Over the next few years, most organisations will have completed voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) conversion from traditional telephony services.
Speaking at the ITWeb HP OpenCall forum last week, Africa Analysis Team managing member Dobek Pater said VOIP has been the flagship of convergence, and his studies indicate that companies are rapidly moving towards integrating network voice services.
"The next phase of converged services will be for companies to implement unified communications; however, that is still a long way off for South African business."
He said 30% of local businesses have either an official converged strategy or a plan in place with a budget linked to it. However, there are still around 69% that have no plan to implement converged services.
Service providers (SPs) are quick to take up converged services, said Pater. "There is a growing relationship between SPs and the enterprise. With this, connectivity providers are using the SPs as a channel to market."
Through convergence, SPs want to play across different service markets. To compete, they need to add new services, such as online music and gaming, he added. "Wireless networks will be a big element of those needs. SPs will need wireless to offer full-time connectivity."
HP OpenCall marketing manager for EMEA Antonio Brignoli said SPs needed to provide compelling services to compete. "However, they must also change their focus. Many of HP's customers have done just that, and realigned to consider the consumer. They are realising the customer must be considered first."
He cited the iPhone as an example of customer-centric converged devices that considered how the user would interact. Any service provider introducing the iPhone into its business model boosts its revenue by 30% on the day it goes to market, Brignoli said. "The service delivery platform approach reaches beyond convergence."
Users want control and are demanding enhanced services, and there are also brands that establish themselves quickly, such as MySpace and Facebook, which are disrupting the services market. "These are all new services with new paradigms. Convergence in the services space will allow SPs to compete."
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