Polycom Positioned in the Visionary Quadrant of ''Magic Quadrant for Unified Communications, 2005''
Business Editors/High-Tech Writers
PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 1, 2005--Polycom(R), Inc. (NASDAQ:PLCM), the world's leading provider of unified collaborative communications solutions, today announced it is positioned in the Visionary Quadrant(1) of the Gartner, Inc.'s "Unified Communications Magic Quadrant, 2005"(2) published Feb. 14, 2005. Gartner Magic Quadrants plot vendor positions relative to completeness of vision and ability to execute that vision in the marketplace. They are provided to Gartner clients seeking advice on a market segment's trends, its maturity in terms of implementation and value to an organization, and the strengths of vendor offerings.
According to the research report authors, Unified Communications has matured considerably over the last year and when properly employed offer companies significant value to enhancing individual and group productivity through the integration of communications such as voice and unified messaging, call handling, email, voice/video/web conferencing and collaboration, and instant messaging/presence-based applications with each other and with key businesses processes. Gartner believes "this technology has the potential to significantly alter and improve the ways that individuals, groups and companies interact and perform."
To be included in this UC quadrant vendors had to offer premise-based, multiple communication channels and be sufficiently scalable to be competitive, offer contact management and control tools extensible across multiple channels and applications, have market share and mindshare in their core areas of competency.
The report, authored by analysts Bern Elliot, Steve Blood and Drew Kraus noted, "Two general strategies apply to the current generation of products...One strategy is to offer a strong communication solution in a core technology area, and to partner with other vendors to provide a complete portfolio." Polycom is an example of this strategy.
Polycom's vision for Unified Collaborative Communications which converges voice, video, web and data applications and hardware on IP and provides the network management hardware and software to support rich media collaboration, is a subset of the Unified Communications market offering. Polycom has co-development partnerships with Avaya, Microsoft and Nortel, among others, to provide the other components of an end-to-end UC portfolio, namely unified messaging, PBX call handling, e-mail, and integration with leading instant messaging and presence-based platforms.
"We believe Polycom's inclusion in the Gartner UC Magic Quadrant confirms the market position we have taken in converging voice, video, web and data calls onto IP," said Hans Schwarz, CTO and chief systems architect at Polycom. "Polycom enables users to instantly collaborate by initiating the highest quality voice, video, web and data calls -- in any combination -- from the desktop or conference room or mobile device within and across organizations from an instant message, video device or phone. As a result of our commitment to open standards and the co-development work we are doing with partners, dispersed workgroups can now collaborate seamlessly across any communications backbone leading to faster time to decision, enhanced relationships and real competitive advantage."
(1) Vendors in the Visionaries quadrant demonstrate a clear understanding of the UC market and offer a strong technical approach to one or two core areas. However, these noted vendors may have limited ability to execute across the entire set of communications requirements.
(2) The Magic Quadrant is copyrighted February 14, 2005 by Gartner, Inc. and is reused with permission. The Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It depicts Gartner's analysis of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the magic Quadrant, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors placed in the "leaders" quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is intended solely as a research tool, and is not meant to be a specific guide to action. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
About Polycom
Polycom, Inc. is the worldwide leader in unified collaborative communications (UCC) that maximize the efficiency and productivity of people and organizations by integrating the broadest array of video, voice, data and Web solutions to deliver the ultimate communications experience. Polycom's high quality, standards-based conferencing and collaboration solutions are easy to deploy and manage, as well as intuitive to use. Supported by an open architecture, they integrate seamlessly with leading telephony and presence-based networks. With its market driving technologies, best-in-class products, alliance partnerships, and world-class service, Polycom is the smart choice for organizations seeking proven solutions and a competitive advantage in real-time communications and collaboration. For additional information call 1-800-POLYCOM (765-9266) or 408-526-9000, or visit the Polycom website at www.polycom.com.
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CONTACT: Polycom, Inc. Jessica Kersey, 925-924-5689 jessica.kersey@polycom.com
KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HARDWARE TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORKING SOURCE: Polycom, Inc.
Copyright Business Wire 2005
