The market for UC is expected to reach a value of $143.5 billion by the end of 2024, so it’s no surprise that giants like Cisco, Microsoft, and Google are staking their claim. Each brand has taken steps to capture as much of the market as possible, by delivering a distinct collection of services, while each focus on boosting interoperability. Google retooled Hangouts for enterprises, while Microsoft made Skype for Business more accessible.
While each of the biggest three vendors offer similar road maps, there are some areas in which the companies differ. It’s these areas that companies need to focus on most when choosing their UC provider.
Encouraging Adoption Through Familiarity
When implementing a UC platform, success is often measured on employee adoption. That means that it’s crucial for organisations to pick solutions based on what their customers are comfortable with.
Cisco: As a tool for enterprises, Spark‘s presence in the consumer market could lead to problems with organisational adoption. Lack of recognition leads to a higher learning curve, which means more training to familiarise employees with a new solution.
Microsoft: When Microsoft made the switch from Lync to Skype for Business, it saw higher brand recognition among end-users. This greater recognition reduces problems with training and mitigates adoption resistance.
Google: Given its huge popularity, Hangouts is one of the most recognisable tools on the market, and one of the most widely adopted. However, as Hangouts becomes more focused on enterprises, it could risk losing some of its customer base.
Interoperability Matters
Cisco, Google, and Microsoft all perform differently when aligned with existing systems. Organisations need to consider cross-platform compatibility when choosing their UC solution.
Cisco: Spark is one of the most flexible platforms available today, supporting a wide range of devices, like conference systems and whiteboards, as well as on-premise solutions. Cisco’s flexible approach is perfect for industries with specific privacy, security, and e-discovery requirements.
Microsoft: Microsoft struggles with integration beyond its own applications. It’s UC capabilities work best within Office 365, and though this obstacle won’t impact small to mid-sized businesses much, larger organisations may seek third-party support, and require more versatility.
Google: Hangouts frequently struggles with compatibility across platforms, particularly when it comes to non-traditional devices like whiteboards. While it integrates well with a range of enterprise apps, broader app integration can be limited.
Primary Features and Platform Performance
Finally, because each solution appeared in the UC market at different times, they’re all at varying levels of maturity. As the industry evolves, each company will learn from competitors how to improve services best, until then, all companies should choose a vendor that offers the features and performance they need.
Cisco: Spark has had more time in the enterprise market to mature, and offers greater device compatibility and support for on-premise solutions as a result. Cisco can also mimic Google emphasis on user simplicity to alleviate deployment and adoption concerns.
Microsoft: Skype for Business by Microsoft has been in the market longer than Hangouts, which means that’s it’s well-designed to support business growth. Many organisations have added UC services by Microsoft to their existing systems to boost external and internal communication and collaboration.
Google: Hangouts is the latest entrant into the UC space, which means that it lacks a few of the standard features for enterprise, including security. Google will need to bundle and integrate its collaboration efforts more in the future. However, the application does deliver a simple solution that appeals to Millennials in the office.
Cisco, Microsoft, and Google all boast a unique range of strengths that help to outline their UC approach. As more competition arrives for unified communications, organisations will benefit from improved choices and service solutions, allowing companies to make sure they’re choosing the best UC for their needs.
