SWOT Analysis: Cisco Unified Communications, Q4 2007

Cisco's experience in bringing convergence to market — starting with its Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data (AVVID) in 1999 — has given it the experience and market exposure to persuade many businesses to trust it to define and deliver unified communications (UC). Cisco's commanding share of business LAN infrastructure and market-leading shipments of IP telephony systems places it at the intersection of markets that are converging to deliver UC, ensuring that it will be aware of and invited to bid on most UC opportunities in the foreseeable future. Cisco's unique position as the leading provider of LAN infrastructure to businesses offers it an opportunity to differentiate its UC solutions — but UC competitors from traditional application server and business communications markets (for example: Avaya, IBM, Microsoft, Nortel, and Siemens) will be competing vigorously to deliver UC capabilities that will be equally attractive to users and systems owners.