Cisco-defined Unified Communication Technology

Unified Communication, literally, seems easy to understand. However, the current network and communication convergence trend makes the Unified Communication technology more extensive. For example, video, email, and instant messaging applications. However, vendors do not agree with the concept of Unified Communication, which is also a hindrance to the promotion of Unified Communication.

Unified Communication Technology (UC) refers to a new communication mode that integrates computer technology and traditional communication technology. As a solution and application, the core content of UC is: allows people to freely communicate data, images, and sounds at any time and anywhere through any device or network. That is to say, the Unified Communication system integrates all types of information such as voice, fax, email, mobile short messages, multimedia, and data, thus bringing freedom of choice and improved efficiency. For example, traditional phones will be replaced to support client software based on soft phone screens .) IT is different from the interconnection at the network layer, but is a people-oriented integration and collaboration at the application layer. IT is a higher level concept, a new generation of communication and IT industry.

Cisco Unified Communication

Cisco China announced that it would promote a "Unified Communication" Telecommunications Business in China. from Cisco's overwhelming publicity of this business, it has been highly expected, cisco wants it to become the next gold mine after the router.

Cisco's Unified Communication Technology Business in China will face two challenges. On the one hand, the competition comes from the communication and telecommunications equipment vendors that provide homogeneous solutions; on the other hand, the competition comes from telecom operators and SP that provide alternative solutions.

In the case of Homogeneous Competition, Cisco's Unified Communication solution is based on VoIP technology and streaming media technology. In the Chinese market, first-line telecom manufacturers such as ZTE and Huawei have already launched or plan to launch Softswitch-based solutions and products for internal speech, data, and video communication. Many small and medium IT enterprises have also developed SIP-based enterprise-class VOIP solutions. Although these Chinese enterprises have not yet made a large investment in the enterprise communication market due to their limited strategic options, or are unable to take a dominant position in the enterprise communication market due to their limited strength, however, the products and solutions provided by these vendors cover almost all the businesses involved in Cisco's Unified Communication solution. Therefore, it will form a positive competitive relationship with Cisco. Moreover, the cost of these products provided by Chinese vendors is lower than that of Cisco, and all the products and solutions provided by Chinese vendors are based on open standards. Cisco products are usually based on private standards ), therefore, the price is expected to be more competitive than Cisco. The price is critical for enterprises to purchase communication products. This is particularly evident in the SME market.

In addition, we should also see that the services involved in the Unified Communication solution can be provided through other technical routes. For example, fixed network operators currently provide small and medium-sized enterprises with communication solutions, including a package of solutions for data, voice and video. There are already a lot of SP in China that provide enterprises with video and audio solutions based on the Internet and even WEB. Although these solutions of different routes do not necessarily offer superior Unified Communication solutions in terms of technology and user experience. However, with a limited user budget, these solutions are often accepted by enterprises. Therefore, these solutions constitute a strong alternative competition for Cisco's Unified Communication Technology.

Therefore, although Cisco's Unified Communication solution has its advantages, such as its cooperation with Microsoft and its end-to-end product system ), however, Cisco is facing severe competition in the Chinese enterprise multimedia communication market. We need to carefully study the two competitive pressures faced by Unified Communication Technology and gain an in-depth insight into the characteristics of the Chinese enterprise communication market in order to maintain a dominant position in the competition.