Delivering UC Applications Through Prosumer Smartphones

September 2009 Delivering UC Applications Through Prosumer Smartphones by Alaa Saayed, Industry Analyst New Venues for Reaching End Users with Advanced UC Capabilities

“ There’s a cash-rich coterie of ready spenders that most industries are completely ignoring. Why are so many businesses overlooking this golden group of consumers? Because prosumers represent a new category of potential consumers, and few businesses are aware of them. In the meantime, some farsighted industries are boosting profits by targeting this growing segment ” William Gerhardt, Strategy Consultant at Cisco Systems.

Identifying the Potential of the Growing Prosumer Market The purpose of this paper is to shed some light on one of the latest enterprise communication trends, involving the delivery of unified communications (UC) applications through prosumer smartphones, as well as briefly describe three of the latest UC applications that followed this business model. Frost & Sullivan defines prosumer smartphones as advanced mobile devices purchased by professionals to be used for both personal and work-related purposes. For years, many enterprises have ignored the emergence of the prosumer market and the arising needs and potential benefits of managing and supporting the wireless devices carried by this segment. While the smartphone prosumer market was not yet a major phenomenon in the beginning of the century (mainly due to the limited availability of smartphone devices), the last two to three years have seen the exponential growth of prosumers owning smartphones supporting an increasing number of advanced capabilities. Such phones include the “consumer-centric” Apple iPhone, Google’s Android devices (G1, HTC, etc.) and Palm’s Pre (based on Palm’s webOS) as well as the more professional BlackBerry devices (Curve, Storm and Bold) by RIM and Nokia’s N Series also tailored for consumers. These new third-generation smartphones are extremely powerful devices with characteristics that include intuitive user interfaces (with a number of visual queues and standards like swiping, pinching, expanding the display, and a natural organization of the environment), open-source capabilities/Web development standards (allowing developers to add device drivers and build applications), and a number of advanced features such as multiple connectivity (Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, etc), higher storage capacities, media support and multi-touch functionalities. Today, the smartphone prosumer market is a very appealing opportunity for telephony providers that have realized that IT departments are not the only way to drive demand and reach purchase decisions.

Smartphone Adoption on the Rise According to Frost & Sullivan, prosumers around the world purchased around 15 million advanced smartphones in 2008. The world smartphone market is expected to enjoy a CAGR of 46.6 percent in terms of smartphone unit shipments over the next seven years, to reach 217 million advanced smartphones shipped in 2015. 217 Million Source: Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan defines smartphones as a category of mobile devices that provides advanced capabilities beyond a typical mobile phone. Smartphones run a complete operating system software that provides a standardized interface and a platform for application developers. Applications written for a given smartphone platform can usually run on any smartphone with that platform, regardless of the manufacturer. Compared to Java or BREW applications, native smartphone applications usually run faster and integrate more tightly with the phone’s features and user interface. 15 Million

Major Drivers in the Prosumer Mobile Market Two of the major trends that are contributing to the growth of the prosumer mobile market include the emergence of young workers demanding mobile support and the availability of inexpensive smartphones. Due to “consumerization”, an increasing number of Millennials (18-to-27-year-old individuals) and some generation-X workers (aged 28 to 43) are bringing their newly-acquired, high-end smartphones (e.g. iPhone, Nokia N series, HTC, etc.) to their workplace and using them for storing company information, leveraging the enterprise WLAN connection for communication or Web browsing, accessing embedded multimedia tools such as photo sharing, video viewing and music downloads/streaming. Due to this phenomenon, an increasing number of employees are beginning to request some level of technology and application support from their IT departments, which until now only used to offer these services to either top-level executives or Millennials and Generation-X Workers Demanding Mobile Support Since the beginning of this decade, advanced smartphones are no longer out of reach. Different handset manufacturers are starting to offer or develop Wi-Fi-capable smartphones priced below US$100. The main factors that are allowing or causing prices to drop include cheaper device components (e.g. new smaller processors, cheaper touch-screen panels, etc.) and tougher macro-economic conditions. The current recession coupled with aggressive competition among handset manufacturers is forcing the majority of smartphone vendors to rethink their price strategies. Furthermore, service providers around the world are either subsidizing the price of the smartphone or offering very attractive prices for different smartphone models in order to gain new customers. Advanced Smartphones Becoming More Affordable employees on the road.

