for a long time. Replacing the multi-channel functionality in Unified Contact Center Enterprise with Egain’s functionality brings improvements, but to a capability all of Cisco’s large contact center competitor’s products have also had for a long time. • Vendor Importance: Very low to Cisco on the announcement of new releases of its contact center solutions, because the enhancements are minor and in line with its stated product road maps. • Market Impact: Very low on the large and mid-size contact center solutions market because Cisco’s enhancements to its Unified Contact Center Express and Enterprise solutions do not bring significant new functionality or competitive advantage to these products or to the market. NEC Firms Up Its UC Stance| Analyst: Brian Riggs | Enterprise Communications | Client Access | Announcement Summary
March 5, 2007 -- NEC announced enhancements to its UNIVERGE Unified Communications portfolio, including: OpenWorks 5000 integration with Microsoft LCS; the Mobile Client application for UC and dual mode implementations; as well as a number of management, conferencing, collaboration, and contact center enhancements. OpenWorks 5000 integration with Microsoft LCS is available immediately. The mobility client will be available in Q3 2007.
Analytical Summary • Current Perspective: Slightly positive on NEC’s enhancements to its unified communications portfolio because the company has leveled the playing field in several areas with competitors. NEC needed to raise its visibility in emerging UC and mobility markets and publicizing its more competitive solutions sets will help in this regard. • Vendor Importance: Low to moderate to NEC because the company needed to introduce support for Microsoft LCS as well as advance its mobility offerings to keep its advanced apps portfolio competitive with rapidly advancing unified communications technology from rivals. The solutions introduced form the foundation for further UC enhancements from NEC and represent offerings that the company plans to market in geographies outside of the U.S. as well. • Market Impact: Low on the unified communications market because NEC is announcing support for what are quickly becoming checklist items for most communications suppliers in enterprise markets. While NEC may be better able to protect its installed base with the new solutions, they do not bring particularly new or strongly differentiated capabilities that would help it to win many customers away from competitors. Avaya Seeks Closer Ties to Microsoft, IBM| Analyst: Brian Riggs | Enterprise Communications | Client Access | Announcement Summary
March 6, 2007 - Avaya announced version 4.0 of its Communication Manager, integration with Microsoft Live Communications Server and IBM Sametime, and one-X Portal, a Web-based interface that enables employees to easily and securely access Avaya telephony, messaging, mobility and conferencing applications. Communication Manager 4.0 will be available in March 2007, while one-X Portal will be globally available in English the second quarter this year. Analytical Summary • Current Perspective: Slightly positive on Avaya’s several enhancements to its communications systems and software, because among them are improved integration with Microsoft Live Communication Server and IBM Sametime, something that Avaya customers will come to demand, given the role these companies’ platforms are expected to play in enterprise communications in the near future. • Vendor Importance: Moderate to Avaya, because the company needed to improve its ability to integrate with various Microsoft and IBM unified communications solutions so that it could better face off against competitors further along in this particular area. • Market Impact: Moderate on the enterprise communications market because enterprises, particularly large enterprises that are currently Avaya customers will find in the present enhancements a number of new and useful ways to make advanced communications applications available to their end users. Aspect Software to Partner with Microsoft to Create an SMB-Focused Speech Self-Service Solution| Analyst: Joe Outlaw | Contact Center Solutions | Announcement Summary
March 5, 2007 – Aspect Software announced an alliance with Microsoft to deliver a solution targeted at small and mid-size contact centers. The initiative will provide Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Speech Server as an embedded component of the Aspect Unified IP product. The as yet unnamed combined offering of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, Speech Server, and Aspect Unified IP 6.5, is scheduled for release in July 2007. No pricing was provided. Analytical Summary • Current Perspective: Neutral on Aspect Software’s plans to build an SMB-focused speech-enabled self-service solution because the capabilities of the solution are unclear at this point and Aspect does not have the channel to effectively target small and mid-size businesses. • Vendor Importance: Low to moderate to Aspect Software on its plans to build an SMB-focused speech-enabled self-service solution. The import of this announcement will vary depending upon whether this is the beginning of a broadening of Aspect’s target markets, the majority of which are currently focused on large enterprise and large contact centers, to include small businesses. • Market Impact: Low on the mid-size contact center solutions market because the capabilities of the proposed solution are unclear. Aspect’s capability to effectively target and sell solutions to small businesses is unknown, but questionable given its lack of experience and channel partners. Also, the demand for speech-enabled self-service solutions in small businesses is uncertain. Integrated Research Broadens Its IPT Management Horizons| Analyst: Brian Riggs | Enterprise Communications | Client Access | Announcement Summary
March 6, 2007 – Integrated Research introduced version 9.0 of its Prognosis IP Telephony Manager software. The new revision supports Avaya IP communications technology and also can support multi-vendor environments where Avaya and Cisco Unified CallManager systems co-exist. Prognosis IP Telephony Manager 9.0 is available immediately and lists for $50 per phone. Analytical Summary • Current Perspective: Positive on Integrated Research’s version 9.0 of PROGNOSIS IP Telephony Manager, because the platform previously only supported Cisco IP communications environments, but is now able to monitor traffic over multivendor networks. This will make the platform more usable by a wider range of enterprises relying on heterogeneous voice networks for their business communications needs. • Vendor Importance: High to Integrated Research, because with the new version of the PROGNOSIS, the company is able to expand its target market to the largest base of PBX systems in North America. This will have a direct impact on the company’s ability to market its management platform to enterprises and service providers in the region. • Market Impact: Moderate on the enterprise communications market, because enterprises and service providers managing Avaya networks or mixed Avaya-Cisco environments can get a deeper level of real-time performance metrics from a single management console. However, businesses with a more diverse range of IP telephony platforms to support will not be able to leverage the software since IP PBX support on PROGNOSIS IP Telephony Manager is restricted to Avaya and Cisco at this time. Avaya Marries Communications to Business Processes| Analyst: Brian Riggs | Enterprise Communications | Client Access | Announcement Summary
March 5, 2007 - Avaya introduced Communications Enabled Business Processes (CEBP), a solution that embeds communications capabilities into all types of business processes, helping to automate and manage the collaboration required to conduct business. The solution uses new Avaya Communications Process Manager software and new consulting, integration and remote monitoring support from Avaya Global Services to create and deliver CEBP solutions. CEBP is available to enterprises immediately. Pricing is varies based on scope and complexity.
