Mobile operators to gain little from the unified comms revolution

The market for Unified Communications (UC) is expected to grow significantly in the next five years. Even in the midst of the economic downturn, the market research firm Ovum estimates over 16 million enterprise-owned mobile devices will be connected to UC platforms by 2014. Fixed telecoms operators, IT services providers, UC technology vendors and specialists are all jostling to take a share. In the midst of this, Ovum has identified a significant opportunity for mobile network operators (MNOs) to influence and profit from UC.

While many operators were aware of the opportunity UC provided, Ovum claims most were holding back from launching services in a market which is poised for dramatic growth. Based on feedback from enterprises large and small, Ovum has identified a gap in service provision which should be filled by mobile operators. Article