Integration of The Computer and Telephone as Collaboration Platforms

The handwriting is on the wall: the computer and PC are starting to merge, both on the client side (your desk) and on the server side (the switches or servers). So what will this new technology look like, and how will this convergence affect the evolution of collaborative applications?

In recent briefings with Interwise, Centra and webconferencing.com as well as a number of other vendors we are seeing more evidence of the "convergence" trend, only this time the convergence is not just audio, video and data conferencing, but also the convergence of the two collaboration hardware platforms on your desk; the telephone and computer.

It has been clear for about a decade that the phone and computer were on a collision course. I have a cell phone/PDA, where the two have been integrated into one device. With the popularity of IP infrastructures, and the inroads that IP-PBXs have been making against Class 5 PSTN switches VoIP is moving into the mainstream as an infrastructure. Cisco sold its one millionth IP-Phone this year. A recent report from the Dell'Oro group shows the increased revenues from soft switches and hybrid systems.

Total Worldwide IP Telephony Carrier Equipment Market (Softswitch, Hybrid Media Gateway Softswitch, Media Gateway):

Total Market