Analytical Summary • Current Perspective: Positive on Avaya Communications-Enabled Business Processes, because it leverages aspects of Avaya’s various systems, software and services offerings, combining them into a solution that will be a competitive differentiator for sometime to come. • Vendor Importance: High to Avaya, because CEBP will help Avaya transform itself from a simple supplier of communications systems and software and into more of a trusted partner that is able to make positive improvements to its enterprise customers’ business. • Market Impact: Moderate on the enterprise communications market, because competitors will find it difficult to replicate this particular offering from Avaya, while large enterprise customers considering CEBP will discover new ways of leveraging communications technology in the improvement of business processes. However, CEBP will appeal mainly to very large businesses in the U.S. and UK that are prepared to make significant investments in business process optimization. • Market Impact: High on the large contact center solutions market, because CEBP significantly raises the ante for competitors in terms of their offerings to support automating communications and business processes found in customer service and contact centers and which cut across organizations in support of customer interactions. For many large enterprises, automating key business and communications processes is a top priority, both to increase the organization’s efficiency and to give it new competitive advantages. Cisco Enhances Large and Mid-size Contact Center Solutions| Analyst: Joe Outlaw | Contact Center Solutions | Announcement Summary
March 5, 2007 - Cisco announced enhancements to its large and mid-size contact center solutions, including Unified Contact Center Express (UCCEx) release 5.0 and Unified Contact Center Enterprise (UCCEn) 7.2. The UCCEx 5.0 enhancements include support for e-mail and text chat and support for Unified Communications Manager Express. The UCCEn 7.2 enhancements include support for agent-level routing on third-party PBXs and improved multi-channel functionality, including a common agent interface for multi-channel contacts. Both solutions are immediately available. Analytical Summary • Current Perspective: Neutral on Cisco’s new releases of its contact center solutions, because the new functionality is either a minor improvement or an attempt to catch-up with competitors’ solution sets. Adding multi-channel support for Unified Contact Center Express is long overdue, as this has been available from competitors’ solutions for a long time. Replacing the multi-channel functionality in Unified Contact Center Enterprise with eGain’s functionality brings improvements, but to a capability that has been available with products from all of Cisco’s large contact center competitors for a long time. • Vendor Importance: Very low to Cisco, because the enhancements are mostly incremental and in line with its stated product roadmaps. • Market Impact: Very low on the large and mid-size contact center solutions market, because Cisco’s enhancements to its Unified Contact Center Express and Enterprise solutions do not bring significant new functionality or competitive advantage to these products or to the market. Spanlink Divides Company and Announces WFO Enhancements and Reseller Program| Analyst: Joe Outlaw | Contact Center Solutions | Announcement Summary
March 5, 2007 – Spanlink announced it has split into two divisions – a new products division called Calabrio Software and a systems integration division called Spanlink Communications. Calabrio announced a reseller program and that it had signed up its first two partners, CMB Technologies and JAM IP. Calabrio also announced enhancements to its Interaction Suite of workforce optimization applications, including: Calabrio Vision v2.0 for reporting and analytics (available May 2007), Calabrio Quality Management v 2.2 (available Spring 2007), and Calabrio Workforce Management v 8.0 (available June 2007). Analytical Summary • Current Perspective: Positive on Spanlink’s announcements to divide the company into software and integration divisions and on the enhancements to its Calabrio workforce optimization suite of applications. Splitting into divisions will help Spanlink and Calabrio clarify their brands. Calabrio’s strengthening of its WFO suite makes it both more attractive to its target customers, Cisco contact center users, and more broadly competitive in the workforce optimization market. • Vendor Importance: Low to Spanlink because the Colabrio WFO enhancements are in line with its previously announced product roadmaps. However, splitting Spanlink into product and services divisions may aloow the company to better focus its resources on several fronts. • Market Impact: Low on the large and mid-size contact center solutions market, because WFO is a small sub-market and the improvements Calabrio made to its suite are currently available from competitors. Moderate to the WFO sub-market because Calabrio’s Interaction Suite is becoming a stronger solution and more credible alternative to market leader (Verint) Witness’ Impact 360 Suite. Cisco Seeks "Unified" Image for CallManager| Analyst: Brian Riggs | Enterprise Communications | Client Access | Announcement Summary
