unified messaging what is really worth paying for? morten schultz project director
TRANSCRIPT
Unified MessagingWhat is Really Worth
Paying For?
Morten SchultzProject Director
21 April 2023 Page 2
Abstract :
Unified Messaging: What is Really Worth Paying For?
Unified Messaging services have been around for a considerable time both in the form of in-house enterprise solutions, as well as outsourced and fully managed services. The uptake, however, has not yet reached the expected levels. This presentation looks at available services from a user perspective (the “Trinity of Demands”) and suggests various alternatives for re-shaping the UM proposition.
30 minute presentation
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What is really worth paying for ?
New hope or new hoax?
What is really worth paying for?… a sociological, business and user perspective
Time to shape up & time to reshape!
Presentation Outline
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Madrid
Copenhagen
Haag
Antwerp Frankfurt
Vienna
Rome
London
Paris
Oslo
Stockholm
SITICOM Group is one of Europe's largest and fastest growing, vendor-independent IT & telecommunications consultancies with close to 450 consultants and offices in 11 European countries.
SITICOM provides advice and support in the fields of telecommunications, IT, E-business, IT strategy and architecture design.
SITICOM
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Evolution of Unified Messaging8 years of evolution
1994Voicemail, email and fax handled via a single interface.
19951995 first products for text-to-speech conversion
1996 Outsourced UM solutions.
1997PBX manufacturers develops Unified Messaging
1999 Internet portals offering UM services
2000 Mobile-wireless operator UM solutions
Concept of Unified Communications
Netscape Browser 1.0
Internet use takes-off
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Evolution of Unified MessagingProducts and services available
Mature in-house unified messaging products
Integrated with office tools and PBX
UM
MailPBX
Voice
Managed messaging and communications services
Based on public or private IP infrastructure and a single message store
UMUCIP
Internet
Free services / Internet PortalsIsolated message box for some message
types
Services offered by my voice service providers Add-on to my current service package
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200024 million registered users (OVUM: portals, residential, business)
Evolution of Unified MessagingA measure of success?
1998 300.000 Business Users (Pelorus)
1999 550.000 Business Users (Pelorus)
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IIR UM Forum,Venice, September 2000
The supplier perspective
Our products are mature but …
It’s hard to sell the service to corporate end-users
It’s hard to build the enterprise business case for the additional investment
There is a need to educate the market
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The never ending optimism ...
Every single study predicts that the UM markets will grow rapidly within the next 6-7 years…. Just like 6 years ago.
34 million registered users expected end 2001
(ovum 2001)
Sales to grow from 10,000 systems in 1999 to 500,000 in 2004
(Pelorus/2000)UM market too boom from $549 million this year to $5 billion by 2005 (Frost&Sullivan/2000)
Service revenue to boom to $31billion by 2007
(ovum 2001)
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Source: A survey of 35 typical users from different business environments, spring 2000
My messaging situation ...
Key contact points ... (1) office email (2) voicemail (office and mobile) (3) colleagues and home email
We spend ... 99 minutes reading emails 15 minutes listening to voicemails 4 minutes collecting faxes
We receive … 36 emails 5 voicemails 2 SMS messages 1 fax
FAX…
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Features & Tools… to help me cope
Voicemail Management Voicemail via phone Voicemail via email ...
Call Management Find me / Follow me Time dependent call routing /
profiling Call / Message Screening ...
Email Management Email via phone (speech) Email via fax (forward to local fax) Email forward to SMS Email on mobile device Email via web browser ...
Other features Notifications Single message store Single Directory Web Favourites via phone
Voice to Command ...
Fax Management Fax forward to local fax Fax via email (image) Fax via mobile device Fax via web ...
Message initiation Email with voice attachment Email-to-fax Desktop faxing Message forwards ...
FAX…
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Different kinds of users ...(A sociological perspective)
Generic types of users proposed by Rosenberg & Zimmer:
Conversational Communications (Teens)
Collaborative Communications (Younger Professionals)
Upper Management Communications
Top Management
1. My situation as a UM user will change!
2. There is no single set of requirements in a professional organisation
In conclusion ...
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The “overall improvement” score
Assumption of a generic business goal to lower operating cost, improve productivity and responsiveness
Improving my messaging situation …(A business perspective)
Value should be measured in terms of how much a feature improves:
Accessibility(Better response time, fewer lost messages)
Mobility(Freedom and ability to move and react)
Efficiency(Time and information to get my work done)
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High Cost
Moderate Value
Commodity Features
What is really worth paying for?(A Business Perspective)
Overall improvement
Cost (Implementation or per message)
• Fax forward
• Voicemail via email• Email via Fax
• Web via phone
• Find me / Follow me
• Fax via mobile device
• Email via web • Voicemail via phone • Email via Mobile device
• Single Mailbox
• Fax via email
• Fax via Web
• Email to SMS
• Email via phone(Text to speech)
• Single Directory
• Call Screening
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What is really worth paying for?(A Business Perspective)
Overall improvement
Cost (Implementation or per message)
The UM ProductA bundle of features of varying value
When buying a UM product or service it is often a “take all or take nothing” scenario
In conclusion ...
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The Trinity of Demands(A user perspective)
Improve my messaging situation by providing
Overview Completeness, seamless integration/replacement of existing messaging tools, integrated with other tools, easy and timely access to information
Freedom & ChoiceAccessibility management, mobility, expandable functionality, no up-front decisions and ties
Peace of mindAccessibility, notification, security
1. Integrate features with existing office tools
2. Allow the user to “switch-on” features needed
3. Build and highlight security features
In conclusion ...
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Strengthening the UM PropositionUnbundle the messaging features!
Operators, ISPs and ASPs should be able to choose and re-bundle the features that fit into their roadmap and their communities.
Enterprise users should be able to activate the services they need, when they need them.
Re-bundling ideas Secure Transaction/messaging
services supporting digital signatures Add-on to current mobile service
offering Office application ASP ...
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Strengthening the UM PropositionIntegrate!
Support Telcos, ISPs and ASPs by: Implementing an interface allowing them to offer new
messaging features as an add-on to current offerings Implementing open billing interfaces for each feature
supporting a single bill
Support enterprise users by: Providing a seamless integration with their current
office environment Allowing access to selected messaging features
through various ASP architectures
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Strengthening the UM PropositionAddress the audience ...
Help corporate decision makers in building a business case for introducing Unified Messaging tools.
Develop a pricing model that supports the corporate business case
Help users identify the key feature that will add most value to their day-to-day messaging situation.
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Summary
Sneak it in the backdoor!
Unbundle the features
Integrate with ASP, Telco, ISP and enterprise
environments
Ensure that the value is justified from a business as
well as from an individual perspective.
Your contacts:
SITICOM GroupUK officeMorten F. SchultzPh +44 (0) 2079 60 40 67 Fax +44 (0) 2079 60 40 41Address 182-194 Union StreetAddress London SE1 0LHCountry United Kingdom
© SITICOM Group. This document has been prepared for the Voice Mail Association by SITICOM Group. It is not to be copied or reproduced in any way without the express permission of SITICOM Group. Copies of this document must be accompanied by its title, date and this copyright notice.
Authors Xavier Lamy, Morten F. Schultz
Date of release October 2001
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