ChannelVision Magazine

ogy streamlines call quality. HD audio also ranked relatively low in a poll on the most important features for a con- ferencing and collaboration experience over a mobile device, where respon- dents indicated they care more about features such as overall audio quality, reliability, battery life, data plan usage and ease of access to meetings. PGi attributes this anomaly to a lack of education and awareness about the impact that HD audio can have on overall call quality. Many end users are liable to be using HD audio right now without even knowing it. Still, it’s not seen as a top demand driver. 4. OTT apps usage is rising About 75 percent of respondents are using over-the-top (OTT) applications for UC&C in lieu of traditional distribution methods. Of this group, almost half re- ported that 75 percent of their conference calls take place over OTT applications. Thirty-six percent of respondents indicated that they use OTT-based ap- plications because they are easy to use, while 26 percent do so because they are more affordable. More than 20 percent mentioned the widespread popularity of OTT applications, while about 10 per- cent said that they use them because quality is “good enough.” Less than 10 percent said that interoperability is a driving factor for using OTT applications. 5. Mobile video is not a priority A surprisingly small amount of at- tention was allocated to mobile video in the study, suggesting that it’s not a top concern for users. One question, for instance, asked par- ticipants which mobile-optimized features would encourage them to frequently use their smartphone for conference calls. Less than 5 percent selected HD video while more than 40 percent chose HD audio. What’s more, less than 10 percent of participants selected HD video when asked what they would consider to be a “killer app” for driving the adoption of a mobile-optimized UC&C solution. Also, the perception that video quality is poor was listed as a top bar- rier to using smartphones or tablets for conference calls. 6. There’s room for growth Ultimately, there is a massive amount of potential in the mobile UC&C space for all players in the value chain — especially operators, device manu- facturers and developers who directly enable mobile UC&C experiences. To maximize this opportunity, though, more work is needed on all fronts. Manufacturers, for example, are advised to build future smartphones around UC&C and messaging applica- tions to create seamless conferencing and collaboration experiences for end users. At the same time, operators and channel partners need to further educate end users about advance- ments in call quality, network cover- age and messaging. Regardless, it’s clear that the future of UC&C will be centered around mobility. o Mobile & Wireless THE MOBILITY SOLUTION THAT EVERY PARTNER NEEDS IN THEIR PORTFOLIO WHAT vMOX DOES: • Reduce mobility costs by 20-40% • Provide detailed reporting and analytics across all providers • Proactively handle all carrier interactions • Manage Device Procurement & Inventory • All with NO service disruptions or provider changes Delight your clients by significantly reducing their mobility costs and alleviating their management headaches, while you transform your business with an innovative offering and continuous revenue streams. VMOX.COM/Partners 646-795-2000 Partners@VMOX.COM MOBILITY OPTIMIZATION & LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT SUCCESS STORIES PROFILE DEVICES SAVINGS Global Automobile Manufacturer 13,100 46% Retail Department Store Chain 8,250 24% Global Managed Cloud Provider 2,350 33% Healthcare Information Provider 1,400 51% International Non-Profit 700 43% March - April, 2018 | Channel Vision 53