Unified Communications : Cisco vs . Microsoft
Cisco unified communications plans to deal with Microsoft by dominance of the burgeoning market for services "communications Unified " received special attention last month during the annual conference of analysts the company specialized in networks held in San Jose.
John Chambers , CEO of Cisco, devoted part of his keynote address to show how the Cisco technologies could be used to make calls telephone and teleconferences.
"You can see how we go from plumbing to solutions , "said Chambers, while making a demonstration of how a company's internal directory could be used to find experts in particular technology company, and then start a videoconference only press a button.
Although this technology is still in its early stages, demonstration represented a strong signal that the company Cisco , which became the largest networking company in the world by selling switches and routers that direct data traffic , plans compete directly with Microsoft.
The coming quarters may face fierce competition while Cisco and Microsoft compete for what is expected to be a market of billions of dollars. " There is a window of 12 to 18 months in which Cisco and Microsoft and anyone really, must show fairly aggressive establish an early presence in unified communications , " said Inder Singh , an analyst at Lehman Brothers.
Although there is a consensus on the importance of market unified communications , analysts differ as to what company is better positioned to capture the largest share .
"Both Companies are starting from different places, " said Singh. "The advantage of Cisco is that it can optimize their networks , while it which is the development of Microsoft , it will be optimized at desk. " He added that " for large companies , congestion networks and delivery times are much more important matters the data processing time at the desk. Offer network applications for users will be Cisco's strong side . "
Without However , the dominance of Microsoft in the computer giant also has its advantages, argued Lee Nichols of Getronics , a company that designs and installs corporate communications systems used by Cisco and Microsoft.
"Microsoft can offer new services collaboration to add value to the programs you already have , "said Nichols. Cisco, in contrast , usually have to talk about " capital expenditures "with the technical support division of company before it agrees to install a new system software, he added.
The basis of Microsoft's strategy is the called Office Communications Server, a software package released in October and designed to offer a comprehensive package of services communication. "This is an investment as important as what she did Microsoft in the '80s and early '90s with programs Office productivity , "said Zig Serafin, general manager division of Microsoft unified communications .
" The telecommunications are being transformed from a business based on hardware and proprietary technology, a more ecosystem -based programs or software. "
Among the products include the Cisco WebEx, an online conferencing service it acquired in May by three thousand 200 million dollars, and Unified Communications Manager, allows IP telephones , faxes and other devices communication function on a single data network.
Cisco believes that its ability to provide a comprehensive system (from programs to users until the switches and routers needed for intensive services such as broadband video ) will give you an advantage over Microsoft.
Whatever signature to become dominant in the next 18 months, opportunity which is unified communications big enough for both to benefit while most communications technologies are transferred to the Internet.