SOURCE: Infonetics Research

December 11, 2008 17:14 ET

Infonetics Research: Cisco grabs lead in enterprise telephony market for first time; market up 8% in 3Q08

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - December 11, 2008) - The worldwide enterprise telephony market grew 8% between 2Q08 and 3Q08, to $2.6 billion, with pure IP PBX and hybrid PBX equipment sales up and TDM PBX equipment sales down, according to a new report from market research firm Infonetics Research.

The report, Enterprise Telephony Worldwide Market Share and Forecasts, shows Cisco took the lead for the first time in the overall PBX-KTS equipment market after growing its revenue 19% in 3Q08. Avaya also posted strong quarterly growth, increasing overall PBX revenue 10%; Avaya is now in 2nd place in the worldwide PBX and IP PBX equipment markets; Nortel is 3rd. Cisco is the only vendor gaining significant market share in this market in 2008; most other vendors are holding steady or decreasing slightly, the report shows.

"The enterprise telephony market more than likely will get squeezed during the recession, particularly in 2009, because one of the prime drivers of PBX sales is the creation of new businesses and the expansion of existing businesses, which are hampered during downturns. There are a few bright spots, though, like the pure IP PBX segment, which is benefiting from new product launches, and IP softphones, of which we've seen a tremendous uptake in recent quarters, and which should weather the economic storm fairly well, with continued annual growth expected," said Matthias Machowinski, directing analyst for enterprise voice and data at Infonetics Research.

Other highlights from the report:

--  The IP PBX segment grew 9% in revenue and 7% in lines from 2Q08 to
    3Q08
--  Year-over-year, quarterly IP phone shipments are up 25% in 3Q08
--  IP softphone shipments more than doubled from 2Q08 to 3Q08
--  The TDM segment will drop below the $1 billion mark for the first time
    in 2008
    

Infonetics' report tracks 3Com, Aastra, AudioCodes, Alcatel-Lucent, Avaya, Cisco, Dialogic, Mitel, NEC, Nortel, Quintum, Samsung, ShoreTel, Siemens, Tadiran, Toshiba, Vertical, and others. The report provides worldwide and regional forecasts and market size for TDM PBX/KTS systems, IP PBX systems with hybrid and pure IP splits, IP PBX by system size, VoIP gateways, and IP deskphones and softphones. Pivot tables are included.

For report highlights, log in to Infonetics' online portal from www.infonetics.com (see Enterprise Voice and UC). For sales, contact Larry Howard, vice president, at larry@infonetics.com or +1 (408) 583-3335.

Infonetics Research (www.infonetics.com) is an international market research and consulting firm serving the communications industry since 1990. A leader in defining and tracking emerging and established technologies in all world regions, Infonetics helps clients plan, strategize, and compete more effectively.