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U.S. Videoconferencing Services Markets
Frost & Sullivan, Aug 2002
CSP Managed Videoconferencing Services Present Growth Opportunity
Managed videoconferencing service providers are increasingly offering intelligent content to differentiate their services from the rest of the pack. Undifferentiated services sold into a competitive market purely on the basis of lower prices do not provide a viable basis for long-term business success. Instead of simply selling bandwidth, managed videoconferencing service providers are now trying to render more customer-centric value-added services such as web-based access and management, on-demand conferencing, automatic call launching, enhanced central management and monitoring, better billing and reporting capabilities, and enhanced security.
This Frost & Sullivan research analyzes the U.S. markets for videoconferencing services. It provides valuable analyses of market drivers and restraints governing this market and provides forecasts identifying the areas of growth. The study covers both conferencing service providers (CSPs) and customer managed videoconferencing services.
IP Steadily Replacing Circuit Switched Networks
The process of migration from circuit switched environments to packet switched networks is just beginning in the videoconferencing world and customer experience with the use of IP has been very favorable both in terms of cost and quality, reports the author of this study. IP today represents a unified network that has the capabilities to offer the scalability, interoperability, reliability, cost efficiency, and flexibility that ISDN users have been deprived of.
The migration from ISDN to packet-switched networks will stimulate market expansion as video is increasingly used in vertical markets such as distance education, government, and healthcare. Technological advances such as the implementation of fiber, new broadband technologies, and better network reliability are also influencing the market as service providers work on improving prices and end-user satisfaction.
SOHO and SME Markets: Untapped Opportunity
Because small businesses are generally price sensitive and are slow to adopt new technologies, the small office home office (SOHO) and small and medium enterprise (SME) markets have not been addressed so far. Evolving videoconferencing services are now offering cost efficient and reliable IP services, making SME and SOHO very feasible markets.
The geographic proliferation of enterprises is making videoconferencing a highly effective, economical, and safe option to cut down on traveling. The effective business communications and enhanced productivity that visual communications offers to end-users is the biggest benefit of the technology. Service providers that continue to deliver effective and cost-efficient business collaboration will have the edge in the videoconferencing market.
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