Firms to spend more on communication services

Dubai - Over 50% of UAE companies spend 10-20% of their annual IT budget on unified communication infrastructure

More than half of UAE companies spend on average 10 to 20 per cent of their annual IT budget on unified communication infrastructure. This spend is likely to substantially increase next year, says a new survey.
Conducted by Ipsos and commissioned by Polycom, the survey results found that 32 per cent of organisations have confirmed plans to boost investments in 2018, with 36 per cent firms showing interest in deploying cloud-based unified communication solutions in 2018. Twenty-eight per cent companies are working on plans to improve network performance, disaster recovery and security capabilities.
Unified Communications (UC) is an integration of communication services such as instant messaging, voice (including IP telephony), mobility features, audio, web and video conferencing and fixed-mobile, etc.
The study found that 34 per cent of organisations surveyed are currently investing in UC solutions and report significant benefits for the optimisation of resources and enable better business operations. Almost 52 per cent of organisations in the UAE report significant savings from optimisation of travel allowances, while 41 per cent highlight improved connectivity with stakeholders both inside and outside the organisations as being a key benefit. Thirty-eight per cent said UC solutions have helped them drive productivity and improve workflow. 
Highlighting key challenges that stand in the way of UC potential across the UAE, 50 per cent of organisations cited limited integration with current devices and infrastructure as being a key limitation. Around 32 per cent of organisations reported high total cost of ownership, in addition to managerial and operational complexity as being their biggest challenge.
"With the right UC solutions, organisations can reap the benefits from reduced travel expenses to improved connectivity and increased employee productivity. In order for organisations to make the most out of their UC investments, they need to be able to navigate through the present challenges by working closely with their system integrators," said Daniel Schmierer, area sales vice-president for Middle East and Africa at Polycom.
The survey data was collected through computer-assisted telephone interviewing of 100 IT managers and decision-makers across medium to large organisations in the UAE. - waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com