UC Confuses SMBs

According to a study released by bMighty.com [1], small and midsized companies really aren't getting "it" when it comes to unified communications; some  two thirds of the SMB world doesn't understand the term "unified communications."

Once you provide a definition of what UC is, the integration of voice e-mail, IM, and so forth, nearly three-quarters understand what's going on--but still aren't hungry to buy. Two thirds of SMBs say UC is more expensive than traditional telecom options while a slight majority said it's too early for small companies to implement UC. Integration and complexity are concerns and there's not a clear way to calculate the return on investment when the benefits are spread throughout the company.

Only 16 percent see UC as a way to gain competitive advantage. Even a highly touted feature like single-number access ends up winning favor with around 55 percent of the 628 small and medium-sized businesses interviewed. Traditional features like voicemail (82 percent) and email (81 percent) are the winners.

For more:
- The bMighty.com Unified Communications [2] survey slide show.

Related articles:
Marketing mudding VoIP and UC [3]; getting creative
Unified communications coming to SMB [4]