Unified communications still mostly hype

THE ONGOING TELECOM industry hype makes unified communications sound like it will cause seismic shifts across the business world, says market research firm In-Stat. But, in the long run, some grandiose predictions may prove accurate because definitions of unified communications are so broad, with reports on uptake quoting big numbers, such as 50% of enterprises evaluating, installing, or running unified communications applications, says a new In-Stat report. However, even baby steps, such as a unified messaging installation or a web conferencing subscription, are being counted in those reports "Real transformational changes will take more time, perhaps even a generation, to...