Providers of unified communications (UC) will have to partner with or acquire firms that are specialists in emerging technologies if they are to drive growth from the Internet of Things (IoT).
The latest report from Frost & Sullivan, a market research firm, said the integration of future technologies like sensor-linked devices, augmented reality and virtual holography with UC ecosystem will drive growth particularly in the connected workplace.
"Since the required back-end infrastructure that will enable this transition to a smart workplace is expected to be complex, the traditional UC ecosystem must embrace next-generation technology vendors," the report said.
"Market participants will have to partner with or acquire firms that are specialists in emerging technologies to accelerate the delivery of integrated services."
Vaishno Devi Srinivasan, a senior research analyst at Frost & Sullivan’s Information & Communication Technologies, said: "The changing communication patterns of users and the need to collaborate anytime and anywhere has led to the evolution of next-generation technologies.
"Mega trends such as urbanisation, smart cities, the growing dominance of Gen Y, and increasing network convergence demand the infusion of next-gen technologies into the UC framework."
He added: "The adoption of augmented reality, Internet of Things, and social networks has caught on in the retail, manufacturing, defence, education, healthcare and automotive sectors, offering a multitude of opportunities for integration with UC."
