What drives these customers to migrate to new messaging solutions? Many vendors have tried to target this market with new voice mail platforms that provide an abundance of great features, attempting to engage customers to make the change. However, the reality is that unless the system is no longer operational, customers are more inclined to stick to their end-of-life solutions. The only real drive most voice vendors are aware of is a major change in their voice platform, basically the customer will migrate when they decide it’s time to buy a new phone system.
The situation arises from the fact that many organizations do not have new phone systems or voice platforms as major agenda items, unless the system is no longer functioning, or becoming too costly to continue using. With the advent of mobility, instant messaging, video and real-time collaboration, voice is becoming a distant item on most organizational game plans. In fact, according to most voice providers, the stats show that roughly less than 30% of their customers invest in new voice platforms each year.
At this point in time "legacy messaging migrations" are increasing. Many companies are throwing out old voice applications such as voicemail, IVR and fax platforms; replacing them with applications and services that address their current virtualization strategies. This allows them to flatten and consolidate their licensing and maintenance costs with true software and service solutions. This is evident in the proliferation of both the Microsoft OCS/Exchange platform and the growth of hosted email offerings. Basically the drive to change and consolidate is not a new voice/VoIP upgrade, but the decision about which email platform to migrate to! Whether its Exchange 2010 with built-in voice applications or a migration to Google Apps and other leveraging platforms like our very own esnatech Office-LinX, email (not VoIP) is the key for new legacy migration opportunities!
Vendors need to recognize this opportunity or the will lose the ability to press the value of integrating and consolidating voice communication and applications with their email migration. Focusing on email migration increases the directed market from 180 million seats to well over a billion seats of legacy migration customers looking to make a change.
