This post will require a few iterations before it ever truly gets finished. Comments are encouraged. Regardless, 2007 has been extraordinary as we’ve seen the evolution of several new industry spaces and a few major corporate strategic initiatives begin to unfold.
Gartner defined Communications Enhanced Business Processes as a new software space in 2007. This was wonderful for Avaya and their CEBP offerings as it provided a strong strategic rationale to being taken over by private equity. Firms like Lignup and BlueNoteNetworks with their large VC investments claimed a role in the space too.
At the same time the Web and Open Source world have seen the technologies associated with the Internet Operating System multiply and mature. Specifically, communications technologies became mashable and highly scaleable. Many dozens ,if not hundreds, of Web 2.0/Telco 2.0 companies have appeared with offerings. This growth has allowed the term, Voice Mashups, to become the non proprietary, open or cross platform method of handling CEBP.
Of course, Microsoft and Cisco also started doing battle over the Unified Communications space with product launches. Analysts have been hard at work trying to figure out how CEBP and UC fit into each analyst’s own market matrix. I’m sure Venn Diagrams will come in handy.
Finally, the (SDP) Service Delivery Platform concept begins to provide Telcos an opportunity to start offering high value services to end users and vendors IF internal cultural issues allow for this change to happen. BT, Vodaphone, and Orange seem to be taking the most significant strides forward with the help of a few key SDP vendors.
So, we’ve seen the market try to define itself this year. From our perspective there is overlap and potential coopetition with all of these analyst phrases, product offerings, and strategic initiatives. Our sense is that 2008 will be the year of moving from strategy to tactics for real industry players. When implemented properly, any of these efforts truly can help businesses transform themselves.
Winners and losers will be declared in 2008 based upon helping real clients save money, speed up business processes, and improve services to end users.
Our experience helping clients shows us that customers do see the ROI value and need the technical assistance. For those companies that want to become or remain industry leaders, 2008 will be the year of delivering on the talk and thoughts of 2007.