New Business Models Emerge Given the business opportunity that prosumers bring to the market, some telephony vendors such as Avaya, Cisco and Siemens have started to offer some of their UC applications through various prosumer-purchased smartphones by: While in all of the above scenarios the telephony provider tailors the UC application to fit the prosumer’s device (offering a new method of application delivery), the last two scenarios also empower the prosumer to independently download the software application to his/her device, thus simplifying the way communications applications are distributed to employees, and, in some cases, the possibility to freely use the application, thus helping circumvent IT executives worried about workers using unauthorized devices and applications on the corporate network. By making UC applications easily and readily available to prosumers on multiple smartphone brands, IP telephony providers are allowing IT departments to conveniently and securely manage and support a plethora of prosumer devices, while at the same time possibly forging greater demand for new UC licenses. To illustrate what UC applications delivered through mobile prosumer devices bring to the table, the following chart shows the general benefits that this new approach brings to end users, enterprises and telephony providers.
Extending UC application support to consumer-centric smartphones (which require the IT department to download the application software to the device and purchase/activate the licenses).
Extending UC application support + the possibility for prosumers to freely download the UC soft client through the smartphone's application store (requiring some involvement of the IT department to activate/purchase the licenses).
Extending support + the possibility to freely download the UC soft client + the possibility to freely use the UC application (no IT department involvement). Although this action does not necessarily translates into incremental revenues, it serves the purpose of increasing customer awareness and loyalty.

Benefits to Main Stakeholders Prosumers Enterprise Providers
Freedom to leverage company UC apps from anywhere and through their own smartphones.
Increased prosumer satisfaction through recognition of their specific needs, and tighter integration with corporate infrastructures.
The possibility to increase prosumer efficiency and productivity.
Benefits of Delivering UC Applications Through Prosumer Smartphones
Resolving security concerns regarding prosumers using their own communication applications.
The ability of IT departments to keep control and manage prosumer mobile phones (avoiding technology isolation).
The ability of IT departments to keep pace with technology advancements by offering employees innovative productivity apps.
The possibly of forging greater demand for new UC licenses .
The opportunity of partnering and integrating with innovative application developers –introducing new sources of revenues.
Increasing customer awareness of UC applications
Increasing customer loyalty to the telephony provider.
Developing a competitive advantage over other vendors.
Source: Frost & Sullivan

“ As the lines blur between prosumers’ professional and personal expectations, the lines between their professional and personal services will need to blur as well” Sandip Mukerjee , Senior Vice President, Alcatel-Lucent What follows is a brief description of three of the latest UC applications tailored for the prosumer market through Apple’s iPhone – one of the most successful consumer-centric smartphones.

Avaya One-X Mobile for Apple’s iPhone LAUNCH: Although Avaya launched a thin iPhone client that uses a Safari Web browser as early as in 2008, in August 2009, it launched the thick-client version of its Avaya One-X Mobile as a free download to mobile employees through Apple’s iPhone iTunes apps store. PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: Avaya one-X Mobile provides integrations with enterprise communications applications including easy access to desktop extension features, visual voicemail, corporate directories, VIP lists and call logs – among others. VENDOR POSITION: Bill Zakowski, Solutions Marketing Manager, Avaya Mobile UC team: “ We found some strong drivers for developing the Avaya One-X Mobile solution for the iPhone: 1) customers have been asking for it due to the popularity of the iPhone in the enterprise environment and 2) it was relatively easy and straightforward to create the solution with the Apple model (with the distribution model being very simple and straightforward).” “ It has always been in our position to let the customer decide what kind of phone they want to use. If we can get UC delivered through their mobile device, we will do that.” “ Although it is still early to talk about traction, we already have important customers asking for it.” Calls made to an employee's desktop extension are simultaneously bridged to his/her iPhone; likewise, outbound calls made via one-X Mobile for iPhone appear on caller ID as the employee's enterprise extension. Employees can easily switch between the iPhone and the office extension without disrupting calls in progress. Source: Avaya

