Unified Communication Market Size and Forecasts (2021 - 2031), Global and Regional Share, Trends, and Growth Opportunity Analysis

Unified communications and collaboration (UC&C) combine enterprise communication tools assembled into a single interface and integrated into a management system. A set of UC&C products includes a varierty of tools such as messaging tools, audio and video conferencing solutions, ip telephony, contact center services, and customer interaction applications. The UC&C solution offers various benefits to the employees by enhancing their ability to telecommute or work remotely. The UC&C solutions are available as on-premises software, partner-hosted solutions, or as a service (UCaaS) from cloud providers.

COVID-19 Impact

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government and regulatory authorities mandated public and private organizations to adopt new practices for working remotely and maintaining social distance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the digital way of doing business has become a new Business Continuity Plan (BCP) for various organizations globally. With the adoption of remote working practices, BYOD devices, work from home (WFH) trend, and internet penetration worldwide, organizations and individuals are liable toward using digital technologies, thereby driving the need for UC&C solutions. During the pandemic, the organizations experienced a shift toward remote working and increased demand for video conferencing solutions and hardware products, which eventually contributed to the growth of UC&C solutions among end users.

Regional Trends

In terms of region, North America holds a significant share, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific (APAC) in the global unified communication and collaboration market. The presence of several prominent UC&C solution providers in the region and large organizations contributes to the market's growth. Key players such as IBM, Zoom, Cisco, and Avaya offer enhanced UC&C solutions and services to cater to the need of customers. Due to the pandemic, organizations in the region have adopted remote work for their employees, increasing the demand for unified communication solutions. Thus, the high use of BYOD and remote work trend boosted the demand for UC&C solutions in the region.

The unified communication and collaboration market in APAC is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. APAC is the leading digital hub in the world. The rising adoption of digital technology, cloud and mobility trend in countries such as Japan, Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), and India are driving the market's growth. The government initiatives and investments across various countries in APAC to adopt digital technology and infrastructure further boost the demand for UC&C solutions and services. The emergence of distance education and e-learning to meet diversified educational requirements across countries in APAC has led to the expansion of the UC&C market. In APAC, many regional service providers (RSP) and global service providers (GSP) offer full-fledged UC&C  as a part of their core collaboration product portfolio. Furthermore, with the rising adoption of cloud technology and increased spending on digital technology, APAC is catching up with other top regions, such as North America and Europe.

Competition Analysis and Recent Developments

Some of the prominent players operating in the market are Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise; Windstream Intellectual Property Services; StarBlue; Orange S.A.; Dialpad; BT Group plc; Verizon; RingCentral, Inc.; LogMeIn, Inc.;  Fuze;  Avaya; Microsoft Corporation; Cisco Systems, Inc.; Zoom Video Communications; Inc.; and Google LLC. These vendors have a strong geographic footprint, large customer base, and well-organized distribution channels, which help them increase revenue and maintain a strong position in the market. The companies focus on various organic and inorganic growth strategies to stay competitive and gain a better customer base. Some of the recent developments are mentioned below:

In July 2021, Verizon launched new BlueJeans Meetings features for iPadOS, iOS, and Android to support the reality of today’s mobile workforce, as well as new device partnerships and applications aimed at unlocking the power of Verizon Mobile Edge Compute for real-time video collaboration on the go.

In June 2021, AVANT Communications announced the expansion of their partnership as part of Zoom’s Referral Partner Program to offer Zoom’s video-first unified communications platform through AVANT’s network of Trusted Advisors in Europe.

In April 2021, Verizon Business entered into an agreement to acquire BlueJeans Network, a trusted enterprise-grade video conferencing and event platform.

In January 2021, Comcast acquired Blueface (a Dublin, Ireland-based global tech provider), expanding its business service sector and international footprint.

The New Era of Unified Communication and Collaboration Tools in COVID-19 Pandemic, and Geography (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and South and Central America)Report Scope