T3i Group Study Uncovers ‘Distinctly Different’ SMB Market Needs for UC Apps
T3i Group research says SMB spending on UC apps is more predictable when dividing the SMB market into Business Value (BV) SMBs that believe UC apps can deliver business value and Basic Communications (BC) SMBs that simply want basic communications capabilities at an affordable price.
Parsippany, NJ (PRWEB) November 4, 2009 -- According to a T3i Group primary research study of nearly 150 Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs), vendors that market Unified Communications (UC) applications to SMBs would be more productive if they were to utilize a different method for segmenting the SMB market.
UC includes such applications as Web collaboration, audio conferencing, desktop videoconferencing, instant messaging, unified messaging, UC client on a PC and mobile UC client.
Typically, the SMB market is targeted based on the size of the business; for example, Small Businesses have fewer than 100 employees, and Medium-Sized Businesses have between 100 and 499 employees. The T3i Group study determined that SMB spending on UC apps was more predictable when dividing the SMB market into the following two segments:
| | - The Business Value (BV) SMBs that firmly believe UC apps can deliver business value.
- The Basic Communications (BC) SMBs that simply want basic communications capabilities at an affordable price.
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InfoTrack, a division of T3i Group, recently published "InfoTrack for Unified Communications: 2009 SMB Market Analysis." The study determined that, overall, U.S. SMBs spent less on UC apps in the first half of 2009 than they did in the same period a year earlier. However, the BV segment actually spent more on UC apps during this period, but spending among the BC segment was down sharply.
“In our research studies during the past three years, the Business Value segment typically represented between 44% and 47% of the SMBs,” noted Terry White, Senior Program Director of InfoTrack for Unified Communications (IUC) and leader of this study. He continued, “However, this year, with the economy in recession, the BV segment dropped to 41%.”
Earlier this year, T3i Group introduced a methodology called the Business Value Index (BVI) for quantitatively determining which market segments are more likely to achieve business value from UC apps. The current SMB study used the BVI methodology to evaluate which vertical markets are expected to accelerate substantially their implementation of UC apps during the next three years in order to achieve business value. This report also compares the BVI of SMBs based on their preferred vendor of UC applications; the vendors whose SMB users had the highest BVI were Avaya and Cisco. In-depth details of these BVI comparisons are contained in the 45-page report.
The report also describes the completely different marketing and sales strategies that would be most effective in the BV segment versus the BC segment.
About the InfoTrack for Unified Communications (IUC) Program
The InfoTrack for Unified Communications (IUC) program conducts several comprehensive, primary research studies each year that separately analyze and forecast enterprise and small/medium business (SMB) demand for IP Telephony and nine Unified Communications applications. The program also evaluates the impact of major market disruptions, such as the entry of Microsoft and IBM into the Unified Communications market, and the Nortel acquisition. For more information about the IUC program or this report, please visit www.telecomweb.com/IUC/BusinessValueOfUC/ or contact Bonnie Fairbrother at bfairbrother(at)t3igroup(dot)com or at 973/602-0181; or Craig Born at cborn(at)t3igroup(dot)com or 973/602-0180.
About T3i Group LLC
T3i Group LLC provides market research, data, analysis, consulting and advisory services to the telecommunications industry. It has clients in 46 countries and conducts its business through four operating units: InfoTrack publishes reports that analyze shipment, revenue, market share and other pertinent data important to telecommunications equipment manufacturers; TelecomTactics provides a database of the features and functionality of major telephony and collaboration systems; Tarifica maintains a database of pricing-related information covering 400 telecommunications carriers operating in 130 countries; and TelecomWeb, www.telecomweb.com, serves as T3i Group’s primary delivery mechanism for distributing its reports, analyses and data to subscribers.
T3i Group LLC is headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, with additional offices in New York City; London, England; and Cherry Hill, NJ.
Press Contact:
Debra Baker
301/905-7703
dbaker(at)t3igroup(dot)com
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