March 5, 2007 - Cisco introduced a number of enhancements to its telephony and unified communications solutions catalog, including: Unified Communications system (formerly CallManager) PBX software 6.0; the new Unified Communications Manager Business Edition for mid-sized businesses (100-500 users); the Mobile Unified Communicator client; Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone 7921G; the 6.0, flash-based version of MeetingPlace Web conferencing; and Unity 5.0 messaging with productivity enhancements. The new offerings are expected to be rolled out over several quarters with pricing varying upon configuration. Analytical Summary • Current Perspective: Slightly negative on Cisco’s enhancements and additions to its enterprise and SMB communications systems. Renaming CallManager to Unified Communications Manager continues a marketing strategy at Cisco that complicates the use of an industry term that should be vendor neutral, while the introduction of the new Cisco call processor software continues its fractured state rather than bringing the two software versions together into a single platform as the company has long promised. This said, there are a number of interesting point product introductions and enhancements of existing products that will be of definite interest to enterprise and SMB customers. • Vendor Importance: Moderate to Cisco, because not uniting CallManager into a single software version independent of the underlying operating system will cause enterprises to not only delay upgrading to the latest version of the CallManager software, but also of beginning to deploy the SIP-based applications and services that it supports. The changing of CallManager’s name, for its part, is unlikely to have any near- or long-term impact on its sales since enterprises predisposed to purchasing Cisco communications products will continue to do so regardless of the product name. • Market Impact: Moderate to high on the enterprise and SMB communications markets, because the introduction of native instant messaging capabilities to Unified Presence Server will have a direct impact on how Cisco customers purchase and deploy corporate IM software, while the introduction of a new communications platform for mid-market businesses will have immediate appeal to a set of customers that in the recent past may not have opted for a Cisco-based telephony solution. Avaya Adds Increased Scalability, a New Reporting and Analytics Solution, and End-to-End SIP Support to Its Large Contact Center Portfolio| Analyst: Joe Outlaw | Contact Center Solutions | Announcement Summary
February 27, 2007 -- Avaya announced enhancements to its existing contact center solutions and a new solution for reporting and analytics. The enhancements include increased scalability to support 7,000 agents per server, end-to-end SIP support for Interaction Center, SIP trunk and streaming video support for Voice Portal, and a SIP high-density trunking gateway. The new reporting and analytics solution, Avaya IQ, supports the reporting and analysis of combined contact center data and other enterprise customer data. The increased scalability, SIP high-density trunking gateway, and end-to-end SIP support for Interaction Center 7.1 are immediately available. SIP for Voice Portal will be available with release 4.0 of Voice Portal and Dialog Designer in June. Avaya IQ’s expected availability is summer 2007. Analytical Summary • Current Perspective: Positive on Avaya’s enhancements to its large enterprise contact center solutions, because SIP support has become required, increased scalability without additional hardware makes the solutions more widely deployable and at reduced costs, and video support and analytics are growing requirements in large contact centers. • Vendor Importance: Low to Avaya, because the enhancements to its large contact center solutions portfolio were in line with its stated product directions and they do not bring Avaya significant new competitive advantages. • Market Impact: Low on the large contact center solutions market, because while valuable to Avaya’s customers, the announced enhancements are matched by its leading competitors and serve more to keep Avaya’s contact center solutions competitive than to bring new capabilities to the market. Mitel Ports Call Controller to Linux| Analyst: Brian Riggs | Enterprise Communications | Client Access | Announcement Summary
February 27, 2007 – Mitel announced release 8.0 of the Mitel 3300 IP PBX, new handsets, Intelligent Phone Application, and enhancements to its soft phone, conferencing, and mobility software. Pricing was not announced. Availability for the various products is slated for April or May. Analytical Summary • Current Perspective: Positive on Mitel’s version 8.0 of the3300 IP PBX, because it now comes with an option to be run on industry-standard servers rather than proprietary hardware. Slightly positive on the other enhancements to the Mitel communications portfolio since they add incremental value to the various products and in some cases offer competitive differentiation. • Vendor Importance: Moderate to Mitel because, as noted, the announced product line enhancements are generally incremental enhancements which will be of definite interest to Mitel customers and provide clear indication of the company’s close working relationship with Microsoft in the area of Live Communications Server integration. • Market Impact: Moderate on the enterprise and SMB communications markets, because a number of Mitel competitors will be challenged to provide a similar level of Microsoft integration in same the timeframe Mitel has done so. And Mitel customers, as usual, will directly benefit from Mitel’s highly innovative R&D work.
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Brian Riggs, Principal Analyst in Enterprise Communications, examines a variety of real-world implementations of unified communications technology. 
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