Cisco’s WebEx for Apple’s iPhone LAUNCH: In January 2009, Cisco Systems launched a new application that extends its WebEx conferencing and collaboration offering to Apple’s iPhone. The client-based application, that can be downloaded from the Apple app store at no cost, allows users to click to join and actively collaborate in Cisco WebEx meetings. PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: The Cisco WebEx Meeting Center application on the iPhone enables users to participate in WebEx meetings by joining the meeting, viewing the presentation, viewing the attendees and also chatting with selected participants. Users with current WebEx subscriptions can also schedule and host WebEx Meetings. A future version will provide the same capabilities in Cisco’s Unified MeetingPlace software. VENDOR POSITION: Alex Hadden-Boyd, Director of Marketing for Cisco's Collaboration Software Group “ Unlike other markets, we are actually seeing the disaggregation and proliferation of the mobile devices – with more mobile operating systems popping up than in any other type of devices (e.g. Windows Mobile, iPhone, BlackBerry, Symbian, Android, Palm Pre, etc.).” “ As more companies shift from corporate devices to personal devices (with consumers becoming in charge of the device expense), people are going to start utilizing the device of their choice at work.” “ There is definitely an increasing demand coming from companies to support these devices.” “ In terms of the Cisco WebEx Meeting Center application through the iPhone, the app has been having an important success since its launch. As an indication of demand, the app has been the number-one download for several weeks on the Apple apps store.” Source: Cisco

OpenScape UC Application for iPhone LAUNCH: In March 2009, Siemens Enterprise Communications released an OpenScape UC Application client for the iPhone 3.1- allowing users to call contacts directly through their corporate network, check the status of colleagues and partners and set up conferences directly through the device – among various capabilities. PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: The Siemens Mobile UC client for iPhone supports presence settings, call flow management, initiation and joining of conference calls, viewing contact lists with presence indication, initiation of group calls to a workgroup, and call logs. VENDOR POSITION: Wayne Seifried, Director, Global Solutions Marketing, SEN Group. “ We definitely recognize that consumer-based smartphones such as the iPhone are entering the enterprise space and IT departments cannot afford to ignore this trend.” “ Siemens helps IT departments by supporting the broadest range of handsets in the market including typical prosumer devices such as the iPhone. We also support the Blackberry, Symbian and Windows Mobile operating systems on a wide range of devices.” “ Our Mobile UC offering is targeted at the enterprise user and as such our Mobile UC client is available as a license on the OpenScape UC Application Server. Downloading the client from the iTunes store is a new alternative distribution method for enterprise purchasers of the OpenScape UC Application.” Source: SEN Group

Concluding Thoughts As the mobile prosumer scenario becomes more pervasive, with multiple new consumer-based smartphones being continuously launched and mobile operating systems proliferating, both smartphone device vendors and telephony providers are uniting forces to address this new evolving segment with various communication solutions extended to the prosumer-owned mobile device. Today, almost all smartphone device vendors are releasing software development kits (SDKs) that would allow telephony providers and third-party external developers to easily extend/create business communication applications and efficiently display/offer them through the smartphone vendor’s application stores such as Apple’s AppStore, Google Android Marketplace, The Palm Software Store, and BlackBerry App World – among others. For the smartphone vendor, this strategy signifies the possibility of further extending the device’s role as a business tool by lending a hand to IT departments that are challenged with providing support to prosumers with smartphones. For the telephony provider, conversely, this new model provides a new method of application delivery which can both enhance customer satisfaction and increase license revenues per user (using either a client/server license model or a SaaS model). The first applications that were offered to the mobile prosumer were CRM applications such as SAP, SalesForce, SugarCRM, etc. – helping mobile sales workers that own their own smartphone devices access the same capabilities they had been accessing through their business devices. Also, integration with e-mail platform providers, such as the case of IBM with the iPhone Lotus Domino, is already available. Today, major telephony providers such as Avaya, Cisco and Siemens have also jumped onto the mobile application bandwagon delivering various enterprise UC applications through this model. As enterprise mobility becomes mainstream, Frost & Sullivan expects more communication vendors to start extending their UC applications (such as conferencing, UM, FMC, presence and Instant messaging) through consumer-centric smartphones to the prosumer customer base.

Related Links
How to introduce the iPhone 3G S to your organization
http://searchvoip.techtarget.com.au/articles/33208-How-to-introduce-the-iPhone-3G-S-to-your-organisation
New features on Apple’s new iPhone 3G S help users of Cisco WebEx meetings http://blogs.cisco.com/collaboration/comments/new_features_on_apples_new_iphone_3g_s_help_users_of_cisco_webex_meetings/
ESCAUX offers Mobile Unified Communications for Google Android Phone
http://blog.escaux.com/?p=114
OpenScape UC Application for iPhone 3.1 – Free Download http://news.softpedia.com/news/OpenScape-UC-Application-for-iPhone-3-1-Free-Download-108092.shtml
gDial Pro Google Voice app hits Palm Pre, plus 9 other titles
http://www.slashgear.com/gdial-pro-google-voice-app-hits-palm-pre-plus-9-other-titles-1156004/

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Delivering UC Applications Through Prosumer Smartphones

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