Resellers to spearhead full convergence
Analyst warns vendors to avoid pursuing piecemeal strategies
Vendors should merge networking technologies, rather than push them in isolation, to allow businesses to get the long-term benefits of convergence, according to Butler Group.
The analyst firm said vendors "should abandon their current approach of adopting technologies such as voice over IP [VoIP] and Wi-Fi in isolation".
Although this can bring short-term benefits, it ignores the advantages of merging voice and data networks, Butler Group claimed.
Mark Blowers, senior research analyst at the firm, said businesses should be moving to fully converged networks in the next five years, and that resellers would be key to their success.
"A lot of vendors are focusing on individual technologies such as VoIP, Wi-Fi and wireless LANs separately, but this is not what they should be doing," Blowers said.
"Converging networks can provide scalability and flexibility. It is about putting plan in place now to evolve to a fully converged environment."
Blowers added that vendors can learn from and use the channel when putting together network convergence strategies.
"The channel is a key enabler of this because it can bring products together," he said.
BT and Cisco are among companies that are doing well because they are integrating products, he added.
The analyst claimed that, although BT and Cisco still lead the market for convergence, the next few years will see Alcatel and Siemens join them.
BT has moved increasingly into the data market through BT Indirect Channels, its indirect sales division.
Cisco has been building new capabilities into its equipment through its Self Defending Network strategy.
Des Lekerman, managing director of reseller Eurodata Systems, agreed that Cisco is a leader in this area.
He added that people are already looking at building security and VoIP features into their networks but warned that they should be cautious.
"People are not taking on VoIP as much as was expected. They are hanging back until the technology is fully baked," he said.