Unified messaging
(UM), providing companies
with "anywhere-anytime"
access to all types of
IP-based messages, has
become a "must-have"
technology worth more
than $708 million in
2008, researchers recently
announced.

More important, UM is seen as a more important tool. What once was viewed
as a "nice-to-have" application" has graduated into the "must-have" class,
according to research firm Frost & Sullivan.

Part of that growing visibility comes from what researchers describe as "the
hype surrounding unified communications (UC)." UM is often bundled with UC
applications, the research firm said.

As an example, Microsoft Exchange 2007 includes UM capabilities at a "very
affordable price" Frost analyst Alaa Saayed told Enterprise VoIP Planet.

The face of UM has also changed. What once linked e-mail, voicemail, and
fax messages has expanded, now also providing access to your calendar,
on-the-road contact with the home office, video messaging, speech
recognition, and call routing, said Saayed.

Despite the bundling with other voice technologies, UM could see shrinking
revenues through 2009 during the bleak economic climate.

Companies "may also start selecting products and vendors based on price
rather than strategic value," according to the research firm. For example,
enterprises may opt to invest in conferencing rather than UM.

To combat such thinking, Saayed recommended UM vendors clearly illustrate
the return on investment, adopt open standards, and investigate markets
outside North America.

The economic downturn may actually help UM vendors as companies turn to
outsourcing, according to the report.

As more companies convert their legacy communications systems, UM may also
be seen as the path to Unified Communications or "the answer" for remote
and virtual offices.